Besides their children, there's nothing many people like better than their dogs.
Dogs make great companions and they can really add a lot to wards making a house a home.
Since many folks obtain a dog as a little puppy, there is some training that needs to be done to make the dog fit in and behave properly.
Housebreaking your dog need not be the problem it has the potential to be if you follow some tried and true tips and make sure everyone in the house treats the pet in a consistent manner.
The following tips can ease the way to getting your dog trained and housebroken.
1.
Soiling the house At first, dogs don't know any better than to eliminate in the house.
They may become excited or fearful in some way and go on the floor.
It is important to be gentle and consistent when disciplining them.
A training area should be set up in the house and access restricted to this area only.
Play with the dog in this area and let him realize that this is his place to be.
A dog will be reluctant to soil his own area, especially if his bed is there.
Set up a certain spot for the dog to use as a toilet area.
Make sure the dog has access to this area often during the day, and especially at times when he may need to eliminate.
Feeding the dog on a certain schedule will help the dog develop a consistent pattern of elimination that you can take advantage of.
When the dog eliminates somewhere other than where it should, discipline the dog gently and bring it to the toilet area.
Eventually the dog will get the message and begin using the toilet area to go.
Be sure to praise the dog profusely when it goes in the correct area.
As the dog learns to go in the proper place they can be given access to other sections of the house.
2.
Pulling on a leash Until they are trained, most dogs will find a leash to be just an annoyance that is holding them from going wherever they wish.
They will either tug and pull at it or stop and sniff at everything in their path as you attempt to walk them.
It's important to train dogs to the leash when they are small and don't yet weigh too much, as it's much easier to handle a puppy than a full-grown dog.
It is vital to keep the dog's attention when leash training.
The use of a toy or snack treat will help in this regard.
A dog should be taught to heel or walk beside you with the leash loose.
If the dog tugs at the leash, firmly tug on the leash to get the dog in the correct position and remind the dog orally to stay in position while again letting the leash loosen.
If training a larger dog, a correctly fitting choke collar might be more appropriate and quicker to work.
Again give the leash a firm, quick tug when the dog gets out of position, praise the dog when he is where he should be, and let the leash loosen.
3.
Jumping on People Dogs like to jump on people but people rarely like to be jumped on.
When a puppy does it it can be cute, but when the dog gets larger it's not fun anymore and can be dangerous for kinds and smaller adults.
When your dog or puppy jumps up on you grab his front paws and gently place them back on the floor, then praise the dog for being a good boy.
You must do this consistently every time the dog jumps up and he will eventually get the message that jumping up is not the right thing to do.
If this doesn't seem to work well, hold the dog's front paws up in the air and make him walk backwards a ways before putting his feet on the floor.
Dogs dislike walking backwards and will get the message quickly this way.
There are, of course, many more tips to housebreaking your dog, but these are just a few of the basic ones.
One thing you'll want to do is to make sure everyone in the house is aware of the training going on and doesn't let the dog or puppy act up in a manner inconsistent with the way it is being trained.
When everyone acts consistently towards the dog it will not become confused, and the training will go much faster and easier.
Good luck.