There are few things in life as joyful as the addition of a new puppy to the family. But ask any puppy owner what the most difficult part is, and they’ll undoubtedly say house training.
House training will test your patience, but getting it right is all about consistency and positive reinforcement. It typically takes between four and six months for a puppy to be fully house trained, but in some cases, it can take up to a year. Smaller breeds typically take longer to train than larger breeds as they have smaller bladders and urinate more frequently. The key in successful house training is perseverance regardless of setbacks.
Tips for house training
- Stick to regular mealtimes, and remove puppy’s leftover food between meals.
- Decide where you want a puppy to do his business and make sure to take him to the same spot every time.
- Stay outside with him until he has gone about his business, and then give him plenty of praise and a treat if you like, to reward and encourage him.
- Take him outside to do his business first thing in the morning and the last thing at night before bedtime. For the first while you’ll need to take him outside every 30 min to an hour, after daytime naps and after meals.
How do you know when your puppy needs to go? Look out for sniffing, whining and barking as these may all be signs that his bladder is full.
Accidents are to be expected, but don’t be discouraged, and don’t punish your puppy for them. Puppies are not intellectually mature enough to understand the connection between your anger and their accident, so the punishment will only teach them to fear you.
If you catch your puppy in the act, clap your hands loudly to alert him that he’s doing something unacceptable and then take him outside. If you found the evidence after the accident has happened, clean up and leave him be – he won’t be able to understand that he has done something wrong unless you alert him during the act.
To facilitate the training process, Hunter created Puppy Trainer Drops, a blend of essential oils that help young dogs find the correct place to do their business.
The patchouli and sandalwood essential oils in this product act as perfume attractants, captivating the interests of dogs to interact with the scent. Both essential oils have a sweet, musky aroma which is attractive to dogs and draws them to the spot where the owner has placed the drops.
Simply sprinkle a few drops of Puppy Trainer over the area where you want your puppy to do his business. The drops are suitable for indoor and outdoor use and can be placed on grass, artificial grass and puppy pads. Take him to the treated spot and allow him to sniff and become familiar with the new area. Once he’s urinated on that spot a couple of times, he’ll get the hang of it and continue to go back to the same area.
To learn more about Hunter products, visit https://www.huntersa.co.za/.
