Training and housetraining your dog is sometimes a difficult task. At The Puppy Place, we have developed these basic guidelines for housetraining and training your dog against problem chewing and biting.
Housetraining Your Dog
In general, a dog will not soil the area it lays in. Therefore, if they are confined to a small area (for training purposes) they will not use it as a restroom. Instead, they will wait until you take them outside.
The best way to confine your dog for this purpose is to place them in a crate, Kennel cab or puppy exercise pen for 2 to 4 hours at a time. After the time is up, take your dog outside to relieve itself.
When your dog relieves itself in the proper place, reward him/her! A freeze-dried liver treat is ideal because it’s odorless, light, and most dogs enjoy them. This pattern of rewards for correct behavior should be followed for 2 to 4 weeks, after which your dog should be housetrained.
No Biting
Thank You / Take It teaches a dog to gently take an object and release it when told. We like Thank You as a polite variation of the Let Go command, but telling your dog to “drop” or “give” would work as well. Whichever command you choose, using it consistently is the key.
Show Fido the toy, wiggle it, and then say “Take it.” Hand him one end while you’re holding the other. Hang on while Fido plays for a moment, then say “Thank you” and remove it from his mouth.
Teach the release by saying “Thank you” and touching the side of Fido’s tongue. There’s a gap behind the fangs, where the tongue is visible even with the teeth closed. Most dogs will release a toy when you touch the side of the tongue there. (For those who won’t release, hold a tasty treat off to the side so the dog must release the toy to get the yummy.)
