By Sandy Eastman - ONLYforPETLOVERS Minneapolis

Consistency and determination are nouns often attributed to athletes or entrepreneurs, but let’s not forget – dog trainers.

The task of house-breaking a new puppy is often daunting and sometimes overwhelming. Just like children, each dog or breed has a different degree of capability and willingness to learn. The training process begins after weaning, anywhere from seven to ten weeks old.

Compassionate Care Animal Hospital, a leading clinic in Minneapolis with over 30 years of experience, warns owners not to expect instant results. The process can last several months before the puppy is completely house-broken.

Dr. Judi Funk, owner and D.V.M., stresses the use of “positive re-enforcement during training”. A puppy’s memory span only lasts about 30 seconds. Therefore, it is very important to remember the number one rule: Never punish your puppy for an accident that happened while you were occupied elsewhere or away from home. This accident is your fault and not the fault of the puppy. Using your hands to hit him or rubbing his nose in urine will only make him nervous or fearful. Constant physical punishment can make your dog cringe when you reach for him or run and hide when you return home.

The two most common methods of training involve paper or pad training and crate training. It is important that the puppy be crated or in your sight at all times. Compassionate Care Animal Hospital advocates crate or kennel training as the most effective. The crate should only be large enough for the puppy to rest comfortably. No water or food is placed in the crate. What about a soft blanket or chew toy though? A word of caution: a puppy will chew the blanket or use it to cover their mess. A puppy will not urinate or defecate in his sleeping area, however, if the crate is too large, he will soon learn to deposit at one end and sleep in the other. You can purchase a crate with an expandable divider which can be widened as the puppy grows.

Puppies should have structured eating times and play times. They should only be crated for a maximum of four hours at a time as well. Puppies usually need to eliminate about 30 minutes after eating or extended playing. When you notice the puppy giving off signals that elimination is eminent (sniffing the floor, walking in circles, trying to hide), you should immediately take him outside or to the area in which you wish him to eliminate. When he does his deed, you should praise him and immediately take him back indoors. He needs to learn that being outside is where he goes potty and that that is reason he is taken outside. If you allow him to play first, he will think the outdoors is for playtime and not time to eliminate.

Compassionate Care also emphasizes that crate training is a very useful tool when preparing the dog for overnight medical visits or boarding. Dogs are naturally den animals, and if properly trained, the kennel will become a safe haven for them at home and away from home.

Paper training is still used on occasion; however, this process can often give way to bad habits. The puppy sometimes becomes confused and deposits inside the house next to the door. If you are training your dog to eliminate outside, it is best that you start this process immediately. Paper and litter box training should only be used for apartment dwelling or very small breed dogs.

Since dogs can be taught command words such as sit, lay down, etc., they also can be taught words for training. Using an expression like “go outside” or “go potty” can be very effective. Your dog will learn the words quickly, and each family member should use them consistently when training and throughout the dog’s lifetime. For example, when your puppy is showing signs of eliminating you could use the term “go outside”, and when placing him outside, use the term “go potty”.

What about the older dog with behavior problems? My bichon frise, Pinky, came to us un-trained at eleven months old.

The bichon frise is a difficult breed to train due to their happy go-lucky temperament. They would much rather play than do their duty. Punky’s previous owner attempted paper training during the day and put her in a kennel at night. The kennel was so large that the puppy slept at one end and eliminated at the other. To top it off, the owner lined the kennel with paper – ouch!

Of course, Punky was immediately confused and thus began to eliminate anywhere she chose. It took three months of consistent training before success was achieved. I did this with command words like “go outside” and “go potty”. When seeing her begin to eliminate in the house, I would quickly grab her, push her tail between her legs and utter a firm “no – go outside”.

When Punky would do her deed, I would praise her highly by petting and sometimes offering a treat. I spent a great deal of time walking her and giving the command, “go potty”.

Here’s another great tip. The easiest way to train a dog is, quite simply, with another dog. Dogs are creatures of habit and learn very quickly. When my older dog would eliminate outside, I would praise her, and in turn, Punky would respond similarly to get the same praise. Soon I would put them outside at the same time each day and give the command words. The older dog would obey and Punky would follow.

The more time you spend with your puppy or dog, the easier it will be to train him properly. Consistency, determination and lots of love and patience will help your puppy grow into a loving and healthy dog.

Photo Credit: Roman Balog