Dog Housetraining Myths – What Is True or False?
It can be so difficult when housetraining dogs to know what is a myth and what is true. Many people who really want to know how to properly housetrain their dogs are getting confused by what is being published that is simply not true. So, how can you know if the claim that you’re looking at is true or false? Here are a few with the right answers.
1) A dog who pees while on her back isn’t housebroken.
Not true. When your dog lies on her back, she is showing that she is submissive, so when she’s on her back and pees, it’s probably just because she is a little bit shy. There is a name for this behavior and it’s called submissive urination. It happens when a dog shows respect to other dogs or people. It’s not that your dog isn’t housetrained, so don’t rush out with the housetraining methods. If your dog does this to you, then you should try to be less intimidating to her. Maybe if you ignore her for a couple of moments when you first come home and avoid eye contact that will help. You can also get on her level, which might help with her intimidation. Whatever you do, don’t yell at her for this; it’s not her fault and she really cannot help it.
2) Clean accidents with club soda – it’s the best
Once again, this is a housetraining myth. With club soda, you might be able to get rid of the stain in your carpeting, but you will still have the smell and if you have housetrained a dog before, you know how horrible that smell can be. Consider a cleaner that uses enzymes instead. It’s eco-friendly and safe for your dog, too, but it is one of the best ways to beat the odors when you’re working on housetraining your dog. As a side note, ammonia is a big no-no. It smells almost exactly like urine and your dog will keep hitting that spot when he’s considering doing a job in the house.
3) Big crates are great for little puppies
No. This is a bad idea if you are trying to housetrain your dog, because your tiny little puppy can do her thing on one side and sleep at the other. Your best bet is to choose a crate that will give your pooch enough room to lie down comfortably, without the extra space she would need to do a job. This will help you to reinforce your housetraining and prevent accidents. If you don’t want to have to buy two crates, consider one meant for adults with a divider in it so you can make your puppy’s space smaller for now and open it as she gets bigger.
4) Don’t punish your puppy for accidents
This is true. When you punish your puppy for an accident that she has in the house, she doesn’t know why you’re so mad. This is especially true if you catch it after it’s happened. She doesn’t remember having done a job in the kitchen unless she just did it. So, save yourself the trouble and sad eyes and clean up the mess with the knowledge that you have to keep a better eye on her from now on.
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