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.

Puppy Training - Housetraining Your Dog in a Few Simple Steps

Soon after you get yourself a new puppy, you will have to start puppy housetraining sessions. What for, you may ask. Let’s see. Everyone just adores a cute and cuddly little puppy with its big adorable eyes and perpetually wagging tail. But when this cutie leaves you a special “gift” on your expensive Persian rug, he is suddenly not all that cute anymore. There is just one answer to stop this “gifting” from going on forever: introduce your pup to the basics of housetraining.

The task of puppy housetraining may seem overwhelming at first but you might find comfort in the fact that even the best-trained dogs started their lives by leaving pee and poop in the most unexpected places. In other words, your puppy is definitely capable of being trained as long as you put in the time and effort to train him.

Starting with the Basics: Choosing a Dog Crate

Dogs, like many other animals, like to keep their resting place clean at all times. This is the premise that you would rely on in buying your dog his own crate. Once your pup recognizes that the crate is his den, he will not relieve himself as long as he is inside the crate.

Some people might tell you that you don’t really need to get a crate for puppy housetraining. While it is possible to housetrain a dog without a crate — people have done it successfully for the past decades — the process will be so much easier if you do use one.

Crates can be very constricting to a puppy when he stays in it for a long time. As an alternative, you can also get baby gates, which will give your puppy more freedom but still keep him within his “den area”.

Selecting a Potty Area

After purchasing a crate, the next step in puppy housetraining is to select a potty area. The ideal spot is somewhere outside the house but near enough so that you don’t need to walk too far with your dog when it is time to relieve himself. The backyard is usually a great place for this purpose.

In addition to being very near your home, another advantage of using the backyard as your puppy’s potty place is that here, you can keep your young dog safe from diseases that may be acquired in public potty spots. When a particular spot has been used by another dog, your puppy can easily pick up bacteria from the place even after the poop has been removed.