by November 17th, 2008. Filed under: Uncategorized.
The good news is that you can house train a dog (an adult dog that is) fairly quicklyâ?¦faster than puppies anywayâ?¦the bad news is, you’ve got to be consistent and actually do the work because your dog won’t have a clue what to do.
So how do you get started?…I thought you’d never ask.
1. Set Up “His Space”
Create an area where you can confine your poochâ?¦you’ll use it for those times when you’re away or when you don’t want to be keeping a close eye on himâ?¦make sure a large part of that space is covered with newspapers too (about 3 sheets thick).
When (not if) he uses the papers, clean up the mess and replace the papers as soon as you canâ?¦but place one of the soiled papers right in the middle of the new batchâ?¦this will help build the “here is where I go” idea in his brain. Over time (maybe days, maybe weeks) his “aim” will improve and you’ll be able to reduce the papered area to maybe just a single sheet.
2. Create a Feeding & Watering Routine
Your best partner in house training your buddy will be setting up and sticking to a feeding and watering scheduleâ?¦feed and water him at the same times every day no exceptionsâ?¦no snacks in between; no special treats (until he’s trained)…in this way his body will automatically respond to the schedule and be predictableâ?¦this will help you immensely with your house training.
3. Observe, Observe, Observe
Keep an eye on him at all times (when he’s not in “his space”)…now that he’s on a schedule, you’ll find out that Fido will need to “go” shortly after each feeding session, and perhaps shortly after each watering session and maybe a few more unpredictable timesâ?¦watch him closely and learn what his body language is when he needs to relieve himselfâ?¦is he suddenly restless; is he sniffing around; is he (and wouldn’t this be great?) scratching at the door?
4. Do Your Leg Work
When he “shows the signs,” put him on a leash and get your legs workingsâ?¦take him outside to the place you want him to use. Make sure this is the same place every timeâ?¦don’t confuse him by switching it around on him.
Be patient and while he’s sniffing around, repeat a command he can associate with this behavior in the futureâ?¦use something like “go, go, go” or “time to go boy,” etcâ?¦then when he finally “goes,” make sure to give him a lot of praise and strokesâ?¦you want him to associate that praise with his actions so his little doggie brain will remember “Go Outside = Good Stuff”
5. Correcting Mistakes
If he goes “where no dog has gone before,” immediately, make eye contact with him and correct him with a firm “No” then lead him to the place you want him to use (either outside or to his “papers”)
But you must remember (and never forget) you can only correct him if you catch him in the actâ?¦if it’s any later, even just seconds later, your correction won’t work; he won’t make the connection you wantâ?¦in fact, it will have a negative impactâ?¦so, if you miss your chance, you’ll just have to be more vigilant and catch him the next time.
But once the deed is done, clean up the mess completely and remove the odor completely too, because it will be the smell that brings him back to that spot for a return visit.
6. Keep Your Attitude Positive
Keep in mind that house training any dog takes time…it could take weeksâ?¦some dogs will be able to control themselves sooner than others and some will learn what you want from them sooner than others. If you want to be successful in the shortest amount of time, it’s up to you to maintain the right attitude and be persistent and consistent so your buddy has the best chance to learn.
I hope this helpsâ?¦thanks for reading.
Did you know that to house train a dog is just the first training step you’ll take with your pooch? Need help taking the next steps? Then check out  The-Dog-Zone.net.
Filed under: Uncategorized
November 17th, 2008 at 2:32 am
What’s the most efficient/quick way to house-train a basset hound?
We're trying to house train our basset hound puppy. He's 3 1/2 months old, and we haven't succeeded in house training him- he's gotten worse, if anything. But we want to keep him more of an inside dog. Is there any way to potty train him?
November 17th, 2008 at 7:34 am
Kennel train it first. Keep it in its kennel (or a restricted area) . Only let him out for water (and food) 4 or 5 times a day, and then immediantly after, take him outside. Once you take him outside, let him use the bathroom, Then come back in and put him in his cage agian. The dog will get in a routine of that and eventually know the when he needs to got to the bathroom, He will go to the door. Onceyou trust the dog enough, you can let him run aroun the house and let him play. This will result to a happier life for you and your puppy.
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November 17th, 2008 at 7:36 am
crate training is the only way for some dogs. you have to watch him 24/7 when he is out and keep him in his crate when you can't watch him. also feed him in his crate and make him sleep there. do not let him have free run of the house. Only 1 or 2 rooms until he is fully trained.
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November 17th, 2008 at 7:38 am
Basset hounds do tend to take a long time to housebreak.
The key is supervision. Do not allow him loose in the house unless you are actively watching him. Learn the signs that he is about to go, and get him out before he does. When you can't watch him, he should be crated or tied to you. Go outside with him and reward him for doing his business where he should.
Tell yourself that if he messes in the house, it is YOUR fault for not watching him closely enough. Then whack yourself with a rolled-up newspaper
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November 17th, 2008 at 7:40 am
Puppies are just like human babies. When they wake up, after they eat, and after they get some sort of activity they NEED to go to the bathroom. If your dog has an accident inside, quickly take it outside so that it associates going out with going to the bathroom. If you see your dog sniffing around excessively, this is a surefire sign that it's looking for a place to go potty. What I did with my dog is I left her leash is a visible spot near the front door. Within a week a couple of weeks she associated the leash with going outside to do her business and started trying to get at her leash when she needed to go out….that was her way of letting us know it was time to go.
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November 17th, 2008 at 7:42 am
The above answers are good, another technique is if they start peeing, immediately pick them up and put their tail under them (so that they would pee on it) and take them outside and let them finish out there. They hate this and it will be a great reinforcement to do it outside.
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November 17th, 2008 at 7:44 am
I would suggest crate training.
I got my Basset Hound when he was 4 months old and immediately started to crate train him. To my surprise, he actually learned more quickly than I thought he would. A few tips that I was told when I started training him:
- When he's not in the crate, limit the area that he's allowed access to in your house. For example, my Basset was only allowed in the kitchen / eating area of my house.
- When he's not in the crate, supervise him (watch closely for signs that he may need to go) and get him outside before he goes. Then reward him for going outside. At first, he may need to go every 15 minutes when he's out of the crate.
- When you take him out of the crate, immediately take him outside to go and then praise him for going outside. Before putting him back in the crate, take him outside again.
- If he's not in the crate and he pees in the house, it's your fault. Not the dogs. You weren't watching close enough for the signs. Don't scold him.
- Dogs don't like to go where they sleep. So make the crate small enough (mine came with an insert so I could make it smaller) so that he can't pee on one side and then go and lie down on the other side where it's dry.
- Dogs don't like to go where they eat. I was told to feed him in his crate. When I fed him, I put the bowl of food just inside the door of the crate and he would stand outside of the crate with the door open and eat his food. When he was done, I'd take the bowl away.
He had a few accidents but, as I said before, he learned pretty quickly. As he got older and I started to trust him more, I started to give him more access to other areas of the house. But, I always put him in his crate if I wasn't home and at night. At about 1.5 years, I no longer put him in the crate when I left the house and he had full access to the house. Eventually, I stopped putting him in the crate at night.
Here's a good article with more info about crate training: http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/cratetraining.htm
I hope some of this info helps. Don't give up. It'll take time and persistence. But with the right methods, your dog will eventually catch on. Good Luck!
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Basset Hound Enthusiast