| Paper-training
Paper-training
starts as soon as your puppy comes home with you. In fact,
preparation for paper-training should be done before the
puppy comes home.
Confinement
helps in paper-training a puppy
Set up a
confined area for the puppy. This can be achieved using
playpens. Cover the floor inside the playpen with newspaper,
set up a comfortable bedding at a corner and place a water
bowl or water bottle inside the playpen.
It is not
cruel to confine a puppy. Confinement is necessary to
paper-train your puppy. It is also necessary to keep him and
your furnitures safe when no one is at home. Once he is
successfully paper-trained, you can let him have the free run
of the house, provided he does not also chew furnitures or
cables.
When you
arrive home with your puppy, put him inside the playpen straight away
as he will very likely pee after the traveling. If he pees on
the newspaper, praise and reward him with a tiny titbit. He
may whine or bark when he's inside the playpen, ignore him and
he will soon stop making noise and fall asleep as puppies tire
easily. He has to get used to the idea of being confined.
Never make the mistake of going to him whenever he barks or
whines. He will learn to do so whenever he wants attention.
Keep the
puppy inside the playpen whenever no one is around to
supervise him. He has to eliminate on the newspaper when he's
inside the confined area and this will condition him to do so
on newspaper. Gradually reduce the size of newspaper inside
the playpen. The puppy should continue to pee and poo on the
newspaper. If he doesn't, go back to cover the whole area with
newspaper again.
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When
you let the puppy out of the confined area, keep a close
watch on him and bring him to the newspaper whenever he
looks like he's going to eliminate. Puppies usually have
the need to eliminate after waking up, after playing and
after eating. If you are not able to keep an eye on him,
put him back inside the playpen. You don't want to have
him make mistakes when no one is watching. If he does
so, never scold or punish him, just clean up the mess
and remind yourself to be more careful next
time. |
Never
let puppy out whenever he whines or barks |
Remember to
praise and reward with a treat whenever your puppy does it
right on the newspaper. It will help if you place a container
of treats near the newspaper as timing of reward is very
important. Zuiko was paper-trained in one day because she was
(and still is) so greedy. She kept going back to the newspaper
to pee in order to earn a treat!
When you let
your puppy out of the confined area, lay more newspaper at
different corners around the house so that it's easier for
your puppy to access them. Make it easier for you and your
puppy to succeed.
Instead of
clearing the soiled newspaper and replacing it with a fresh
piece, keep the soiled newspaper and lay a fresh piece over
it. The scent of urine will attract your puppy to go back to
the same spot to pee again. This works better than the
training solution sold in pet shops.
Paper-training
may take as short as a few days to as long as a few months,
depending on the individual dog. Be patient and consistent and
you will eventually see results.
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