Take Time Off To Housetrain Your Puppy
Housetraining will be quicker and easier if you start as soon as your pup comes home, then stick to it 24 hours a day. That’s one reason experts recommend taking off a week or two from work when you first get your pup.
This time will also help you form lasting bonds with your puppy. If you’re working from home or have some time off work, use that time to start training off the right way.
Start Using The Crate The Day You Bring Them Home
Crate training helps dogs learn bladder and bowel control because they don’t like soiling their sleeping and eating areas. That’s why your dog’s crate shouldn’t be too big.
If it’s too spacious, your puppy may feel like they can eliminate in one corner and still keep their living space clean.
Put the crate somewhere in your house where there’s a lot of foot traffic to keep your pup from feeling isolated, and get them used to the noise and bustle of your household. Or get a portable crate you can take with you from room to room.
The crate should not be used to keep your pup “out of sight, out of mind.” Give your puppy lots of breaks to stretch their legs and to play and bond with you; one or two hours at a stretch in the crate is all the time they should be spending there during the day.
When Can Puppies Go Outside In The Yard?
We talked about the need to carry your puppy and keep her off the ground. But what about at home on your own property? Pet owners may be concerned about letting their Labrador puppy out into their own yard before vaccinations are complete.
They have been told on the one hand to take the puppy outside often for potty training. But on the other hand, not to put the puppy on the ground in case she catches something.
No wonder they’re confused and worried! This is especially true of people that know or suspect that wild animals enter their property at night.