Owners of Pets Articles about dogs, cats, birds and all other pets!

Newer understanding of dog behavior says that instead of punishing on the spot, you do everything you can to prevent indoor accidents. If they happen, ignore them. You don’t want to give the dog any attention for this mistake. Simply put the puppy in its kennel, or outside, when she’s finished, say nothing and clean up the mess thoroughly using an enzymatic cleaner. Then redouble your efforts to get the puppy out before there is an accident.

If you take your puppy outside to your pet potty pads, and nothing happens, return the puppy to the kennel for 5-15 minutes. Then take the puppy outside again for a few minutes. Repeat this cycle until the puppy goes. As soon as that happens, the puppy can stay outside the kennel. This kind of routine helps the puppy focus on going when you want the puppy to go.

The most common advice was to correct with a firm no and immediately take the puppy to the proper toilet area. If you catch your puppy in the act of going potty in the house, you can do one of two things. This may not effectively discourage the puppy from going indoors. What often happens instead is that puppies learn to make sure you aren’t watching when they go indoors, so they go behind the couch, in a closet, etc.

You and your dog will make lots of mistakes during this time. Your puppy will do fine as long as you strive to be as consistent as possible.Don’t ever hit a puppy for accidents. You’ll frighten or confuse the puppy if you do so. Never punish a puppy after the fact. Remember, a puppy thinks it is being punished for whatever it is doing at the time of your correction.

Consider getting Get Serious! Stain Remover if you want to have an effective product on hand to remove puppy accident stains. (Please do send us your results of using this product.) This product will even work on old stains, also — although we are still compiling information on how aged the stain can be.
When you travel, your puppy will have the confidence and experience to go wherever you need the puppy to go. As your puppy starts to get the routine, beginning training to also go potty while on the leash, in areas other than your yard, and on varied surfaces.

The same thinking applies to rubbing a puppy’s nose in his or her mistakes — don’t do it. The pup is not capable of making the reasoning leap that this is an area previously soiled, and that’s why you are punishing. Dogs are oriented to the present.