Housebreaking Your Adult Dog
When you decide you would like a pet dog but find the prospect of all the expenses involved in getting a puppy are just a bit too much of a financial burden, you may decide to get your ‘new friend’ from an animal shelter. You visit the nearest animal shelter and finally get your pet dog. Getting an adult dog from an animal shelter means you should be able to assume the dog has had some training and it may be at least partly house trained already.
To make the transition for both you and your new dog easier, here are some suggestions that you might find useful. For the first few weeks, pretend as if your dog doesn’t have any training before so you can start from a clean slate. Don’t worry to much about the results of housebreaking your dog again because if it had some training in the past, learning new things would progress a lot faster. Read further so you can start housebreaking your new pet.
The first step in housebreaking your dog is to establish some routines. To do this, you can make it a habit to take your dog out everyday at the same time. You can also set a fixed schedule to feed your pet. In this way, the dog gets used to the idea of eliminating regularly. If your dog behaves properly or eliminates outdoors, be sure to praise your pet lavishly. By doing so makes your dog understand that you are pleased with its behavior and you liked it. As always, every time you housebreak a dog, it should be combined with patience and care. It might not be easy for the dog to understand you at first, however with consistency and by being patient, it will eventually understand the behavior that you would like your dog to have. Showing your dog that you care would make it easier for the two of you to bond. Having a good bond or relationship with your pet is a must, keep in mind you are living under one roof. It pays to be in harmony with everyone including the dog.
Assuming after a few weeks, things did not go according to your plans. Another alternative to housebreak your pet would be to hire a dog handler. Why hire a dog handler? This is not because you are incompetent to train your pet but rather a dog handler or trainer has more experience with teaching pets. Just to make your life easier, a professional is recommended. However, don’t just choose any dog handler, take some time to research about his background and his past experiences with regards to training pets. Always keep in mind that this is about your dog, so take extra care when choosing a trainer to whom you will trust the housebreaking of your pet.