Paper Training for Puppies
See files for Dogs
When dogs are still puppies they can't go outside until their vaccination schedule is complete, meaning they're not fully protected from all diseases. This is when paper training comes in handy, since it consists of teaching your dog to relieve itself in a particular place.
Paper training isn't the best way to teach your puppy not to make a mess at home, and it's certainly not an alternative to taking it for a walk. However, it's an effective way to stop it from urinating wherever it feels like it.
Keep reading this AnimalWised article to find out how to carry out paper training when you're training your puppy:
Steps to follow:
The first thing you need is an exclusive, defined area for your puppy. You can choose a room as a puppy area, or even create a small "park" for it. Of course, it should be big enough so that the waste and urine aren't near its food or bed.
Your dog will need to be in that room whenever you're not able to watch over it. Of course, you'll need to give it some toys to chew on (large ones which it can't swallow), a bed and a water bowl. Also, leave it with its food bowl if it's going to need food when you're away.
Now is the time to lay paper over the floor allocated to your puppy, with three or four layers of newspaper. As your dog will be free in that room, it will get used to relieving itself on newspaper; hence the name "paper training".
As time passes, you'll notice that your puppy prefers certain places to do its business. Once you notice this, you can start reducing the papered area.
First, remove some of the newspapers which are furthest away from where your dog relieves itself. For instance, if your dog does his business in the far corner of the room, take up the paper near the entrance. Remove more newspapers each day, but don't rush it too much. If your dog makes a mess in an un-papered area, it's because you've removed the papers too soon. In that case, re-paper a larger area or even the entire room again.
When your dog has got used to urinating in a small area, you can start moving the papers towards a place of your choice. Move them slowly, no more than three centimeters per day, until they only cover the place which you've selected. Don't move the papers near to its bed, food or water bowls. If you do this, your dog will stop doing its business on the paper.
Your dog will quickly learn where to relieve itself, but remember that if it's younger than six months old it won't be able to control itself for long.
Remember that a puppy-proof room is only for leaving your dog when you aren't able to watch over it. You have to spend as much time as possible with your puppy in order to accelerate its training and provide it with company and exercise.
Did you like this article? Want to know more about puppies? Visit the following AnimalWised links and enjoy becoming a real animal expert:
If you want to read similar articles to Paper Training for Puppies, we recommend you visit our Basic education category.
