When a fluffy little life comes into the home, its innocent eyes make people feel affectionate, but the subsequent problem of defecating and urinating anywhere often gives the owner a headache. Puppies don't naturally know where to relieve themselves. This requires the owner to use scientific methods and a great deal of patience to guide them. Understanding the physiological characteristics and behavioral patterns of puppies is the first step in this training journey. It is not only a process of correcting behavior but also a precious experience of building trust and growing together with the puppy.
The urinary and nervous systems of puppies are not yet fully developed, and they cannot control defecation and urination for a long time like adult dogs. Usually, puppies are likely to feel the urge to defecate within 15 - 30 minutes after eating, or after waking up or playing. They also don't have a clear concept of "not being able to defecate indoors" and will follow their instincts to find soft and hidden corners as places to excrete. Therefore, the owner should not regard the puppy's "mistakes" as deliberate mischief but should view these behaviors from a scientific perspective and give tolerance and understanding.
To teach the puppy to relieve itself in a designated place, the first step is to choose a suitable excretion area for it. This area is preferably far away from the resting and feeding areas to avoid the puppy confusing the two areas. If training indoors, pet-specific urine pads or dog toilets can be used and placed in a well-ventilated and relatively quiet corner; if training outdoors, choose a fixed and easily accessible location, such as a corner of the lawn in the community. After selecting the area, maintaining the stability of the environment is very important. Frequent changes of the location will make the puppy feel confused and are not conducive to the formation of a conditioned reflex.
The core method of training is positive reinforcement, that is, through rewards, the puppy associates relieving itself in the designated place with a pleasant experience. After the puppy eats, wakes up, or plays, the owner should closely observe its behavior. When it is found that the puppy starts to sniff the ground, circle around, or pace restlessly, this is likely a signal that it is about to defecate. At this time, guide it to the designated place quickly and gently. If the puppy successfully finishes excreting in the designated area, immediately give enthusiastic praise, such as "Great!" or "Good boy/girl," and at the same time, reward it with delicious snacks. You can also stroke its head or back to let it feel the owner's joy and recognition. This immediate reward can strengthen the puppy's correct behavior and gradually make it understand that there are benefits to relieving itself in this place.
If the puppy accidentally excretes in the wrong place, the owner must not beat or scold it. Beating and scolding will not only make the puppy feel scared but may also cause it to hide its excretion behavior out of fear, or secretly excrete when the owner is not looking, increasing the difficulty of training. The correct way is to stay calm. First, clean up the excrement with paper towels or a cloth, and then use a special pet deodorant to completely eliminate the odor. Since puppies mainly rely on their sense of smell to find places to excrete, if the odor remains, it may excrete in the same place again. After cleaning up, take the puppy to the designated area to make it familiar with the correct place.
During the training process, establishing a regular daily routine is also very important. Feeding regularly and in a fixed amount and setting a fixed time for walking the dog every day help the puppy form a stable excretion pattern. For example, take the puppy to the designated place to wait for it to relieve itself at fixed times such as after getting up in the morning, after meals, and before going to bed every day. Even if the puppy doesn't defecate for a while, don't be in a hurry. Wait patiently for 5 - 10 minutes before leaving. After trying several times, the puppy will gradually get used to solving its physiological needs at these times and places. In addition, as the puppy grows up, its ability to control excretion will also increase, and the owner can appropriately extend the interval between two training sessions according to the actual situation.
In the process of training the puppy to relieve itself in a designated place, it is inevitable to encounter various difficulties and setbacks. Some puppies have strong learning abilities and may master it in about a week; while some puppies may take several weeks or even longer. At this time, the owner's patience and perseverance are particularly important. Treat each training session as an opportunity to interact with the puppy and accompany it with a gentle tone and encouraging eyes. When the puppy successfully relieves itself in the designated place, that sense of accomplishment will make all the previous hardships disappear; even if it fails temporarily, don't be discouraged and continue to give it guidance and support.
Teaching the puppy to relieve itself in a designated place is a journey of mutual growth between the owner and the puppy. In this process, the owner not only teaches the puppy good living habits but also deepens the trust and affection between them through interaction. When you see that the puppy can consciously go to the designated place to relieve itself, you will understand that all the efforts are worthwhile. This patience and love will become the warmest company on the puppy's growth path and make your life more harmonious and beautiful.
When you drag your tired body back home, you find that the door is wide open and the dog who was supposed to be waiting obediently is missing. At that moment, anxiety and worry surge into your heart like a tide.
When night falls, the dog at home still lies around casually in the living room, or jumps onto the sofa and gets into the corner,
When we happily take our dog out for a walk and enjoy the wonderful time with it, but then we see it lowering its head to sniff and suddenly picking up an unknown object on the ground and preparing to swallow it. At that moment, our heart seems to stop be
In the long years of accompanying humans, dogs, with their loyal and intelligent image, have become an indispensable member of countless families. From wagging their tails to welcome their owners home to learning various commands,
When you carefully hold a 6 week old puppy in your palm, its soft fur rubs against your palm, and its ignorant eyes are full of curiosity and dependence on its new home.
When we walk our dog on the street and see it shivering in fear at other animals or pouncing on passers-by out of excessive excitement,
