When we add a pet to our family we are usually faced with the problem of how to successfully housetrain a puppy and stop the puddles of urine they can produce.

There are many different options to look at when you are seeking a simple way of housetraining your puppy in the 21st-century without reverting to the traditional punishment methods. Instead, the simple way of looking at dog training to reduce leaks and urine smells around your home including making sure you are helping your puppy to pee at the right time throughout each day.

Remember the age of your puppy

There are many general rules to remember regarding dog training to avoid leaks and urine smells. Firstly, it should always be remembered a puppy can only hold their bladder for around an hour per month of life meaning a one-month-old puppy can be left safely for around one hour. Also, a six-month-old puppy can generally be left for around six hours between using the bathroom.

This is a good general rule but housetraining your puppy can be difficult when you take this rule too literally. It is difficult for anybody to hold their bathroom needs for more than ten hours so expecting a puppy to do so is difficult.

A few simple tips

There are a few simple steps to take to housetrain your puppy including the need to monitor a few different aspects of their new life. To make sure a puppy has the best chance of learning to use the bathroom in the correct way it is important to follow these simple steps and making sure the puppy has the chance to urinate and poop at these times of the day:

• First thing each morning
• Last thing each night
• Immediately after waking up
• After playing indoors or outdoors
• After eating and drinking

By making sure a puppy has the chance to use the bathroom each time they complete any of these activities and may feel the need to urinate.

Keep an eye on diet

When a puppy is in its first few months of life they are trying to form their digestive system and the many different foods we try to provide can have a negative effect. Although this may not sound like the most impressive way of bringing up a puppy it is important to examine their stool on a regular basis. As we bring up a puppy we must switch them to wet or dry food from milk at some point and this can cause problems for their stomach.

The digestive system of a puppy can often not handle the continued changing of food so it is best to provide high-quality food from the start. If a puppy is having loose, foul-smelling bowel movements on a regular basis they are not coping with the food being provided for them and need to be switched to different food.

Praise and socialization

The first thing to remember is a puppy is a baby who has yet to mature and grow up. Whether the puppy is being housetrained using puppy pads, crate training, or going outside, the presence of the owner is important. PLacing a puppy on the chosen bathroom spot and remaining with them throughout their urination or poop it is vital the owner remains with the puppy until they are completely housetrained.

Dog training is not as difficult as many pet owners want us to believe is because they do not stick to a schedule for housetraining a puppy. Staying constant with a schedule is vital to getting a puppy properly trained and ready to be left alone. Not only should an owner remain with a puppy as they go through the housetraining process but they should offer large amounts of praise to make sure the puppy knows they have done the right thing at all times.

One thing major dog ownership groups are usually quick to explain is that many of the traditional punishment methods for puppies failing to be housetrained quickly are not effective. Pushing the nose of a puppy into its own urine or stool has little effect and can do more harm than good when dog training.