Tips to House Training Your New Puppy or Kitten

So you have brought home that sweet little puppy or kitten, now what? The first thing you are going want to start working on with your new four legged baby is house training. House training requires lots and lots of patience. Your new pet is going to be overwhelmed with new smells and new sensations, so don't get frustrated with them. Are you ready to get started? Click the read more link for some great house training tips and strategies.

Puppies: 

First thing you are going to want to do is get your new puppy a crate. Make sure the crate isn't too big, you don't want them to be able to go potty on one side and sleep on the other. Having a smaller space will help your puppy not want to go while in the crate. It is very important to remember that a puppy physically can not "hold it" until they are around 12-13 weeks old. So even with a crate, frequent walks are extremely necessary. If your dog urinates in the house, they will smell it later and go again. So the less accidents now, means less accidents in the future. Do not use the crate as punishment, the crate or "house" as I call it, is a place for your dog to rest and relax. If you use it as a tool for punishment they will only bark and whine every time you put them inside.

The other essential part of house training your new puppy is when to tell them "bad dog" and when to tell them "good dog". Dogs do not think like us, therefore when you tell your puppy "bad dog!" they think whatever they are doing at that exact moment is the bad action. If you find some doggy poo or urine in the next room and try to punish them after the fact, you will only confuse your puppy. The key is to stop the action before it happens. When your puppy is roaming around, look for signs like spinning in a circle, smelling the ground obsessively, or walking over to the door. The other side to this is positive reinforcement for when they go outside. My dogs are 2, 3 and 7 years old and I still give them the "good doggy" voice when they go outside on our walks to let them know they did a good job. By letting your puppy know you are happy when they go outside, it helps them to understand that particular action (them going potty) isn't bad, but where they went potty is good. Using the right tones is very important, as your puppy/dog doesn't understand english. So is is not what you say, but how you say it. When punishing your dog, a firm voice is really all they need to hear in order to understad that you are unhappy with them. Puppies thrive on attention and positivity, they want to make you happy, so make sure you let them know when they have.

Kittens:


Kittens are much easier to house train than puppies. With that said, there are some things that are very important to help your kitten along the way. Cats have a natural urge to relieve themselves in sand or dirt, so a litter box is something they will want to go in as long as you do your part. Kittens need a clean litter box, that is where you come in. You need to clean your kittens box as soon as they use it. This way the box will always be fresh and not smell like urine. If a kitten determines his/her box is unclean, they will go somewhere else in the house. So make you sure you are scooping the litter as frequently as you can.

Kittens will be dawn to the litter box to relieve themselves, but they mau need your help showing the where it is. Try to keep your new kitten closed off from other rooms until they have gotten 100% sure where the box is. This will prevent them from getting confused and going in the house because they could not find the box. Punishing your cat wont work either. They are very independent creatures and yelling, squirting water, or spanking them will only confuse them when it comes to the litter box. Kittens/Cats like a quiet place to go, so help them out by placing the litter box somewhere they will not be bothered.

Type of liter and litter box type are more of a preference. Your kitten just wants a clean place to go, your job is to keep it clean. Most kittens prefer a sand or dirt like litter, but wont be too picky. There are many different types of litter, just get what works and stick with it, cats do not like change. Litter boxes come in all shapes and sizes, so observe your kitten's habits and choose one based on how they behave. For example, I have a cat that likes to kick backwards and fling litter all over the place, so I use a litter box with a dome. Some boxes are easier to clean than others, so make sure you take that into consideration as well.

Hopefully these tips will make house training your new puppy or kitten a little easier. Just remember to be patience and positive. If you have any questions or tips of your own, send them to us on Twitter. We would love to hear what tricks our readers use.