HOUSEBREAKING 101

ONE THING I WAS FIRM ON WAS THE FACT THAT I WANTED HANK TO BE AN INDOOR DOG. AND WHEN I SAY INDOOR I MEAN INDOOR. SO THE ABSOLUTE FIRST THING TO TACKLE WAS HOUSEBREAKING. POTTY TRAINING BEING THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OBVIOUSLY. MOST PEOPLE ASSUME THAT HOUSEBREAKING CONSISTS OF THE DOG NOT DOING HIS BUSINESS INSIDE. HOWEVER, IT ALSO INCLUDES THINGS LIKE NOT CHEWING ON ANYTHING HE IS NOT SUPPOSED TO, NOT JUMPING ON PEOPLE, AND LEARNING WHAT ROOMS ARE OFF LIMITS AND WHAT OTHER ANIMALS ARE OFF LIMITS(3 CATS). THE REASON WHY I FEEL THAT THESE ARE PART OF HOUSEBREAKING IS BECAUSE BY HAVING THE DOG IN THE HOUSE YOU ARE ABLE TO MONITOR HIS BEHAVIOR CONSTANTLY AND BREAK HIM OF THESE INHERENT HABITS. THEY ARE DOGS AFTER ALL! I FEEL THAT ALL THOUGH IT IS NOT BAD TO HAVE AN OUTDOOR OR KENNEL DOG YOU ARE TYPICALLY UNABLE/NOT FORCED TO MONITOR THESE HABITS SO HE MAY GET AWAY WITH SOME OR ALL OF THESE THINGS SOMETIMES WHICH BY HAPPENING TEACHES THE DOG THAT SOMETIMES ITS OK TO DO THESE THINGS. BY HAVING THE DOG INDOORS, SINCE YOU'RE RESPONSIBILITY IS TO POTTY TRAIN HIM, YOU SEE AND ARE ABLE TO CORRECT OTHER ISSUES ALONG THE WAY AND FROM THE START. SO HERE GOES NOTHING.
FROM DAY ONE, THE DOG IS GOING TO DO HIS BUSINESS INSIDE, DEAL WITH IT! SO HERE IS A LIST OF THINGS THAT WILL COME IN HANDY FOR CLEANUP AND TRAINING.
1.SOME TYPE OF CARPET CLEANER/DOG DEODORIZER.
2.GARDEN OR HOUSEHOLD SPRAY BOTTLE(FOR THE CLEANER)
3. TOWELS(SHOWER TOWELS WORK BEST)
4. A HOOK ON THE WALL OR DOOR TO HANG HIS LEASH
5.A STUN GUN(HA HA HA HA!!!!) NO PUNISHMENT IS NECESSARY OR CORRECT!!!!!
6.AND BY FAR THE MOST IMPORTANT ITEM IS YOUR PATIENCE AND ATTENTION TO THE DOG AT ALL TIMES.
7. YOU WILL ALSO WANT TO PUT A FEW PIECES OF HIS FOOD IN YOUR POCKET FOR REWARD WHEN HE GOES OUTSIDE.

1.WHEN YOU FIRST BRING HIM HOME CARRY HIM INSIDE AND LET HIM SNIFF AND EXPLORE HIS MAIN AREA(BEDROOM, BASEMENT, FAMILY ROOM ETC.)

2.LET HIM START TO GO, THEN AS HE IS GOING, PICK HIM UP GENTLY, GRAB THE LEASH FROM THE HOOK AND CARRY HIM OUTSIDE AND PLACE HIM IN THE AREA YOU WANT HIM TO GO.

3. STAY OUTSIDE WITH HIM UNTIL HE GOES, YOU INTERRUPTED HIM, IT MAY TAKE A FEW MINUTES TO GET THINGS GOING AGAIN.

4. WHEN HE GOES, PRAISE HIM PHYSICALLY AND REPEAT "GOOD BOY" AND GIVE HIM A PIECE OF FOOD.

5. TAKE HIM BACK INSIDE PROMPTLY. HE WILL SOON LEARN THAT THE REASON WHY HE IS TAKEN OUTSIDE IS TO DO HIS BUSINESS.

6.REPEAT,REPEAT,REPEAT,REPEAT,REPEAT,REPEAT,REPEAT,REPEAT,REPEAT! AND MAKE SURE TO ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS PRAISE HIM WHEN HE GOES.

7.I AM ALMOST POSITIVE THAT THERE ARE PLENTY OF DOGS THAT WERE INTENDED TO BE INDOOR DOGS BUT DUE TO LACK OF PATIENCE OR TIME FOR TRAINING, ENDED UP OUTDOOR DOGS.

8. IT IS BEST TO ACQUIRE YOUR PUP ON A FRIDAY AFTERNOON OR WHEN YOU HAVE A COUPLE DAYS OFF TO ATTEND TO THIS TRAINING. IT IS UNLIKE YARD TRAINING WHICH CAN BE DONE AT ABOUT ANYTIME OF DAY. THIS NEEDS TO BE DONE 24 HRS A DAY.

9.LET THE PUP SLEEP ON THE BED. YOU WILL BE SURPRISED AT HOW FAST HE WILL WAKE YOU UP WHEN ITS TIME TO GO. PROBABLY THE FIRST NIGHT, AS HANK DOES!AND DOGS DO NOT LIKE TO DO THEIR BUSINESS WHERE THEY SLEEP

10. MAKE SURE THAT YOU TAKE HIM OUT RIGHT AWAY AFTER NAPS AFTER DRINKING OR EATING AND DON'T BE AFRAID TO WAKE HIM FROM A NAP AND TAKE HIM OUT AFTER A FEW DAYS. HE WILL KNOW WHY YOU WOKE HIM. IT ALSO SHOWS HIM THAT WHEN YOU TAKE HIM OUT YOU EXPECT HIM TO AT LEAST TRY.

11. IF YOU ARE DILIGENT AND YOU TAKE THE TIME, IT SHOULD ONLY TAKE THREE DAYS OR SO FOR HIM TO CATCH ON AND START LETTING YOU KNOW WITH A WHINE OR BY GOING TO THE DOOR THAT YOU TAKE HIM OUT. HE WILL ALSO ASSOCIATE THE LEASH WITH OUTSIDE TIME.

12.ONE THING YOU WILL ALSO HAVE TO DO IS REMIND HIM THAT YOUR HOUSE IS NOT THE ONLY INDOOR PLACE HE IS NOT TO DO HIS BUSINESS INSIDE. HANK COMES TO WORK WITH ME AND I HAD TO SHOW HIM THIS. IT ONLY TOOK HIM ONCE OR TWICE GOING OUT ON THE GRASS AT WORK THAT THE SAME THING IS IN PLACE HERE.

HANK HASN'T HAD AN ACCIDENT OR EVEN ATTEMPTED TO GO INSIDE FOR TWO DAYS NOW. IT TAKE TIME TO BE SURE THAT THE BEHAVIOR IS TAUGHT BUT WE ARE WELL ON OUR WAY TO ACHIEVING THE GOAL.

KEEP IN MIND THAT BY PURCHASING A VERSATILE DOG AND BY DOING RESEARCH AND LEARNING ABOUT PROSPECTIVE BREEDERS FROM WHICH YOU MAY GET YOUR PUP, YOU CAN LEARN A LOT AND SOMEWHAT INSURE THAT YOU ARE PURCHASING A DOG THAT TAKES TO TRAINING BETTER THAN SOME.

THEY ARE,IN MY OPINION, CALLED VERSATILE BREEDS NOT ONLY BECAUSE OF THEIR FIELD WORK BUT ALSO BECAUSE OF THEIR DEMEANOR AND TRAINABILITY.

UNTIL NEXT TIME!