One of the many joys in life is having a dog. They’re a great companion & develop their own way of communicating w/ you. I’ve had many dogs & have better luck starting out w/ puppies. They learn fast so long as you’re consistent w/ them. One of the 1st things I concentrate on is house breaking them. Spring or summer is usually the best time of the yr. When I can’t spend time w/ them, I keep them in a cage, but not too big.  f it’s too large they will still relieve themselves in it & that defeats the house breaking. It’s inevitable that while out of the cage your pet will have a mistake. If they feel they have to go…they will.  Be sure to clean this area as fast as you can. I have tried several different cleaners & if not done properly they will smell that spot & go again. The best one I’ve found on the market is Angry Orange Pet Eliminator. If they’ve been in their cage for very long, take them directly outside to avoid mistakes in the house. Never punish your dog for his mistakes.

Puppies take a lot of time in the beginning. I talk to them & they’ll finally associate what you say as to what is happening or going to happen. I’ll 1st ask them if they’d like to go outside. Not really knowing what that means of course, but they eventually will. I take them out on a leash to a grassy area, & it won’t take long before they do they’re duties. If they urinate, I tell them as they’re going, “wee wee”, & then reward them after they’re finished, & the same w/ “poo poo”.  Of course that’s what I say to them, just be consistent w/ what you tell to them & always reward them when they’re finished w/ either a small treat or a lot of praise & love. Immediately take them inside. Then is a good time for inside play.  It won’t take long before they’ll understand what “want to go outside?” means, why they’re there & what they’re suppose to do. I feed my dog twice a day & right after they eat I let them go outside. Remember to always keep them on a leash too while outside so they won’t get sidetracked on what they’re duty is while there. For awhile playtime is just inside. Outside play comes later w/ they’ve accomplished where to do their “duties”.

All of my dogs have relieved themselves on command, which really comes in handy when the snow flies or it’s raining. I open the door, tell them to go “wee wee-poo poo, & that’s what they do & come running back to the door.

When it comes to puppies you’ll need to take them out often, maybe even every 2 or 3 hrs to start w/. It won’t take long before they’ll start “asking” to go out & every one of them will have a different way to ask too. I’ve had them shake their ears or come look me in a different way. That’s when I ask them if they’d like to go outside & they’ll usually run to the door. I’ve even had some go to the door & whine.  I had a friend teach her dog to ring a bell located near the door when they wanted to go outside. As you learn more about your dog, you’re find out how they want to communicate w/ you.

Have fun w/ your dog.