You have acquired a new family member and it is now time to ensure that she is ready for your home. The truth is that your new cuddly family member can quickly prove to be a handful if you are not well prepared.

Everyone in the home might be in love with the new pup but when it comes to dealing with litter, serious finger pointing can ensue! Besides making sure that you have checked its health at a veterinarian hospital, one of the most important responsibilities of a pet owner is housebreaking the new pup. Doing this as soon as you bring the pet home will benefit everyone.

Do your homework

The first thing you need to do when you get a new puppy is to do some research. Do your homework to find out everything you can about the dog breed because this will determine the habits and characteristics. Understanding the dog breed will help you to know the pup’s developmental needs. When you know how the dog is likely to behave, you can modify your behavior as the caregiver, and you can also decide if and where to make design changes in your home.

Designated areas

It is very important to create a daily routine for the puppy and this includes creating designated areas for different activities. The puppy needs to know that there are specific areas where he can go to relieve himself and where he goes for food. This will help to avoid a scenario where the puppy takes care of business anywhere! Having a specific spot or safe area will help the pup to know early on, where he can “go to the bathroom” comfortably.

Installing features

It is important to install safety and convenience features for the pup. This will not only allow the dog to create and stick to the routine, but it also helps to enhance convenience even when no one is home. With the features in place, the dog will not have to wait until there is someone around to take him out or feed him. The puppy will learn to go about his activities conveniently every day.

Remain patient

When it comes to training your pup, you need to know that you will not achieve your goals overnight. You have to be patient and remember that it takes time to form habits. Most dogs are very sensitive and your reactions and how you deliver instructions will determine the results that you get. You have a huge impact on the pup’s ability to learn and you need to mind your tone and actions. Screaming at the pup will not do much good and it only adds to stress, making it difficult for the dog to learn the routine.

When training the puppy, you should use rewards to reinforce good behavior. This is an important part of dog training and experts suggest that the rewards do not have to be in form of edible treats. You can use cuddles, loving pets, coos, toys, and other incentives. Rewarding the pup each time he goes out to relieve himself will help him to learn that it pays to follow the rules.