Potty Training 101: Part 1: Introduction

I've been receiving lots of questions from new parents about the different theories on potty training. Long before I got into dog grooming, I'd been studying books by Patricia B. McConnell, who is an Ethologist and Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist who has consulted with cat and dog lovers for over twenty years. She combines a thorough understanding of the science of behavior with years of practical, applied experience. Click onto her name to access a little website she puts comments on occasionally and for a list of her publications.

So I started buying and studying her books. One of her books,
"Way to Go! How to House train a Dog of Any Age" is one of my favorites. I found so much helpful info, I thought I'd start putting segments of this book into my blog, so as you have questions feel free to blog me...and here we go.

Introduction: "Way to Go! How to House train a Dog of Any Age" written by: Patricia B. McConnell.

Let's face it-it's much easier to think kind thoughts about your four-legged friend when she's not depositing smelly things in your house. That's why house training is one of the most important steps toward having a good relationship with your dog.

In one sense, house training is a relatively straightforward process. You prevent accidents in the house and you reward your dog for going outside. Of course, as we all know, actually pulling that off day in and day out until your dog is fully trained takes some time, effort, and attention to detail. The key is to get off to a good start so that both dog and human alike can develop the habits that become a natural part of each day.

This booklet focuses on puppies, but the basic concepts are the same for adult dogs who are new to your home or whose training has relapsed. We use the term "puppy" throughout, but the procedures are the same no matter what the age of your dog. There are, however, two big differences between teaching puppies and teaching adult dogs where to potty. First, adult dogs can hold it longer, which gives you a little more flexibility in your schedule. (On the down side, being able to hold it longer means that clean-ups are just plain bigger.) Second, adult dogs may have to unlearn inappropriate behavior, whereas puppies usually come with a clean slate.

I will continue to add to this blog...from the "Way To Go! How to House train a dog of any age" booklet...here is a list of blogs to come

• The Basics: Part 2
• Knowing When to Head Outside: Part 3
• Words to the Wise: Part 4
• OOPS! Handling Accidents and clean-ups: Part 5
• Expanding Your Dog's Freedom in the House: Part 6
• How Long Does This Take?: Part 7
• Problems?: Part 8
• Putting Elimination on Cue: Part 9
• Training Your Dog to Ring a Bell: Part 10
• Housetraining Summary: Part 11
• Conclusion: Part 12