How long does house training take

In this article I will try to give you some tips that will help you to predict, for how long you should house train your dog. The truth to the matter is, it is a very personal thing, but if you take into consideration some factors, you can establish a realistic time house training will take.

The first phase of the training, so introducing your dog to the house, showing him where the elimination spot is and beginning the potty training, should last for about seven days. However this is just the beginning for most dogs, this seven day period means that your pet will know your whole house and have a general idea about the rules he has to follow.

As with small kids, when you leave dogs alone, they suddenly forget everything you have taught them and do whatever they like. That is why, you have to reinforce desired rules and behaviours, so your dog is 100% certain what he can and can't do.

In short, you can stop supervising your dog, after few weeks without any accidents. And even then try to change things up, so you are once with him and the other time you aren't. With time, the behaviours you try to teach your dog will become natural for him and you will be able to allow him to move freely throughout the house without your supervision.

In some cases the time needed may be much longer, especially if you have a dog from the dog pound that had difficult past. Such animals often suffer from many psychological issues that make it harder for them to trust people and understand you want only good things for them.

If your pet had issues with his previous owners, it is a good idea to go easy on him. If you will punish him too much, he will become afraid of you and you won't develop the mutual connection that make dogs, mans best friends.

Another thing to keep in mind is, the fact some dogs suffer from dog form of ADD. While such crazy pets are adorable and fun to play with, they have trouble focusing on one task for a longer period of time then couple of seconds. With these kind of animals it is important to remain completely calm and collected when you are giving them commands. Any kind of smile or positive feeling towards them will make them explode with joy that can't be stopped.

All in all house training is a process you will have to reinforce for at least a couple of weeks before you will be able to truly say, your dog understands and follows rules you have created. However don't get discouraged, when your pet after a good run eliminates where he shouldn't or does other wrong thing. Just remind him what he should do and supervise him some more. After a while you will have a fully house trained dog, you can trust and leave alone in the house for hours.