Paper Training Your Dog- Common Problems

What’s paper training?

Paper training is a specific form of house training for your dog: you’re teaching her where in the house is appropriate for her to eliminate (pee or poop). When you paper train your dog, you teach her to only eliminate on newspapers (chosen for their absorbency, ready availability, and cheap cost) which you gather up and throw away after each use.

What options other than paper training do I have for my dog’s house training?
There are two ways of effectively, efficiently, and rapidly house training your dog. Paper training is one; the other is something called crate training.

Crate training is based on a dog’s basic dislike of soiling where she sleeps, and involves restricting the dog’s movement (by putting her in a crate, or small indoor kennel) whenever she cannot be actively supervised.

The difference between crate training and house training?

Paper training and crate training aren’t the same thing. Crate training is where you train your dog to only go outside; paper training is where you train your dog to only go on newspapers.

You cannot train your dog to do both at the same time – the two are mutually exclusive. She’ll get confused, and you’ll only prolong the training process.

You can choose to use paper training as an intermediary step for eventually only eliminating outside (although not everyone recommends this: it’s easier on the dog, and more effective all round, to choose one method and stick with it.)

Why should I choose paper training instead of crate training?

Crate training and paper training are both effective ways to house train your dog.

In general, it’s accepted (by most dog trainers and vets) that crate training is the fastest method of house training your dog; but it requires a considerable investment of time and effort, which is not an option for everyone.

Paper training is the best option for you if:

- You don’t have easy access to a yard (for example, you live in a hi-rise apartment block)

- It’s not easy for you to take your dog outside for any other reason (for example, elderly or unwell people)

- You have a full-time job, or other time-consuming commitment which can’t be got around (meaning that you’re not able to spend the large amounts of time supervising your dog that crate training requires)

- You’re planning on training your dog to go outside the house eventually, but not just yet (for example, it’s the dead of winter with four-foot snow drifts outside)

Crate training is the best option for you if:

- You have a medium to big dog

- You are able to spend a lot of time during your puppy’s first weeks of house training in actively supervising her, and are available during the day to let her out of the crate at two- or three-hour intervals

- You want to train your dog to go outside the house right from the start

Paper training isn’t suitable for all dogs: it really only works for small males and small-to-medium females, since a dog larger than these just produces too much waste for the newspaper (and you!) to handle.

How to paper train your dog?

First, pick a convenient area of the house for your dog to use as the elimination area. Because she’s going to be peeing and pooping in this area, it’s best if you can choose somewhere without carpet: most people choose a corner of the kitchen or laundry (since these rooms usually have tiled or linoleum floors, making hygiene a non-issue.)

Spread newspaper thickly in a corner of this room. At first, you’ll need to make the newspaper area pretty big, since your pup has no idea that she’s meant to go on the paper at all.

To make sure that she’s able to eliminate only on the paper, you’ll either need to restrict her movements to the papered area of the floor (which you can do by erecting barriers to keep her in – if the room you’ve chosen is large or busy, this is probably the most user-friendly option for you), or paper the whole floor (which is a viable option if the paper-room is small and there’s not much thoroughfare.)

At first, your puppy will eliminate pretty much at random on the paper. It’s important for the paper-training process that she only gets to go on the paper – you need her to form a strong association between the feeling of paper under her toes, and relieving herself.

After a week or two, you can begin to shrink the papered area of the floor, allowing her more access to unpapered surfaces (leave the barriers where they are for now so she doesn’t get the chance to eliminate anywhere else.)

Do this gradually, a couple of sheets at a time. If you’ve given her enough time to get used to the paper, she should naturally restrict her elimination areas as the papered area shrinks.

NOTE: If at any time she begins to eliminate off the paper, then increase the size of the papered floor surface to the size it was when she was still eliminating only on the paper, and give her more time to get used to it before beginning to reduce the papered area again.

There’s no need to panic: this doesn’t mean that the paper training isn’t working, it just means you’re moving a bit too fast for your puppy’s capabilities.

Most dogs take a couple of months (eight to twelve weeks) to get used to the paper training method. Until she’s reliably going on the papers only, you should restrict her access to the rest of the house unless you’re actively supervising her- which means 100% of your attention is focused on the pup.

In general, a good rule of thumb is that your puppy is confined to the papered area unless she’s sleeping, eating, or being played with/actively supervised.

Things you should do are

- Praise her effusively whenever you see her eliminating on the paper. Wait 'til she’s done (so you don’t distract her!) and praise her, pet her, and give her a treat.

- If you catch her in the act of eliminating off-paper, this is actually a great opportunity for training development. Interrupt her with a clap, loud verbalization (“Ah-ah-aaaah!”), or slap your open palm loudly on the wall. This will startle her – in most cases, she’ll actually stop mid-toilet and hunch down. Scoop her up immediately and put her on the paper. When she finishes, praise her hugely and give her a treat.

- If you come across an accident after the fact (a wet spot or pile on the unpapered floor), you’ve missed your window of opportunity to teach her not to do this. You can’t tell her off in this case, because she won’t understand what she’s done wrong; all you can do is clean it up and supervise her more carefully. If this is happening a lot, you’ve given her too much freedom in the house and not enough supervision: restrict her access to the unpapered floor, and step up the supervision.

- Feed her at specific, scheduled times (for example, a meal at 8 am, 1 pm, and 7 pm) to encourage her to develop an “elimination timetable”.

For further information on house training your dog, including a detailed look at paper training and crate training, check out The Ultimate House Training Guide.

It’s the complete dog-house-training guide. The Ultimate House Training Guide and comes highly recommended.

You can visit the The Ultimate House Training Guide site by clicking this link:
*The Ultimate Guide To Dog Health

Tips, Tricks, Myths of Dog Training

I just came across this great ebook I had, giving great tips, tricks AND common myths of dog training. I wanted to pass it on to you, at a considerable discount.

This book is packed with 26 pages of great information on training your dogs. It even gives you some information you never thought even mattered in training your dog! It is definitely worth the value that I have it offeredat for you here!

What is the price? Just for my wonderful readers a whole whopping----wait for it....wait.....wait....

Here it is! $2.00 I think that is quite the deal...If you would like to purchase this awesome book, just click the Buy Now button below! You will receive instructions on how to instantly download 5 Dog Training Myths!

How To Find The Best Dog Food Recipes

Have you read other articles about the downfalls of commercial dog food? This is why you are probably here, looking for dog food recipes, because you don't want to feed that crap to your dog anymore.

Or maybe you are just looking to be frugal. Either way, I am glad you stopped by to see what I have to say!

The commercial dog food you find on your grocery store shelves is downright disgusting. Did you know that they use left over cooking oil and grease in the dog food? They do this to make the food more palatable to the dogs, otherwise they wouldn't want to eat it. Probably wondering why they wouldn't eat it, aren't you?

Would you eat something that was made out of rotting, decomposing carcasses? How about if we threw in some maggots? What about by-products? You know what those are don't you?
If you don't, they are all the not fit for human consumption parts of the animals.

The big food companies, that manufacture food for humans own the dog food companies. They use all their left overs, the "not fit for human consumption" left overs, to make the dog foods you find on the shelves, at your grocery store.

Sounds pretty gross, doesn't it? So here we are again, back to the dog food recipes.

If you can commit just 20 minutes a day to your dog, and make her healthy dog food recipes, you will most likely increase her lifespan by at least 7 years!

That is pretty amazing if you ask me! I know I would rather cut 20 minutes out of my t.v. time, than to be heartbroken because my girl got sick and died a slow horrible death because of bad commercial dog food. Next time you are in the store, check out the ingredient list on some of the dog food. You will be surprised at all the fillers, by-products, and preservatives that are in them.

Don't kill your dog slowly. You wouldn't be reading this if you wanted your dog sick. So get going and make your dog healthier! Visit >>>>> Dog Food Recipes

You're Not Making Slop! Great Dog Food Recipes

Are you still not convinced that cooking homemade dog food recipes is the way to go? You eat a lot of prepared foods, so why should you cook for your dog? Or do you just not have the time to devote to it?

You probably don't trust that you can make something that is appropriately balanced nutritionally for your dog. You would rather have someone else do this for you. Or, do you just not buy the "health nut" craze?

You are reading this article, so you have pondered the notion. Do you know how to tell what the top commercial dog foods are? We have a list of 9 of the top commercial dog foods. Discover which ones they are, so you can breathe easier knowing your dog isn't eating slop.

You are saying to yourself that you have been feeding your dog the veterinarian recommended brand. Did you notice in the vets office, they have posters everywhere advertising this brand? I'm sure if you thought about it, you would understand why the vet is recommending it!

We are positive cooking homemade dog food recipes will be healthier than feeding the typical commercial dog food you find on your grocery store shelves. The ingredients in these brands are disgusting.

Meat by-products, chicken by-products, beef by-products, do you know what they are? All the junk left-overs from the packaging facilities that are not fit for human consumption. This includes blood, bones, and intestines. It also means dead, diseased and dying pets, zoo animals and road kill. Pretty nasty isn't it?

So, even if you weren't picking organic ingredients for your homemade dog food recipes, you still would be 100 times better than these dog foods! We don't even have time to go into the artificial colors and preservatives here.

Let's just say they have been known to cause all sorts of deadly diseases and cancer. Discover what these diseases are at >>> Dog Food Recipes

Cooking Dog Food Recipes: Is It Right For You?

If you are a caring and concerned dog parent, then you probably have been doing your share of research on cooking your own dog food, and dog food recipes.

The ingredients in commercial dog foods are disturbing. By-products, everyone seems to be talking about them. Does anyone really know what they are? They are parts of the animal that are not fit for human consumption, such as bones, organs, blood, fatty tissue and intestines.
Oh that sounds so good! Yuck!

Now I'm sure everyone has seen meat by-products labeled on the dog food bags. This means any type of meat, including zoo animals, road kill, and even dead, diseased and dying animals.

The only good thing about it (if you feel that way) is they do not include hair, horns, teeth and hoofs. Well that is a load off my conscience!!! NOT!

So again, if you are a caring and concerned dog parent, that is why you are reading this. Why would you want to feed your dog these ingredients? And please don't say, "they have been eating this so far, and no problems, why switch now?" or "It's the cheapest".

These commercial dog foods that you find on your local grocery store shelves are slowly killing your dog and you haven't even realized it. The wise choice would be to find good dog food recipes that are healthy and beneficial to your dog. You want to prolong your dogs life, not shorten it!

We can also tell you what the 9 healthiest commercial dog foods are. I'm sure you are curious after reading all of this! A lot of people just don't have the time to cook dog food recipes every day, so they supplement with one of these dog foods. I know how busy families get, with the after school baseball practice, the dance lessons, and your social commitments, not to mention work!

Have you decided yet if cooking dog food recipes is right for you? Or just want to know how to tell which commercial dog foods are safe?

If you are truly committed to making your dogs life healthier,
then please visit >> Dog Food Recipes

I Have Found An Eco-Friendly Pet Store!

I have found an eco-friendly pet store, and I want to tell you all about it!

The store is Paw Luxury. Their motto is, "healthy dog, healthy earth, happier life". Their inspiration is their boxer Lola, and I have to say she is just as pretty as my Miss Lily Bug! They wanted to give her the best of nature, but were having a hard time finding eco-friendly products under one roof. So, Paw Luxury was born!

They offer:
treats, collars and leashes, mats, beds, travel items, bath and spa products, and health and wellness products.

Everything is eco-friendly, natural, organic and believe it or not- made in the U.S.A.!

If you have been looking for truly eco-friendly products for you dog, check out Paw Luxury!

Our Loss

On July 4th, 2007 we lost our beloved Harley. He died unexpectedly, while trotting out to the garden with my husband. I won't get into all the sad, horrible details. After all was said and done, we found out Harley passed from Dilated Cardiomyopathy.

We had no clue prior to this that dobies are highly at risk for this disease.
We did a ton of research after that devastating day. Now I dedicate my time to trying to educate the masses on proper dog care, dog food, dog food recipes, training, and what ever else you can think of that goes along with loving a dog.

This blog is dedicated to our wonderful Harley. May you entertain the angels as much as you entertained us!

Dog Food Recipes