Thursday, September 20, 2012

Cleaning Tips for Your 4 Legged Companions

This post is about the three P"s, puppies, poop and pee, just like we do, but don't let your house be their toilet.
Pure Goldens
About 3 years ago our beautiful girl Sarah presented us with a wonderful gift, actually, seven of them. Everything was fine and dandy (for a while) until Mommy started getting tired and stopped cleaning up after them. I was home more, so I became the new "Nanny".

Step (1)

50% Water
50% Vinegar
Step(2)
We raised them in a spare bedroom in the house, because we planned on giving them new homes,so positive human contact was very important. I wanted them all potty trained outside before they left. We have always had pets and trained them ourselves. In fact my wife is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer. I asked her the best way and she told me all breeds are different and respond in different ways. So I'll leave that for the professionals.
Now I had a "Puppy" x 7, here is the way I did it. Probably, the most important thing is timing. Watch your puppy very closely and don't be afraid to take them out once every hour or so, and just be patient. Pick them up and take them out. Believe it or not, some dogs don't want you watching them, so just look up.
One Teaspoon
Step (3)
Step (3)
If they have an accident inside, take the "number two" out side and put it in the area you want them to poop, and next time out make sure  they get a whiff of it. If its pee, here's how to clean it. First, grab a roll of paper towels, we have a basket full of cotton dish towels that we used to set aside for accidents, and drop it on top of the crime scene and step on it to soak it all up, you may need to do it twice. Then mix a 50/50 mixture of white vinegar and water. Work the stain with enough solution and brush to go deep down into the carpet, the vinegar will neutralize the odor. When it's almost dry, sprinkle some baking powder over the crime scene and wait a few minutes. While waiting mix 1/2 cup of 3% hydrogen peroxide and a teaspoon of detergent and work into the spot. Allow it to dry and then vacuum, with a shop vac if possible. Then you should be good to go.
Another Option; I used
this
potty training our puppies
Now that we cleaned the crime scene, let's get back to the timing. Some people that have  small or toy breeds,  let them eliminate in the house, I guess that's okay, but the other half of potty training is the reward part. If you don't see them poop, how can you reward them? They love it when you praise them for getting it right, they really do.
When you begin the trips outside, every 1/2 hour for the first few days is the right way to go. They will and do get the idea pretty quickly. They would rather go outside anyway. That's where all the good smells are. Since I had the seven puppies, I used  an outside pen (I hooked 3 of them together) just like the one on the right. Go get the puppies and put them in the pen. I could see their progress through the patio door. Make sure you are consistent on feeding times. My pets know when it's time to eat even if I forget. Their reward was a small bit of American cheese which they loved. As a matter of fact, they would sit on command, and they were all potty trained before they went to their new homes.
As your puppy grows from week to week the trips outside can be less frequent,  but reward and praise for a job well done is what they thrive on, at this stage of their life.
Oh, by the way, the other three P's
Patience, Persistence and Praise!
 Check out Andy, he just found out he's graduated Potty Training!

Til next time~

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