The Joys of Housetraining

Ahh, housetraining. There’s nothing better than a pup heading to the door to let you know he’s gotta go. The first couple of weeks with the puppy is tough – you have to be on top of where he is and what he’s doing all the time. You’ve got to make sure he’s not getting in trouble, eating an electric cord, being eaten by the cat, or pooping in the house. It’s not easy!

From Day One, we’ve been vigilant in teaching Talos that poops and pees are best done outdoors. Crazy humans that we are, we much prefer that kind of thing to be done outside, as much as we can appreciate the convenience of doing it indoors.

We made good use of the crate (see above) which helps a lot. We’ve also taken him in and out the same door every time. He doesn’t get a choice of which door. Nope, he’s got one option (which technically, isn’t even an option). It makes it a lot easier for him – just head to The Door, and magically a person appears and invites him outdoors. Once out, that same person acts as a cheerleader, telling him what a fabulous puppy he is when he pees or poops. What a life.

This morning, all our hard work paid off. Talos ate his breakfast and went immediately to the door. Hurray! He’d done this before, but I thought it was just chance. Nope, he’s really got it. Will he still make mistakes? Sure, if I’m not on my game and don’t notice his signals. Thankfully, he’s got feet that weigh 100 pounds each and you can’t help but hear where he is in our all-hardwood-floor house. So if you’re in the middle of housetraining, take heart. Just remain vigilant, use the crate, and use the Same Door every time. Your pup will get it. And then life is good.