facts

Bichon House Training

All Bichon Frise puppies are pre-programmed to soil outside their nest, so your puppy will already have the instinct to move away from the nest at around 3 weeks of age to go to the toilet. With time and patients (this you need to have in abundance when owning a dog!), your puppy will learn to be toilet trained. The first thing you will teach your new puppy when you arrive home is housetraining. This is the start of your bond with you and your puppy, so it is very important to get it right, you need your puppy's first experience of his/her new family/home to be a positive/enjoyable one. You should never punish your Bichon Frise when he/she soils inside the house. The old method of punishing your puppy (rubbing his/her nose in the mess!) is cruel and out of date and should never be used. It will mentally scar your Bichon Frise and actually delay the whole housetraining process. Not only will your relationship change considerably (your puppy becoming afraid of you when going to the toilet), but also one of the side effects of the punishment is the loss of control of the sphincter and the bowels and thus the problem becomes even more aggravated. You should never think that your puppy knows when it has done a wrong deed; dogs are not like humans they don’t understand guilt, regret, spite, etc.

House Training Tips
The key to the success in house training is to be alert and well prepared:

After every meal or drink – take him/her outside to go to the toilet.
When you are inside and playing with your puppy – directly you see him/her nosing the ground take him/her directly outside, as this action normally means “I need to pee”.
If by accident your pup does pee in the house – clap your hands and make a noise saying something like “no no” . Then gently direct your pup to the door to go outside to hopefully finish of what had been started. Your pup will soon realise this is what is expected of him/her. Don’t forget do not scare him/her as this will make him/her nervous and more prone to toileting in the wrong place. The purpose of the hand clapping/shout is to alert your puppy. It is best that he/she makes his/her own way out the door rather than you carrying him/her, as this will help him/her learn that he/she actually needs to make his/her own way to the door when he/she needs to go to the toilet.
You will need to clean the area thoroughly to get rid of any smells (after and accident). Household cleaners do not get rid of all the proteins that we cannot smell, even ammonia or bleach smells similar to the ammonia in urine! So your puppy will identify it as a toilet area still. Here is the following tip:
When your young puppy or old dog has urinated in the house, I recommended using Biological Washing Powder as the enzymes in the powder breaks down the urine, so your pup or dog will not wee in the same place again, it washes away and doesn't linger to smell the house out. Also another tip with stain removal (especially on carpets or other furnishings) I use Baby Wipes they are fantastic!
As soon as your puppy wakes from a nap – take him/her outside as this is also a time to go to the toilet.
If your puppy does not perform then do not take your puppy inside (have patients), play with your puppy then eventually it will happen!
Directly as your puppy performs give him/her praise and a treat.
It is a good idea to find a word to use when you want your puppy to go to the toilet (ie. busy), the word you have chosen to use should be said at every toilet session. This will help your puppy to understand what is required.
After visitors have been – remember to take your puppy outside after this excitement.
First thing in the morning – as soon as your puppy wakes and of course after breakfast.
Last thing at night – I take my dogs for a walk before bed but if you cant or your puppy has not been vacinnated, then out in the garden will do , but don’t allow in until your puppy has alleviated itself.
If you have a busy household (children/relatives) that will obviously want to fuss their new addition. Purchase a dog crate this needs to be large enough for your dog to go into when an adult. This piece of equipment will become evaluable during your dogs lifetime.
- It will be your puppies safe place – to go to have those all important naps (with no interference).
- When you go shopping and you need to leave your puppy at home – this is the ideal place to be safe from chewing electrical wires/wooden furniture etc. You can go to town knowing that your puppy and house is safe.
- Always leave plenty of water and a little food along with a toy – I always lined my cage with newspaper (to soak up any mess).
- When you need to go to the vet or just out for a walk (and you need to travel in the car) – the crate is an ideal place to have in the boot to put your dog in.
- If you are going to show your dog- then this will be one of the most important tools.

Here are 10 tips to keep your puppy safe:

1) Small objects can choke curious puppies/dogs, make sure your floor is clean and free of; pieces of children's toys, rubber bands, paperclips etc.

2) Electric wires (from your appliances) can mean instant death to your Bichon Frise puppy that will be naturally chewing (if you see this with any object always give your puppy one of his/her chews).

3) Rubbish bins are another source of potential danger. Your Bichon Frise will be drawn to that lovely smell of rotting food etc, and he/she will just love to sift through its contents. Make sure you keep this out of your puppies reach.

4) Keep toilet lids closed. Some people think it's funny to see a dog drink out of the toilet. Well it’s not healthy, and it is not cute when the puppy falls in, gets his head stuck, or even consumes a poisonous toilet cleaner.

5) Cleaning materials (detergents or bleach) which are normally kept under the sink, if possible put a piece of wood between the handles to "lock" the cupboard, or better still never leave your puppy on its own in the kitchen/utility room. Just remember if a poison container isn't childproof, it's not dog proof.

6) Check your garden regularly to make sure it’s safe and escape proof! Enterprising puppies can dig their way to freedom in a matter of minutes, so watch for signs of loose earth around the fence or under the gate.

7) If you want to protect your home as well as your pet, remember that housebreaking takes time. You can train a puppy within a few days or weeks if you are consistent, but excited or nervous Bichon puppies are still apt to have "accidents" for months to come. If you leave your puppy alone for any length of time, you are liable to come home to a stained carpet and heaven knows what else. Would you leave a toddler alone? Confine the puppy to a small area, or better still, a crate.

8) Teething is something all puppies have to go through. If you don't want your puppy chewing on your furniture, buy something safe for the puppy to chew on! Some puppies like to chew even when they're adults, and a lonely or bored dog will gnaw on just about anything, including his own feet or coat. Provide plenty of play toys: rubber balls (large enough so they won't become lodged in the puppies’ throat, rubber squeaky toys (watch the squeakers; they come loose easily!).

10) Before bringing your new puppy/dog home, select a vet and make an appointment. A new puppy will need to have its full parvo injection, and a grown dog also needs regular, thorough checkups. Both your breeder and vet can assist your with feeding advice also giving you tips on your puppy/dogs general care.

Remember:

Reward your puppy with calm, happy praise.
Use your chosen keyword (ie. busy).
Give a treat (after going to the toilet).
Make toileting a happy experience.
Give loads of praise, lots of cuddles.
Do not forget all young puppies do not have full control of their bodies.
It may take up to 8 months to have a completely housetrained dog!
Accidents will probably happen at night since the puppy may not be able to hold it in for many hours at a time initially. However do not despair; as long as the puppy is consistently going outside during the day he will soon learn that toileting means going outside when he has better control of his body.

And lastly prevention is the key to successful housetraining. Take things slowly, have consistency and keep a routine. Be fair and kind to the young life endowed into your care. You will soon be enjoying happy, mess-free days with your best friend.