Housetraining For Dummies®

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Table of Contents

1. Cover
2. Introduction
   1. About This Book
   2. Conventions Used in This Book
   3. What You’re Not to Read
   4. Foolish Assumptions
   5. How This Book Is Organized
   6. Icons Used in This Book
   7. Where to Go From Here
3. Part I: Preparing to Potty Train Your Pooch
   1. Chapter 1: No, Virginia, It’s Not That Hard: Understanding Housetraining Basics
      1. What Housetraining Is — and Why It Matters
      2. Why Your Dog Can’t Be “a Little Bit Housetrained”
      3. Exploring Housetraining Methods
      4. Surviving Setbacks and Special Situations
      5. Understanding the Role You and Your Family Play
   2. Chapter 2: Training the Housetrainer: Taking the Right Approach
      1. Leaving behind Housetraining Methods of Yesteryear
      2. Using Your Pooch’s Instincts to Lay a Foundation
      3. Taking the 21st-Century Approach to Housetraining
   3. Chapter 3: Getting Your Home in Housetraining Order
      1. Readying Your Dog’s Room: The Crate
      2. Gearing Up for Outdoor Training
      3. Prepping for Indoor Training
      4. Doing the Dirty Work: Cleanup Equipment
   4. Chapter 4: Feeding Fido: What Goes In Must Come Out
      1. Knowing How Feeding and Watering Affect Housetraining
      2. Understanding Nutrients: What Dogs Need to Eat
      3. Determining the Diet That’s Best for Your Dog
      4. Serving Your Dog
      5. To Treat or Not to Treat
      6. Working with Your Dog’s Drinking Habits
4. Part II: Putting a Plan in Place
   1. Chapter 5: Training to Love the Crate
      1. Introducing the Crate
      2. Encouraging Appreciation If Your Dog Hates the Crate
      3. Limiting Crate Time: How Much Is Too Much?
      4. Continuing to Use the Crate
   2. Chapter 6: Heading to the Outside: Outdoor Housetraining
      1. Understanding How Outdoor Training Works
      2. Introducing Puppies to Outdoor Training
      3. Scheduling Outdoor Training for Adult Dogs
      4. Dealing with Boo-Boos
      5. Providing Indoor Potty Areas for Outdoor Trainees
   3. Chapter 7: Making Some Inside Moves: Indoor Housetraining
      1. Understanding How Indoor Training Works
      2. Pick Your Potty: Deciding Which Type to Use
      3. Introducing Puppies to Indoor Training
      4. Using Indoor Training for the Adult Dog
      5. Responding to Mistakes
   4. Chapter 8: Fine-Tuning Housetraining
      1. Decoding Pre-Potty Maneuvers
      2. Getting Your Dog to Ask to Go Out
      3. Encouraging Elimination
      4. Deciding When to Grant More Freedom
5. Part III: Solving Housetraining Problems
   1. Chapter 9: Accident-Proofing Small Dogs and Other Problem Potty-ers
      1. The Teensy-Weensy Tinkler
      2. The Dog Who Pees Lying Down
      3. The Dog Who Leaves His Mark
      4. The Uptight Canine
      5. The Dog Who Wants a New Bathroom
      6. The Dog Who Gets Distracted
      7. The Fair-Weather Piddler
      8. The Bedwetter
      9. The Dog Who Gets Amnesia
      10. The Dog Who Can’t Hold It
      11. The Poop Eater
      12. The Bleeding Lady, or the Canine Fertility Goddess
   2. Chapter 10: Understanding How an Oh-No Can Become a Problem-o
      1. A Whiz of a Problem
      2. The Scoop on Poop Problems
      3. Gaseous Emissions
   3. Chapter 11: Sorting Out Humans’ Housetraining Challenges
      1. Crafting a Family Housetraining Plan
      2. Balancing Crate Time
      3. Relieving the Home-Alone Dog
      4. Sticking to the Schedule
      5. Managing Snacks
      6. Messing Up the Cleanup
      7. Anticipating Lapses Due to Household Changes
      8. Helping the Newly Adopted Housetrainee
      9. Hitting the Road with Your Housetraining Graduate
6. Part IV: The Part of Tens
   1. Chapter 12: Ten Housetraining Mistakes You Don’t Have to Make
      1. Thinking the Crate Is Cruel
      2. Getting a Crate That’s Too Big
      3. Failing to Stick to the Schedule
      4. Failing to Clean Up Completely
      5. Not Cleaning the Indoor Potty
      6. Thinking Your Dog Looks Guilty
      7. Scolding Her after the Fact
      8. Rubbing His Nose in You-Know-What
      9. Changing the Menu Abruptly
      10. Declaring Victory Prematurely
   2. Chapter 13: Ten Reasons Housetrained Dogs Live in Happier Households
      1. The Houses Smell Nicer
      2. The Owners Save Money
      3. The Owners Are Less Cranky
      4. The Dogs Aren’t Scared When Their Owners Come Home
      5. The Owners Don’t Worry about Stepping in You-Know-What
      6. The Dogs Have One Less Way to Embarrass Their Owners
      7. The Owners Know Right Away When Their Dogs Are Sick
      8. The Dogs Have a Great Foundation for Further Training
      9. Dogs and Owners Communicate Better with Each Other
      10. The Owners Are More Likely to Keep Their Dogs
7. Appendix: Other Helpful Pit Stops for Housetrainers
   1. Go Online
   2. Book ’Em!
   3. Flip through These Mags
8. Index
9. About the Author
10. Advertisement Page
11. Connect with Dummies
12. End User License Agreement

List of Tables

1. Chapter 4
   1. TABLE 4-1 Comparing Dry and Canned Food
2. Chapter 6
   1. TABLE 6-1 Outdoor Training Schedule for a 3-Month-Old Puppy
   2. TABLE 6-2 Outdoor Training Schedule for an Adult Dog
   3. TABLE 6-3 Troubleshooting Your Dog’s Accident
3. Chapter 7
   1. TABLE 7-1 Indoor Training Schedule for a 3-Month-Old Puppy
   2. TABLE 7-2 Troubleshooting Fido’s Accident

List of Illustrations

1. Chapter 2
   1. FIGURE 2-1: Dogs can find dens in unexpected places.
2. Chapter 3
   1. FIGURE 3-1: Plastic and wire crates.
   2. FIGURE 3-2: Your canine companion can use a doggie door take himself outside whe...
3. Chapter 4
   1. FIGURE 4-1: Treats can be a great teaching tool.
4. Chapter 8
   1. FIGURE 8-1: Your dog doesn’t have to say a word to tell you when she needs to go...

Guide

1. Cover
2. Table of Contents
3. Begin Reading