HOUSE TRAINING

A baby puppy cannot he house trained immediately because nature requires that a youngster urinates frequently. Most Border puppies try to be clean by getting as far away from the bed as possible, so a newspaper placed away from the bed, near the door, will be a start towards house- training. Put the puppy out immediately after waking up and straight after every meal. Praise the pup when a penny is spent in the right place and encourage the idea by the words “hurry up” when the pup is put outside.

There is no point in scolding the puppy for mistakes, which are bound to happen until the puppy gains more bladder control. The call of nature is very sudden and urgent to a puppy. Warning signs are the quickening of steps, the puppy running in circles, maybe whimpering, and the tail raised. If you can catch the puppy in time and rush outside and then praise the puppy, the idea will soon get through. Open doors into the garden help the puppy become clean. Should a puppy, or adult, puddle on the carpet, soda water applied quickly to the spot and then wiped up with a damp cloth and cleaned in the normal way will prevent a stain.

(an extract from “Border Terriers Today” by kind permission of Anne Roslin-Williams)