Melinda Meahan - take out TRASH to reply spoke
these words of wisdom in :


And given that Usenet is not necessarily as credible as a web site put
out by a reputable entity and given that many Usenet groups are prone to
infighting, I hope you understand if I don't automatically swallow
everything I am told without question but try to make sense of it first.



Anyone can put up a website.

Anyone can answer on usenet.

Either can be credible.. or not so much..


Tethering is simply tying the puppy to your belt as an umbilical cord, so
you have a connection . This keeps the puppy from wandering off into some
secluded private places to do it's deeds. Nothing mystical or mysterious
about it, it simply allows you to watch the puppy more closely. The
tethering does not do the housebreaking, and is not a substition for
eyeballing the dog.

You STILL have to watch the dog. Nothing magical about the tethering..
YOU still have to do the work.

You folks would do people like me a great service if you could put your
tethering method of housebreaking out there somewhere for people to find
it when they are doing internet research.



The absolute BEST book I've ever seen written on housebreaking puppies is
http://www.amazon.com/Evans-Guide-Ho.../dp/0876055420

It's comprehensive and covers every single pitfall of housebreaking your
dog and approaches it from every angle. If you look at Amazon, you will
see used books available for one cent PLUS S&H.

Worth every penny.

If you follow that book to the letter, you WILL have a housebroken puppy.

If you put your own interpretation on it, your results may vary.


I'm not sure if they cover tethering in it or not. But certainly any dog
free time outside the crate, would be tethered in my house. All times a
dog is loose, it MUST be watched. ALWAYS. NO exceptions.

That's the pains of housebreaking a dog. When it's done, you will be
exhausted, sleep deprived and proud that you accomplished it. Very Very
proud. Housebreaking a puppy is not painless on your part and is an
achievement.



And there are breeds (especially smaller ones) that make this process
challenging.

The Evans Guide to Housebreaking Puppies covers feeding schedules,
exercise schedules and medical issues as well.