How Proper Nutrition Affects Puppy Housebreaking

Proper puppy nutrition is vital for the overall health and well being of every puppy. The best place to find comprehensive information on how to ensure proper nutrition is the veterinarian who regularly cares for the puppy's medical needs. Of course, most proud new puppy owners make their first stop at the pet store for supplies, meaning it is often days before the new puppy will see the veterinarian. In the meantime, the pup must be fed and proper nutrition should start with the first feeding.

For orphaned puppies that are being bottle fed, commercially available puppy formulas generally offer the best alternative to mother's milk. Cow and goat milk should be avoided as they can cause the puppy to have diarrhea. Diarrhea is often a puppy housebreaking issue, making it difficult for the owner to help the pup get outside or to a puppy training pad before an accident occurs.

For older puppies undergoing puppy housebreaking, proper nutrition helps minimize accidents and puts puppies and owners on the path to housebreaking success. Human parents of new puppies should seek dry dog foods that are specially formulated to provide the nutrition growing puppies need. Dogs are carnivores, and need diets based on meat and protein. A quick reading of the nutrition labels makes it easy to make a good selection. Owners should seek puppy foods with meats listed as the first ingredients. Many cheap commercially available dry dog foods use corn as the main ingredient. Canines have difficulty processing corn—which is evident during the puppy housetraining stage when owners regularly find themselves cleaning up accidents. Loose stools are an indicator that something is amiss in the nutrition department, and food adjustments should be made.

Proper puppy nutrition not only sets the puppy up for lifelong health, it also makes puppy housebreaking easier and less stressful. The more balanced the pup's diet is, the fewer accidents the pup will have, and fewer accidents means less stress and more opportunities to help the puppy get outdoors or to a puppy training pad when it is time to go potty. It is true that nutritionally balanced puppy foods often cost a little more than those that use corn as the primary ingredient. However, feeding a puppy food which uses chicken, lamb, beef, or even kangaroo as the main ingredient, helps the pup's body grow properly. Proper growth makes for a healthier, happier pup, and an easier puppy housebreaking experience.