House-training goes wrong far more often through scheduling than through stubbornness. A young puppy simply cannot hold on for long, and most accidents happen because nobody offered the garden at the moment it was needed. Get the timing right and the rest tends to follow.

The four moments that matter

Take the dog out after every sleep, every meal, every drink and every burst of play — those four account for most of what goes wrong. In between, a rough guide for a puppy is about one hour for each month of age, so a three-month-old realistically needs the garden every three hours or so, and through the night for a while yet. Go out with them rather than opening the door, because you need to see it happen.

Reward outside, within two seconds

Praise delivered back in the kitchen teaches the dog that coming inside pays, which is not the lesson you want. Pay within about two seconds of the last drop, outdoors, with something genuinely good. Keep the same spot each time so the smell does the reminding for you.

When there is an accident, say nothing

Scolding teaches a dog to go where you cannot see rather than to hold on, and that is a much harder problem to undo. Clean with an enzyme cleaner rather than anything containing ammonia — ordinary household cleaners leave a trace the dog reads as an invitation to use the spot again.

When it is not a training problem

A house-trained dog who suddenly starts having accidents, or who strains, goes very frequently, or drinks noticeably more than usual, is a medical question rather than a behavioural one. That is worth a vet visit rather than another week of the schedule.

Back to the blog

We use cookies to keep your cart working and to understand how the site is used. Privacy Policy

HELP

ABOUT