Be prepared for setbacks when housebreaking your puppy! Puppies at the age of eight to ten weeks will void themselves completely when they eliminate. As they age to between eleven and thirteen weeks, muscle control of the bladder begins to develop. At this stage, it is not uncommon for the puppy to eliminate only a portion of their contents and then become distracted by a leaf, noise, or their own tail. The puppy will return inside and promptly eliminate again. This is not a deliberate action, just a lack of concentration. Practice puppy concentration exercises and keep a keen eye to see if your puppy is voiding completely.
(Check out The Art of Puppy Training: What Every Dog Owner Needs to Know)
What do you do if your puppy has an accident? Be calm. Yelling or otherwise startling or scaring the puppy may teach him not to eliminate in front of you. Walk quickly over to your puppy and say “NO” firmly. Pick up the puppy and immediately take him to the desired elimination area.
Housebreaking Setbacks: Don’t expect your pooch to learn and master everything all at once.
Do not rub your puppy’s nose in her accident. This will cause her to lose trust in you for doing such a distasteful act to her. She may also think that you are displeased with the act rather than the location of it. That may cause her to not want to eliminate in front of you. This could lead to her sneaking off and hiding to eliminate, eliminating in her crate, or eating her own stool.
Thoroughly clean the accident area with an odor neutralizer. Common cleaners may take the smell from our noses but not your puppy’s. If the scent remains, the puppy will assume this area is appropriate for elimination.
