House training

House-training your puppy

The first signs of house-training begin in the litter. During the first few weeks of life, the mother dog will eat her puppies’ waste and clean them by licking. From around 3 to 4 weeks of age, she will start doing this less and less. The puppies will begin to move around on their own. If the whelping box is large enough, the pups will pick a spot on the edge or in a corner to relieve themselves. Dogs are naturally clean animals and don’t like to soil their sleeping area. If the whelping box is cleaned often enough, they will naturally try to relieve themselves elsewhere.

As soon as your puppy comes home, house-training begins.

When should my puppy go outside?

Make sure you have a few designated spots in your garden where your puppy is allowed to pee and poo. If you want them to always go in a specific place, it’s best to start teaching that right away. Offering multiple options is also smart so your puppy doesn’t insist on only one place later on.

At the start, you can also place some training pads like Easypets Training Pads inside the house. For instance, in the living room. Once your puppy understands that this is the right place, you can gradually move the pads closer to the front or back door. This is also a handy solution if you live in a flat or don’t have garden access.

Puppies can’t hold it for long and generally need to go out every two hours. They will definitely need to go outside after eating, playing, or sleeping. Take your puppy out and give them a few minutes. If they go, reward them generously with praise or a treat. Then take them back inside. It’s also important to observe your puppy’s behaviour. If they start sniffing the floor or turning in circles, it’s time to go out.

Should I punish my puppy for accidents?

It’s important not to punish your puppy if they’ve had an accident inside. They won’t be able to link the punishment to what they did wrong. In that case, it’s best to ignore the accident and not give attention to it. If you catch them in the act, you can say “no” or “ah-ah”, and take them outside to show them where it is okay. Keep in mind that accidents are part of the process in the beginning. Rewarding at the right time will speed up training.

Preventing accidents

Try to prevent accidents by limiting your puppy’s freedom when you can’t supervise them. A crate is a helpful tool here. Make sure you introduce the crate through training so it becomes a safe and positive place. Puppies will not want to soil their crate and will try to hold it in. If your crate is too big, reduce its size with a box or divider so there is only enough room to sleep. This makes accidents less likely. Of course, accidents can still happen if your puppy urgently needs to go and you’re not quick enough.

You can also support your puppy with products that promote relaxation and adjustment to a new environment. Pet Remedy products help calm your puppy and reduce anxiety-related accidents indoors.

In the first few days, your puppy will likely need to go at night as well. We recommend placing the crate in your bedroom or sleeping near the crate for a few nights.

If your puppy becomes restless or signals they need to go, you can quickly take them outside for a toilet break. As your puppy grows older, they will be able to hold it longer and will eventually sleep through the night.

What if an accident happens anyway? Be sure to clean the area thoroughly. A special odour and stain remover such as CSI Urine can remove stubborn urine stains, even if they’re dried. If you use a regular cleaning product, the stain might disappear and the area might smell fresh to you — but not to your dog’s sensitive nose. That means they may return to that spot to go again. Using the right cleaning product will help you avoid this issue.