How do I get my puppy house-trained?
As soon as your little four-legged friend arrives home and has taken his first sips and eaten his first bites, he already shows signs of wanting to relieve himself in the middle of your living room carpet. Here - and in the first weeks with your puppy - quick action is required.
How to best communicate to your puppy that your house is not an XL dog toilet and that he should only do his business outside is explained here.
The first night in the new home: At first, it was the sleeping box
We advise against letting your puppy sleep in your bed, even though he is allowed to sleep there later. In bed, your puppy can make himself less noticeable and will likely relieve himself there when he needs to.
Next to the bed in his box, your puppy will make enough noise so that you wake up and can react immediately. This also prevents your puppy from relieving himself uncontrollably in the apartment at night. The background is that dogs do not like to do their business where they sleep. This way, you teach your little four-legged friend from the start to let you know in a urgent situation.
You can line the lockable crate with a cozy blanket and a pillow and feed the first meals before or in the box so that your puppy associates it with positive feelings and likes to sleep there. In the first nights, it is also helpful if you sleep on the floor next to your furry friend.
Interpreting your puppy's signs correctly: Something is on the way!
As soon as your puppy drinks or eats, it’s only a matter of (short) time before the food finds its way back outside. The same applies if your four-legged friend has just slept or played extensively. Therefore, you should always keep an eye on him afterward or also go outside with him as a precaution.
Signs that your four-legged friend needs to relieve himself are restlessness, sniffing the ground, and turning in circles. If you observe that something might be on the way, take your puppy outside and praise him as much as possible afterward.
At first, you can expect to make the sprint to the front door once an hour - after the third month, only every three hours. By five months, your four-legged friend can usually hold it for four hours.
Consistent behavior is important
A common mistake you may have already fallen into: Laying out the house with newspapers or mats so that nothing can go wrong and relaxing back. Mistake! Regular walks, even at night, teach the puppy that he should not do his business where he lives.
If you have taken your puppy outside in time, always reward him intensively - this also applies when your little four-legged friend does his business outside the apartment. Dogs learn through conditioning. You can always reward desired behavior. Your furry friend will then know that he has done something right, and over time he will internalize what he should do: not leave pee and poop on the living room carpet.
Especially in the evenings, you can orient yourself to fixed times and help your furry friend find a rhythm with a structured routine.
When is my puppy house-trained?
When you finally pick up your puppy at 8 weeks or older to bring him to his new home, you probably wish he were house-trained within a few days and are likely asking yourself: How long does it take for my puppy to be house-trained?
House-training in the first weeks of life is physically not possible at all: The sphincter muscles of the bladder and intestines can be controlled by puppies from about 14-16 weeks. With consistent training, your puppy can be house-trained after a few weeks, sometimes only after a few months. Here, the trust relationship is also important, as well as your little furry friend's confident demeanor - because new situations or great joy can cause your puppy to suddenly have accidents in the house again.
In case of emergencies: Accidents are allowed
And in case of (almost guaranteed) accidents: Accidents happen and no puppy deliberately relieves himself in his own home. Scolding leads to your puppy being intimidated and possibly developing fear of you. Especially at the beginning, your four-legged friend needs time to trust you.
When a small accident happens, clean the floor without paying attention to your puppy. For him, doing his business is something completely natural, and he should not associate his needs with stressful experiences.
Tip: Clean the spot with some vinegar so that your dog can no longer perceive his own urine scent. Dogs tend to choose the same spot to mark based on the scent.
