What can I do about my puppy’s house training issues?
My puppy was doing so well with his house training; he went to the door when he had to potty, he pottied on command, and he rarely had accidents inside. Well, he stayed with my parents for 5 days and at Petsmart for a day, and now I realized he is ppiddlingeverywhere. When I picked him up from Petsmart, he peed all over the floor 3 times, twice at home, and three times in his crate. He also pooed on the carpet twice. He usually shows me signs when he has to potty, but I have been getting nothing. Checked with the vet, no medical condition. How to I redo house training? Help please!
He is 3 1/2 months
Start over from the beginning. Sounds like your parents and Petsmart where not quite as consistant as you are and your puppy regressed. It’s okay, he is still young and still learning. Here is my puppy training advice. You can adjust it for his age.
Set a timer to remind you to take your puppy out every 30 minutes. Take him to the spot you want him to potty and wait patiently until he does. Once he seems to be doing good with that, then set the timer for 45 minutes, and so on and so on. Work at getting it to 2 hours and up. Always take him to his potty spot. If he poops in the wrong place (house, or where ever) pick up the poop and put it where you want him to go and show him nicely so he will get the idea.
Also, take him out every time he wakes up, about 15-30 minutes after eating, and after hard play.
Never tell him NO when he potties in the wrong place because you will confuse him. He will think that the act of going potty is bad, not where he is going potty. And never stick his nose in it. You don’t want to scare him or make him angry with you.
Use positive reinforcement EVERY TIME. Tell him something like “good potty” when he gets it right.
Remember, he is a baby. Be patient and consistent. It takes a while to develop bladder control, but give him time and it will happen.
Good reading would be “Training Your Puppy” magazine type book by the editors of Dog Fancy magazine, and “House-Training” also by the editors of Dog Fancy.
Good luck
Puppy Training