House Training Your Puppy: How to Get Them to Stop “Going” in The House

Three weeks ago I adopted a gorgeous two month old female German Shepherd.  She’s an absolute doll!  It’s been a while since I’ve had a puppy, so I forgot about all the not-so cute stuff that comes along with ownership.

For about a week, my puppy seemed to have house training backwards.  I’d stand outside with her when she should be having to go, and she would just sit there, looking at me, as if to say “hey, I’m cold and got to pee.  Can we go in yet?”.

Eventually, we straightened this out and she is doing a lot better.  She still has some accidents but she is still very young and her bladder can’t hold much.

The problem I face is the fact that I have carpets in my house.  My puppy would go in one spot and then thought it was okay to keep doing it if I didn’t get to fully clean it right away.

I started leaving my carpet machine cleaner out.  Everytime she has an accident, I break out the big guns and get rid of any trace of the accident.  With this, she’s been doing a lot better!

Puppy pads are also very helpful.  My puppy is learning that should she not get to go out in time, she should go on her puppy pads, which are in my kitchen. 

The key is to have a routine and schedule for your puppy.  If you can’t predict when they are going to do business, you can’t get them outside.

Cleaning up indoor messes is so important.  Enzyme cleaners are a must to really kill the odor, so the dog doesn’t smell it.

House training is work, both in terms of working with your new friend and cleaning up after them.  But, keep in mind as they age, it will get easier!

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