November 17, 2022

When does a puppy become house trained?

(This article is published in collaboration with Hundprat.se.)

How long does it take before the puppy becomes house trained? It's a fairly common question among new dog owners and as difficult to answer as "How long is a string”? Dogs are different, some puppies understand quite quickly where to go while others need more time. To help you and your four-legged friend, Jenny from Hundprat.se offers 5 tips to get the puppy house-trained as quickly and easily as possible.

1. Accept that the puppy needs time to become house trained

After all, it takes some time to get a puppy house trained and many people underestimate how long it can take. But with a little extra patience and consistent action, it will hopefully take as little time as possible.

2. Limited space helps the puppy understand

Dogs prefer not to go where they live or sleep, but it can take a while for the puppy to understand that your entire house or apartment is the dog's living space. By limiting the puppy's area where it can be, for example with a fence, you teach the puppy, one step at a time, what is living space and what is not. In addition, it is easier for you to keep an eye on the puppy so that it does not run off and fulfill its needs in a hidden corner of the home.

"The best way to avoid unwanted behavior is to prevent it and make sure it doesn't happen at all."

Limit the dog's space even at night and be prepared to go out with the puppy even at night.

3. Walk the puppy, often!

It is usually said that what the dog is "trained" to do, it will continue to do, so if the dog is "trained" to pee on the lawn, it will continue to pee on the lawn. Therefore, take the puppy out often and make it a habit to take the puppy out immediately after eating, after it has slept, after it has played and a lot in between, and you will quickly have a house-trained puppy.

4. If you want to have a house-trained puppy - reward the right behavior!

Dogs like to keep doing what they are praised for. So when the puppy defecates outside, reward it! Either you reward with words or with a treat or toy. Show the dog that it did good!

5. Protect your relationship

If there is an accident inside the house, carefully lift the puppy out and show it where to go. Keep calm and DO NOT get angry. Getting angry doesn't help the situation, it only hurts the relationship between you and the puppy, and doesn't get the puppy house-trained any faster.