The most frustrating experience for dog owners is when their dog marks accidents in their houses. Experiencing these accidents is inevitable, especially during potty training. Before your puppy gets used to controlling his body functions, you will have to deal with several accidents in your house.
One thing dog owners should understand is how to handle the condition correctly. This will help your puppy to learn the potty training process early and prevent accidents in the future. Some dog owners make mistakes and end up punishing the puppy for creating the mess.
This is not recommended, especially if the accident happened a few minutes or hours before. Your puppy will be confused and it will also compromise the bond you are trying to create with your new puppy.
How Many Accidents Is Normal When Potty Training Puppy?
There is no specific answer to this type of question because several things can affect how many accidents your puppy can make. However, most puppies pee ever 3-4 hours, so they could have 6-8 accidents in a day if your are really unlucky.
Accidents can be a result of medical problems with your puppy, incomplete house training, or change of environment or routine for your puppy.
Other possible causes especially in older dogs include separation anxiety, cognitive dysfunction, and urine marking for male dogs. Your puppy can also pee inside the house if he is tired or if it is raining outside.
You will also note that some puppies can ask when they need to go to the bathroom outside and sometimes they just squat on the floor. In other cases, he can pee inside the house right after coming from outside. This is because your puppy might forget their urge to go the bathroom, and run inside to spend time with you.
You need to watch your puppy carefully at young ages. When you realize they have peed inside, take them outside. Also, always praise them when they pee outside.
How to Avoid Accidents When Potty Training Your Puppy
As dog owners, there are some tips you should know when potty training your puppy. Understanding these tips is crucial for preventing puppy accidents. They include the following:
- Do Not Overreact
I know sometimes you can get disappointed when your puppy pees or poops in the house. You should not overreact regardless of how messy the situation is. Don’t give your puppy extreme punishments like rubbing their nose on the pee or spanking them. Doing this will only make your puppy mistrust or fear you.
When they pee in the house, you can startle him with a not-so-loud noise that will make him stop everything he is doing. The next thing is to take him outside the house quickly so that he can finish his business. After that, reward your puppy. This will let him know that going outside to pee or poop comes with a better response from you.
- Immediately clean the spot of the accident
After an accident, ensure you clean the area thoroughly to prevent the puppy from remarking that point. Dogs have a strong sense of smell so they will always come back to that spot. You can eliminate the smell using specially formulated stain removers or dog odor absorbers. Using the normal detergents and soaps might not do a great job in eliminating the smell.
Therefore, you should consider buying an odor eliminator if you had not purchased one before you bring your puppy home. After cleaning, keep your puppy away from the spot of the accident so that he doesn’t come into contact or ingest the cleaning products.
Final Words
Puppy potty training is a process that requires patience. Your puppy can take some time to get used to the training but they will eventually get used to it. You can experience several accidents but this doesn’t mean that you should punish or mistreat your puppy. With the above tips, I hope you will complete the training successfully without having problems with your puppy. Just give it time!
Check out this article to see How Long Can a Dog Hold Its Poop?
