House-Training
5 cards · about a minute
Take them, do not wait
Out after every sleep, every meal, every game and every hour in between, house-training is a schedule you keep, not a lesson a puppy works out alone.
Pay it outside
Praise and a treat within two seconds of finishing, out there rather than once you are back in; any later and you have rewarded coming through the door.
Never punish a puddle
A puppy scolded over a mess learns to go where you cannot see rather than to hold on, and that is far harder to undo than the original accident was.
Clean it properly
Use an enzyme cleaner rather than anything containing ammonia, because a spot that still smells of the last accident is an instruction to have the next one there.
Nights come last
Bladders grow slowly, so expect a night waking for a while, and if a house-trained dog suddenly starts again, ask your vet before you assume it is behaviour.