sad chocolate lab puppy missed the training pad and peed on the floor

Oopsy! There’s a Poopsy! What to do if your pup has an accident in the crate or house.

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It’s important to know how to handle an accident in the house. Never scold your young puppy for eliminating in the house. Accidents happen and a harsh scolding can teach him to pick a more secluded area, away from you, in the house to eliminate. It can also encourage a dog to eat his feces to hide the fact that he had an accident. If they have had an accident, you likely need to take them out to potty more frequently, watch them more closely, and monitor their water and food intake. Puppies do not want to potty on themselves; so if your puppy eliminated in a crate, they likely could not wait any longer. Don’t punish your puppy by rubbing their face in their waste; teach them the appropriate places to go potty instead.

If you see your puppy in the middle of eliminating in the house:

  1. Interrupt them with by saying “oops!” or something similar and carry them outside immediately. Place them down in the appropriate potty spot and wait for them to finish.
  2. As your puppy is eliminating calmly say your cue word and “good puppy” or something similar. When your puppy is finished, give them tons of praise!
  3. Be sure to clean up the mess thoroughly. Use an enzymatic cleaner to eliminate any traces of animal waste.
  4. Now, supervise your puppy more closely, and give him the opportunity to potty in the appropriate spot by taking him out more frequently.
  5. It’s important to watch your puppy, and if you suspect they potty more frequently than they should, take them to the vet. There are several common issues that could be present and are easily fixed with medication, including a urinary tract infection.

Check out our Crate Training Guide here.

Related Categories: Shop Wire Crates, Dog Potty Pads & Diapers, Cleaning Solution, Puppy Food, Puppy Toys

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This Post Has 4 Comments

  1. Wendy Castilleja

    Hi my male puppy goes in the house even if we take him out why?

  2. C

    My puppy pees on the playpen, and it mostly goes outside on the floor. We started putting pee pads outside there to catch it, but we really don’t want to expand his potty area. How can we teach him to go on the paper in his playpen or improve his aim so to speak?
    We have tried praising him and giving him treats when he does it right. But his misses are frequent. We tried removing the playpen, sanitizing it and putting it back. Unfortunately it has become his bad habit.

    1. FD

      Maybe the playpen is too big. They don’t like to pee/poop where they play and sleep and if the playpen is too big then they will. Also, they need to be taken outside frequently when a puppy. Sounds like you need to take them out more often especially if a really young puppy. Remember every 2 hours per every month. An eight week old puppy (2 months old) needs to go out every 2 hours. More if playing and drinking.

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