Why You Should Think Twice Before Punishing Your Dog After They Go Potty In The House

Potty training a puppy can be a long process, and sometimes it might get frustrating when your new family member keeps having accidents in the house. While this behavior can be disheartening, it's important to remember it for what it is: an accident. When your puppy goes potty in the house, they probably aren't doing it on purpose; potty training takes time and your pup most likely went in the house because they haven't fully learned where they are supposed to go yet or they simply couldn't hold it any longer.

When it comes to potty training, no matter how frustrating it may be, there is one thing you should never do: punish your puppy for going potty in the house. Your puppy isn't going to understand why you are punishing them, and it isn't going to help or fix the problem at hand. According to petMD, puppies only have about three to five seconds to connect an action to punishment, so if they went potty inside while you were gone or when you weren't watching them, they aren't going to know or understand why they are being punished. Instead, punishing your puppy might just make them scared of you, and won't actually do anything to help their potty training. Instead of punishing your dog when they have an accident, using positive reinforcement can keep your puppy happy and will actually yield results.

Instead of punishing your puppy when they go to the bathroom inside, there are other measures you can take that are actually effective towards their potty training goals, such as using positive reinforcement. Positive reinforcement is a method of training that works for a variety of canine behaviors, including potty training. Positive reinforcement training is the practice of rewarding your dog or puppy for good behavior, and by doing so, it makes them more likely to learn that this behavior is a positive thing and they should do it to get rewarded.

To use positive reinforcement when potty training, you will want to reward your puppy each time they go potty outside. To do this, give them a treat or some other type of reward such as a toy right after they go to the bathroom. By doing this, your puppy will begin to make the connection that going outside to use the bathroom is a good thing that they get rewarded for, and eventually will get to the point where they are fully potty trained. Positive reinforcement is going to be much more effective than punishing your puppy, as rewarding them will make them want to keep practicing this behavior and go potty outside more, whereas punishing them might actually make them fearful of going potty around you.

Along with using positive reinforcement, there are other steps you can take to limit indoor accidents and ensure your puppy gets potty trained. If you are specifically worried about your puppy going potty in the house, there are some measures you can take so this doesn't happen. One way to do this is by crate training your puppy. With crate training, the goal is for your puppy to think of it as a safe place, so you shouldn't put them in there as punishment, but rather when it's time for them to eat, sleep, or if you are leaving them home alone. Keeping them in a crate when you aren't there can help prevent potential accidents as a puppy isn't going to want to use the bathroom in a place they spend a lot of time in. It will also help your puppy get used to the crate and learn that it is a safe space for them.

One of the main ways to prevent accidents is just going to be to take your puppy out often. Puppies can only hold their pee for so long, and if they aren't taken outside in time, they are going to have to relieve themselves. Sticking to a consistent bathroom schedule can help prevent your puppy from going inside as well as getting them into a routine of going potty outside. If your puppy does happen to go to the bathroom inside, make sure to get the spot where they went nice and clean, as puppies may be tempted to keep going potty there if they can smell their past accidents.