I am all about setting up my dogs for success. This being said, I have had several dog that never had an accident in the house. How is that possible? Because I have a hard fast rule: if I can't keep my undivided attention on the dog, even for 15 seconds, I put my pup in his crate. No exceptions. Phone rings- crate, refill my coffee- crate, go to the bathroom- crate. My dog must never have an opportunity to squat and go in the house. Dogs tend to learn a behavior in three tries. If you dog messes twice, it is starting to learn t can go in the house. The responsibility, unfortunately lies squarely on the owner's shoulders to prevent the accident. Pups can generally only "hold it" for about an hour per month of age. So at two months, maybe 2 hours. Here is a typical house training schedule. Pup sleeps in crate near my bed. If he wakes up I take him outside. First thing in the morning, I carry him directly outside. I put him in the crate while I fix his breakfast, then feed him in the crate. As soon as he is finished, I carry him outside. Back in the house we play for about 20 minutes, then I take him back outside. I let him play for another 20 to 30 minutes while I am giving him my full attention. Then back in his crate so I can have my coffee while he naps. As soon as he wakes up, I carry him outside. Continue this throughout your day. If for ANY reason you can't keep your eyes on him, place him in his crate. Believe me, this method is very hard work, but with big and quicker payoffs. When I take my dog out, I take him directly to the designated potty spot and give the command, "go potty". As he is going, I say Yes! Good potty!. When he is finished I give him a treat from my pocket. I do not allow this to be a play time or a chance to sniff all around and explore. If he hasn't relieved himself in a couple of minutes, back to - you guessed it- the crate. Wait another 20 minutes and try again. Do not leave your pup in the crate for any extended period or it will earn to soil the crate. Shouting at your dog, rubbing your dog's nose in it, spanking the dog, or dragging the dog to the spot and telling him "bad dog- no!" does nothing to housebreak your dog. If he had an accident, it is entirely your fault. This is a major reason why getting a pup at Christmas is problematic. If all of this sounds like far too much work, you may be right, so you may be better off adopting an adult dog that already is housebroken or at least has much better bladder control. Merry Christmas!
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