How To Stop a Puppy From Peeing in the House
Chewy
Adopting a puppy is an exciting milestone, but it can also come with challenges.
One of the biggest hurdles? House-training your puppy.
Fortunately, most puppies will actually want to be house-trained if you do it the right way with positive reinforcement.
Here’s what to know.
Key Takeaways
- Puppies need frequent potty breaks because they’re still learning how to control their bladder.
- Watch for clues like whining, pacing, sniffing, or waiting by the door—your puppy may be telling you it’s time to go.
- Potty-training takes patience, consistency, and plenty of positive reinforcement.
- If your puppy has an accident, skip the punishment and reward them when they successfully pee outside.
- If your puppy keeps having accidents despite consistent training, check in with your vet to rule out a medical issue.
How Often Should Puppies Go Out to Pee?
When puppies are little, they don’t have great control of their bladder—just like human babies. But as they get older, bladder control in puppies improves, and they’re able to hold their urine for much longer.
When you first bring home a puppy, usually at around 8 weeks old, take them out every 30–60 minutes for the first two weeks. This will help prevent your puppy from peeing in the house and help them get used to going to the bathroom outside.
In general, the number of hours puppies can hold their pee is equal to their age (in months) plus one. So, a 2-month-old puppy can theoretically hold their bladder for about three hours.
Puppy Bladder Control Chart
| Age | Frequency of Potty Breaks |
|---|---|
| 2 months old | Every 2–3 hours |
| 3 months old | Every 3–4 hours |
| 4 months old | Every 4–5 hours |
By the time your puppy is 4–6 months old, they should have full control of their bladder (which means you can finally start sleeping through the night again).
Once your puppy has bladder control, they should still go out several times a day—three to five total—for bathroom breaks.
And in the meantime, it’s smart to have some cleanup at the ready while your puppy’s still getting the hang of things.
What Are the Signs That a Puppy Needs to Go Out?
One of the greatest challenges of potty training a puppy is understanding when they need to go outside.
While puppies can’t outright talk to us, they do have ways of communicating that they need to go to the bathroom.
Some of the most common signals can include:
- Crying or whimpering
- Pawing or waiting at the door
- Pacing
- Jumping where you hang the leash
- Squatting
- Sniffing or circling
- Barking
- Any abrupt changes in activity
How To Stop a Puppy From Peeing in the House
One of the first things to teach your new puppy is house-training. This process can take days, weeks, or months, depending on the dog, but with determination and patience, it can be done.
- If your puppy keeps peeing in the house, do not punish them. Negative training techniques, also known as negative reinforcement, are an outdated method of training that does more harm than good. Your dog will associate you with the punishment and can become afraid of you—and their behavior will not improve. If your puppy has an accident, calmly clean it up.
- Use positive reinforcement with praise and training treats when your puppy holds their bladder and successfully pees outside. Quietly ignore mistakes (expect accidents to happen), and praise your puppy when they do something right.
If your puppy continues to have accidents in the house despite your training efforts, talk to your veterinarian to rule out any medical conditions. It’s important to differentiate among a training issue, behavioral issue, or medical issue, as the solutions to each vary.
What To Do If Your Puppy Is Peeing in the House When You’re Gone
It can be tough as a new pet parent to leave your puppy at home—and sometimes accidents happen when you’re away.
Your puppy doesn’t know when you’ll be back, after all, and may be confused whether they should hold it or wait.
Here are some tips.
Take Them Outside To Pee Before You Leave
This way their bladder will be empty, likely leading to fewer accidents.
Don’t Leave Them for Long
When you’re first starting out together, don’t leave your puppy for longer than 30 minutes at a time, if possible. As your pup gets used to you leaving, you can leave them for longer periods.
Use a Comfortable Crate
Crate training can help your puppy learn when it’s time to pee—and when they should hold it.
Most dogs aren’t fans of going to the bathroom in a cozy spot where they also lie down. With the right size crate, they’re less likely to have an accident while you’re out.
Always make sure that the crate has soft padding for them.
However, never leave them for extended periods. Your vet can tell you the maximum amount of time for your puppy to be alone in a crate.
Never Punish Them
As discussed, you shouldn’t use any negative reinforcement—it will only make things worse, and it’s not nice to your puppy, who’s doing their best to navigate a new situation.
It’s especially important that you don’t punish your dog for an accident that happened while you were out. Dogs only have three to five seconds to make an association between an action and a reward or punishment, so they won’t make the connection between the accident and the punishment.
Take Them Out As Soon As You Get Home
Let your puppy outside to pee as soon as you’re home. When you see they’ve done a good job, it’s time to reward them with a treat! After giving the reward, play with your puppy outdoors for a few minutes so they do not associate going back inside as something negative.
How To Stop a Puppy From Peeing in the House FAQs
What smell will stop a puppy from peeing in the house?
There is not a specific smell that will stop a puppy from peeing in the house, but getting rid of the dog pee smell is important to stop your puppy’s accidents. Enzymatic cleaners can help eliminate urine odors that encourage dogs to urinate in the same location.
At what age do puppies stop peeing in the house?
It depends. Most puppies can hold their bladder for several hours by age 4–6 months. But even once your puppy reaches this age, they still need to be taken outdoors several times a day to go potty. Also, each dog is different, so talk to your vet if you have concerns or need help potty-training your dog.
Why does my puppy pee in the house even after going outside?
Puppies sometimes pee in the house even after going outside because they may have been too distracted, excited, or nervous to fully empty their bladder outdoors. To prevent this, stay outside longer in a calm, quiet area until your puppy completely empties their bladder.
Why is my 3-month-old puppy still peeing in the house?
A 3-month-old puppy can hold their bladder for 3–4 hours, but they still may pee in the house occasionally as they are still growing and learning. It is important to be patient with your puppy and stick to a regular routine and a three-meals-per-day feeding schedule to help them know what to expect. Also keep puppy pads around the back door in case they don’t get outside soon enough.
