# How old is normal for a puppy to be housebroken?



## katdog5911

My 18 week female has had several accidents in the house. I am wondering if this is normal. She pees outside 99% of the time but for some reason still has a pee every now and then in the house. My husband thinks old school and thinks I should discipline her...nose rubbing etc....but I do not agree. I figure it is probably my fault for not having watched her closely at those times. She still has excitement pees too. Does it ever end? She has never peed in her crate or bed.


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## BlackGSD

Siren never had an accident in the house from the time I got her at 8 weeks. She was reliable about going to the for when she needed to "go" at 10 weeks old. (Though I will say I have NEVER had another puppy of any breed that "got it" that young.)


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## Emoore

Kopper was housebroken at 13 weeks. Excitement peeing is not a housebreaking issue and should not be treated like one. She gets so excited she literally loses control of her bladder, it's not a conscious thing, so you need to work on staying calm and not over-stimulating her. The excitement peeing *should* fade with maturity. 

The disciplining and nose-rubbing doesn't work, period. What does work is constant supervision. If she's not reliably housebroken, she needs to be either crated or tethered to a person. No exceptions. Make a big happy deal of it every time she potties outside-- really, throw a party and give her treats. If she goes inside the house, clean it with an enzyme cleaner so the smell doesn't trigger her to use that spot again. Regular household cleaners will make it so you can't smell it, but she can still smell it and will be inclined to use the same spot again.


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## AddieGirl

BlackGSD said:


> Siren never had an accident in the house from the time I got her at 8 weeks. She was reliable about going to the for when she needed to "go" at 10 weeks old. (Though I will say I have NEVER had another puppy of any breed that "got it" that young.)


Same here. Addie was 10 weeks when we got her and within a week she "got it" and would wait by the door. 

OP have you had your pup for 8 to 10 weeks? What are you doing to prevent accidents?


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## Josh's mom

Josh was housebroken by 12-16 weeks, he started "excitement peeing" when he was older, and that just stopped about 2 mo ago. He's 14 mo old now and is really starting to show us what he's going to be as an adult.
Jenna was a rescue, not sure when potty trained, when she came to us at 10 mo she was totally trained, a little "excitement peeing" with her every now and then, some fear peeing when anyone raises their voice (something from her other home?). She's 12 mo.


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## chelle

katdog5911 said:


> My 18 week female has had several accidents in the house. I am wondering if this is normal. She pees outside 99% of the time but for some reason still has a pee every now and then in the house. My husband thinks old school and thinks I should discipline her...nose rubbing etc....but I do not agree. I figure it is probably my fault for not having watched her closely at those times. She still has excitement pees too. Does it ever end? She has never peed in her crate or bed.


Accidents aren't that "un" normal. If you're at 99% at 18 weeks, that's not so bad.

Your hubby needs his own nose rubbed in his own pee.  But seriously, he's just dead wrong.

And yeah, it's your fault for the mistakes.  (I say that in humor because I recognize every housebreaking accident that happened was my fault -- took my eyes off for a second too long, etc.)

Excitement pee is not your fault at all. Some just do that. My oldest had issues with submissive peeing. I had to train the people that came around her to do certain things (and NOT do certain things.) She eventually outgrew it. They should *never* be punished for excitement/submissive peeing. 

Hang in there, mama... you're almost there!  But please don't let hubby rub your baby's nose in her mistakes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## Cassidy's Mom

I don't think there is a "normal" as far as housebreaking goes. Some of what's going to affect how long it takes is the dog itself and a lot is going to be the owner - how skilled they are and how well they manage and supervise their puppy. 

We got Dena & Keefer at 9 weeks old (not at the same time, they were a little less than a year apart), and Halo at 10 weeks old several years later. Dena took about a month to housebreak, Keefer about two months, and Halo about three months. We should be getting better at this, but it seems like we're getting worse, lol!

Do NOT listen to your hubby's advice about housebreaking. If you scare her she'll just get better at peeing when you're not around, she won't be learning that WHERE she peed is wrong. Take her out very often, watch her like a hawk when she's indoors, and reinforce the heck out of potties outdoors. Lots of happy praise and a yummy treat _every single time_. 

Are you using an enzyme cleaner on her accidents? If not, she can still smell it and will be attracted back to those spots, even if you can't smell it.


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## Dooney's Mom

Dooney was housebroken by the time she was 3-4 months old. She also has the submissive pee thing going on (it comes and goes-its weird). she is just shy of 9 months old.

she will go to the door and sit and make eye contact with me if she has to go out, otherwise I know she is just looking out the door. I started her off almost immediately at sitting down at doors to be let out.

Definately don't rub their noses in it- With my first dog that is what I did (i didn't know any better) and i NEVER did it with Dooney- it was harder to housetrain my first dog that way.


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## robk

My boy is 5 months and is pretty well house broken..I can't remember the last time he had an "accident". However, we never put a time table on him nor made a big deal when he did go in the house. We just cleaned it up and made a point to let him out more often. However when he went out side we made a very big deal out of praising him and he seamed to train him self very smoothly. He did go through a peeing while excited time for about a month and he also took a fall once that was very scary and he let his bladder go then but it was completely not his fault it happend. Over all I think his success was due in large part to my wife and I's patience and care not to ever put too much pressure on him.


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## Stella's Mom

I am thinking I gave away some pee pee pads to my chihauhau friends by the time Stella was 16 weeks old more or less. I remember around Easter she was no longer peeing in her crate at night or having any accidents in the house.


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## Geminon

robk said:


> My boy is 5 months and is pretty well house broken..I can't remember the last time he had an "accident". However, we never put a time table on him nor made a big deal when he did go in the house. We just cleaned it up and made a point to let him out more often. However when he went out side we made a very big deal out of praising him and he seamed to train him self very smoothly.


Same thing with Geminon, by the time he was 10 weeks he could hold it all through the night and now goes outside almost all of the time unless he has an upset stomach (we changed his food not long ago it did cause some uhmm runny accidents) but he couldn't help it. Also when he wakes up in the morning as soon as he leaves his bed area he goes in the hallway but thats slowly stopping as well and he just turned 4 months. All takes time. But never ever punish them for going inside the worst thing that could ever be done.


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## onyx'girl

I would never train a GSD pup to the papers or wee-wee pads. Crate, 2 hour max and a designated outdoor potty spot should train them. Karlo only had 3 accidents since 8 weeks(I know not normal) and Onyx was one of the submissive pee'rs. Though it only happened a few times with her, it wasn't excitement but when she was anxious.
She then went thru a time at about 10 mos where she started peeing in a certain spot in the living room. I started crating her and had her checked for a UTI(clear) 
I don't know what the cause of that was, but her fear aggression was at its peak at that age as well. I put it into the hormonal change(she was spayed at 6 mos) and not being able to go thru a heat cycle. I regret spaying her so young.


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## doggiedad

i got my pup when he was 9 weeks old.
11 days and 10 accidents later he was
house broken. 5 of the accidents happened
on the same day.


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## PaddyD

I don't understand why it would take longer than a week to housebreak a GSD older than 8 weeks. They are smart dogs. I housebroke my mutts faster than that. All you have to do is be on top of the situation and catch them at it, say NO and carry them outside then praise the heck out of them for doing it out there. It isn't rocket science. Anyone rubbing their nose in it is from the stone ages. Some people even use a rolled up newspaper to spank them. All they have to know is that it is wrong, you don't like it and there is a better place to go.... a MUCH better place. No need for punishment.


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## chelle

PaddyD said:


> *I don't understand why it would take longer than a week to housebreak a GSD older than 8 weeks.* They are smart dogs. I housebroke my mutts faster than that. All you have to do is be on top of the situation and catch them at it, say NO and carry them outside then praise the heck out of them for doing it out there. *It isn't rocket science*....


Haha that was my thinking too!!!!!! I did everything you're supposed to do - outside to potty often, praise up the yingyang, tethering when inside, blah and blah,,, and we still didn't accomplish the task until ? I guess +/-15 weeks? So, basically it took us around a month! :shocked: Slow Bailey!
Then a couple issues when in his crate too long and then VOILA, housebroken. He's a rockstar now,  but I was wondering for a little bit. I guess Mr Bales is kind of like his human-mama -- slow to learn, but once you "got it" - it's rock-solid. 

I think it really helped us to use bells for a time. He immediately caught onto the bell training. They had to be taken away once he got kind of obnoxious about ringing them, but he immediately figured out how to tell me when he needs to go.


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## RMF

We were lucky with Deezul, he was housebroken within the 1st week. He had 3 pee accidents on an old rug, and that was it. He learned real quick that if he had to go out, he'd sit by the front door. Now it's the side door, & if someone isn't fast enough to take him out, he'll let you know ' I gotta go now!'.


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## PaddyD

RMF said:


> We were lucky with Deezul, he was housebroken within the 1st week. He had 3 pee accidents on an old rug, and that was it. He learned real quick that if he had to go out, he'd sit by the front door. Now it's the side door, & if someone isn't fast enough to take him out, he'll let you know ' I gotta go now!'.


Love it when they come and get you and give you 'that look'.
Last dog did that. Current dog never asks to go out, she just holds it until the next time she is outside, which is several times a day.


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## GSDLove

Abby (RIP) got her at 8 weeks and she was house broken by 10 weeks.

Bailey got him at 10 weeks house broken within one week. But I was home 24/7. With Abby I was working and had a pet sitter.

Some of the best advice I ever received on how to house break a dog was "keep a rolled up newspaper handy at all times, when puppy or dog has an accident take the rolled up newspaper and hit YOURSELF on the head with it because it is your fault for not watching the puppy or dog".

Mary


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## katdog5911

Stella has not had anymore accidents this week. I am going to try the bell ringing by the door. I have told my husband a million times that he is WRONG about the rubbing their nose in it....fortunately he leaves the whole pee pee thing to me. I know the few accidents she had were in those few seconds I wasn't watching.... Well, thanks for all the advice. Hoping for a dry future!


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## PaddyD

katdog5911 said:


> Stella has not had anymore accidents this week. I am going to try the bell ringing by the door. I have told my husband a million times that he is WRONG about the rubbing their nose in it....fortunately he leaves the whole pee pee thing to me. I know the few accidents she had were in those few seconds I wasn't watching.... Well, thanks for all the advice. Hoping for a dry future!


Tell hubby that dogs are not children. They don't understand what you are saying or doing. They have NO IDEA that it is their poop you are rubbing their nose in. They don't know why you are doing it, all they know is that you are being MEAN and wondering why.


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## Jax08

At 18 weeks and still having accidents in the house, I would take her in to see if she has a bladder infection. The only indication I had that Jax had one was her peeing. I just couldn't get her housebroken. Took her in and insisted on a test and sure enough it was positive.

It's an inexpensive test and you should just be able to drop off a urine sample.


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## katdog5911

As I said...no more accidents for quite some time. But if it keeps happening I will ask my vet to do a urine test. I am pretty sure it was my inattention. Although she does seem to lick herself a lot.....


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