[CaliGolden]

Hi everyone,

I got my new Golden puppy three weeks ago and today she is 12 weeks old. She is the first Golden I have ever had and the first puppy I have ever had. In the past I adopted rescues who were already adults and house trained. My question is, how long does it take to potty train a puppy? I have been trying really hard to watch her over the last three weeks and I'm fortunate that I live in a house with a large second floor outdoor deck where she can go to the bathroom so I can leave the door open to it during the day. Even with all of my efforts she is still going inside the house. Although there are times where she will walk herself outside to go. I just want to know if this is normal and I just need to be patient or if she should be trained by now and there are things I need to change.

Thank you for your help!

 

[TennillA]

Sounds normal to me. It takes weeks for them to learn to potty outside. Are you crate training? It makes it a lot easier. I'm on my first puppy ever too and what worked for me was keeping him crated whenever he wasn't being supervised. I also set a timer and took him out regularly. He needed to be watched to make sure he actually pottied. That being said accidents still happen it's important to clean it up as soon as possible with either a pet odor remover or equal parts white vinegar and water. Try not to get discouraged. She'll get it she's just a baby.

 

[Our3dogs]

Totally agree with what TennillA posted. It takes several weeks. Just continue to take him outside on a regular potty schedule. Sometimes it is hard if they have access to a deck like yours. The don't always associate the deck with actually being different from being inside or outside. But you will start to see them get the hang of it in the coming weeks.

 

[Charliethree]

Hi everyone,

I got my new Golden puppy three weeks ago and today she is 12 weeks old. She is the first Golden I have ever had and the first puppy I have ever had. In the past I adopted rescues who were already adults and house trained. My question is, how long does it take to potty train a puppy? I have been trying really hard to watch her over the last three weeks and I'm fortunate that I live in a house with a large second floor outdoor deck where she can go to the bathroom so I can leave the door open to it during the day. Even with all of my efforts she is still going inside the house. Although there are times where she will walk herself outside to go. I just want to know if this is normal and I just need to be patient or if she should be trained by now and there are things I need to change.

Thank you for your help!

House training does take time, and some patience, but they rarely 'house train' themselves, she won't know where she is supposed to go if you don't 'tell' her. It is important to go out with your puppy, to be there with her, to let her know that she got it 'right' and reward her big time (treats, lots of praise) for her success as soon as it happens!

Rewarding behaviors that you like increases the chances that those behaviors will be repeated time and again.

 

[nolefan]

I am attaching a link to a search on potty training 'issues', I think if you read through some of the older threads you may see some consistent suggestions. Golden Retrievers : Golden Retriever Dog Forums - Search Results for potty training trouble

Back way up and treat her like a younger puppy who has no clue what you expect of her, set a timer and get her outside on a schedule so that you are able to reward her and throw a "Party" when she potties outdoors where you want her to. Use baby gates and an ex pen along with the crate to keep her world small, she should not be having accidents in the house very often and if she is, then it means you aren't running a tight enough ship. Goldens want to please their people, it will take several weeks running into months to get her reliable but if you are consistent you can get it done. Give this project very strong focus and attention, it will go better if you make it top priority in your home right now.