When a puppy is roaming free in the house, they must always be supervised so that they can be instantly corrected should they decide to go potty in the wrong spot.

If this happens, simply pick them up, say "Oops!", and then take them directly to their potty spot to finish their poop or pee.

If they don't finish their potty, but you suspect they still have to go, return them to their no-mistake zone to ensure they don't make a mess in the wrong spot again. Then make a point to take them to their correct potty spot within 5-15 minutes to finish their potty.

This strategy also frees you up to attend to other things and not worry if your puppy makes a mess when you're not attending to them.

NEVER PUNISH A PUPPY FOR HAVING A POTTY ACCIDENT

Never punish a puppy for making a potty mistake. If you punish your puppy for doing something as natural as going to the bathroom, they will only learn that it's not okay to potty in front of you.

Often, the fallout from punishment is that a puppy learns to get sneakier about when and where they decide to go potty, so you will only end up finding little wet or smelly gifts from your puppy tucked "safely" out of sight.

If your puppy goes potty in the wrong spot on your watch, you need to examine how to refine your potty training methods and do better supervising them the next time.

As the human with a bigger brain, it falls on you to adopt the right measures to train your puppy properly--no exceptions!

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Signs A Puppy Needs The Toilet

These are the tell-tale signs that a puppy may have to potty: