Angus is a joy except for house training. He'll hold it for five hours or so at night, but during the day, even though we're taking him out every two or three hours, he'll suddenly pee in his crate or on the floor or wherever he happens to be. He doesn't give any warning, and it happens too quickly to catch him at it and tell him no. So how do we make him understand that it's not acceptable?

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How old is Angus?
3 1/2 months

You should be taking him out every 30-60 minutes during the day. Whenever he wakes from a nap, take him out. After he eats, take him out. Keep him leashed to you while in the house so when he does start to pee you can scoop him up and take him outside immediately! Give lots of praise and a treat reward whenever he poops or pees outside. If you cannot keep 100% attention to him then put him in an xpen and take him out often. Clean everything he pees on with an enzyme cleaner like bac out when he does have an accident. Good luck!

Hi Netta and Becky, read and reread the faq

Ok, at that age he can hold it about 3 to 4 hours when crated/penned (longer overnight when sleeping), but still needs to be taken out anytime there is an activity change. As soon as he wakes from a nap, take him out. Before and after meals, take him out. Before and after playing, take him out. He still has very little bladder control and if he's enjoying himself, by the time he realizes he has to go it's too late. Plus, many pups have a strong instinct not to defecate inside, but don't seem to mind peeing. We develop a strong desire to only pee outside by only letting them pee outside. This has more to do with management than "training." You are conditioning a response by always taking him out if there is a remote chance he has to pee.

It will be another two or three months before he reliably starts to try to hold it when he's inside. Jack was about 6 or 7 months old before I could regularly let him on carpeting without risking an accident.
Thanks Beth. I think I understand. So it's not so much a matter of teaching him that it's wrong to go in the house as it is conditioning him to want to go only outside? We had read up on training methods before we got Angus, and his not minding peeing in his crate and just sitting there in the puddle floored us.
Yes, you've got it. Some pups are very clean, but others don't seem to mind urine very much at all (unfortunately). So think of it as conditioning and then you'll understand the concept. You are doing the right thing by not scolding; at most if you catch him in the act, make a sharp noise to distract him, pick him up and carry him out. But if you think of the "any time activity changes" rule you should do pretty good.

As they get older and their urine smells more strongly they seem to develop a more natural aversion, but if they've had lots of chances to pee in the house that is not a sure thing.

This sounds good in theory, Beth, but we have frustrating scenarios like this one all the time:  I take him out and watch him to make sure he pees.  He pees a lot, then comes to the door of his yard to indicate he's ready to go back in.  I praise the heck out of him, put him in his crate and give him a treat; then I go take a shower. In the 15-20 minutes my shower and hair-drying takes, he's peed in the crate.  He just considers the floor and the crate completely viable places to pee, and we're starting to worry that we're not going to be able to get him to understand that they're not.  We've made no headway whatsoever in four weeks, and we're getting desperate.

Ein used to be the same. We'd be washing things constantly that first month or so. Ein is now 5 months old and only has accidents if you wait too long in between potty breaks. You really need to take the pup out much more often then every 2-3 hours. They have zero bladder control until after 4 months of age. Also, having too big of a crate will encourage crate peeing. Just be really diligent and take him out every hour at least. Also, clean his crate, florr, ect with an enzyme cleaner so he can't smell where he's peed and think it's ok to pee there.

I've taken him out three times in the last three hours and still had to clean up pee from the floor twice.

We took Ein out every 30 minutes at first. We also keep her leashed in the house so it's quick in and out. If you can't constantly watch him then he should be crated or in an xpen. You should always be able to catch him if he pees. If he starts to pee then scoop up and take him right outside. Lots of praise and a food reward. Clean all pee spots with an enzyme cleaner. It takes time to potty train. Some just don't get it right away.

Hi Netta and Becky, what kind of method do you use to clean the crate? how much room does your corgi have inside the crate? Did you take him out on leash an made sure he empty and not just a squirt / marking? Potty training a puppy is easier and faster than a human baby, we've all gone thru it, you will too. Good Luck!

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