My new 8-week puppy has accidents. How do I potty train her?

Question

I just got my 8 week old Shihtzu yesterday and she had a few accidents in the house and I try to correct them every chance i get but her poop and pee schedule is weird. I cant tell when to take her out because she just pees and poops at different times everyday since I had her. I want to know am I failing her in potty training her? Is it to late. Pet's info: Dog | Shih Tzu | Female | 2 lbs

Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA · Accepted Answer

Hi there. At 8 weeks old, Mimi is still a tiny baby - puppies have very little bowel or bladder control at this age, so it's normal for her to urinate and defecate frequently at random times throughout the day. You need to take her out every 20-30 minutes at this age, so give her plenty of opportunities to do her business outside. Praise and reward her with a treat each time she goes. Inside, supervise her constantly and take her out immediately if you see any signs that she's thinking about using the bathroom - circling, sniffing the floor intently, etc. Don't scold or punish her for having an accident in the house, as this will only make her afraid to go to the bathroom in front of you - which then makes potty training much harder! Here is an article with more information on housetraining puppies, which should help to get you on the right track: https://www.petcoach.co/article/7-rules-for-effective-housetraining/

My new 8-week puppy has accidents. How do I potty train her?

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