How long can a puppy hold it? The rule of thumb is 1 hour for each month of age, up to 8-9 hours maximum.
Puppies naturally eliminate several times throughout the day including: when they wake up in the morning, before they lay down at night, after meals, after drinking excessive amounts, when they wake up after a nap, after an activity or play session (sometimes during), and some puppies wake at night.
Do not leave your puppy unattended in the early training stage, if you are not with them they will likely eliminate without you noticing, which will only slow the training process. Keep your pup with you and watch for signs they may need to go, quickly taking them outdoors when you notice they begin to look for a place to go.
Go out with your puppy, and give them an indication that you want them to eliminate, I usually say "pee pee's and poo poo's go outside '' but you can be creative, the shorter the better. Take them out once an hour and before you begin any distracting activities, such as preparing dinner.
If you are not home, it can be extremely useful to use a crate during the house training period. Keep it small enough that your dog cannot use one area to sleep and the other as a bathroom. Your pup should be able to lay down, get up and turn around. If the crate is too big you may see accidents in the crate.
Remember, accidents happen but minimizing their occurrence is key to speedy house training. If your dog has an accident try not to get upset, but rather focus on encouraging the good behaviour of going outside. Your dog may look guilty when caught in the act but experts suggest that this looks stems from a fear of upsetting you and punishing them can actually lead to them hiding from you when they need to go, rather than learning that going outside with you right there is a good thing that is praised.
If you are on the ball in the first weeks, that may be all it takes to have your puppy house trained! Their mother Luna had a few accidents in the early weeks, but she picked it up easily and now barks at me when it's time. Have patience and your puppy will be house trained before you know it!
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