# How long does it take to be completely house trained?



## yellvis (Oct 31, 2008)

Can anyone suggest how long it should take a dog (in my case a 5 month old beagle) to be fully house trained.

we have had him for nearly 2 weeks and originally started using the puppy pads but decided to teach him to go outside straight away. when we take him outside he does his wees and poos but sometimes he just starts to wee in the house without any warning. he never whimpers or makes a sound to tell us he needs a wee and when he sits at the door and we think he's telling us he needs a wee outside when we let him out he doesn't go for one. I know it takes time and perserverance and that his bladder is still being educated to know how to hold it in, but I would like to know anyones thoughts or experiences on timescales for being fully housetrained - ie if it should take less than 2 weeks then maybe we need to see what we are doing wrong - or if it takes longer than 2 weeks then it will just be a case of perserverance and consistency in how we are currently training him.


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## Shane (Oct 24, 2008)

It can be done in 2 weeks but normally takes longer. There is no real timescale as all dogs and situations are different.
He needs to be watched like a hawk when indoors as you need to correct the behaviour straight away and take him outside. Don't use harsh tactics as they may result in him hiding to pee.

It can get frustrating but they will eventually get the idea.
I would allow about 8 weeks before changing tactics


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## jackson (May 22, 2008)

Obviously he is an older pup, but you need ot train h8im like a young puppy, as you don't know his history. So that means taking (taking and waiting with him, not putting him out) him outside after every play, feed and sleep, and at least once an hour in between and rewarding him when he goes. It is your job to make sure you get your pup out in time, not his to let you know when he needs to go out. Some dogs never learn to tell you they need to go out unless you teach them to. My older two just hang on until they need to go out, or hanga bout by the door for me to notice. My yongest barks if she needs to go out, and believe me, at 5am int he morning, when SHE thinks it's wake up time, it's no fun! 

Providing your vigilant, it may take only a few weeks with an older pup. It might take longer. Every time she wees inside it makes training her harder, and she will need more rewarded outside wees to get the message. Don't tell your pup off if you catch him in the act indoors, although a simple firm but quiet 'no' is Ok, but simly take him outside. 

Some pups are trained by a few months old, some are trained by 8 months, some a year, but unless it was longer than that, I wouldn't worry if you're using the above method and avoiding inside wees. Crate training might help things along.


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## Colliepoodle (Oct 20, 2008)

It takes as long as it takes, really. Some people wouldn't really consider a dog fully housetrained until it has been reliably clean for a good few months.

I still maintain that the best thing you can do is teach them to wee on command and it's so simple - just watch them like a hawk whenever they are outside, and when they wee, say "weewees" (or whatever) over and over, while they're going. Then you avoid the situation of being outside, fairly sure they need a wee, but them not going, and then possibly making a mistake in the house.

You need to make sure that you are outside, in the right place, EVERY time they need to go. People underestimate just how many times you need to take them out, to start with.

On waking.
After feeding.
After play.
After a drink.
After a training session.
When the adverts are on.

The more times you happen to be in the right place when nature pings that bladder, the quicker they learn


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## Colliepoodle (Oct 20, 2008)

My younger girl is clean as a clean thing but she never asks to go out. She will stand by the back door but never whimpers or anything. Sometimes I get that feeling of being watched, turn round from the PC and she's standing there, staring at my back, willing me to let her out 


ETA the exception, like Jackson says, is during the night. She will bark to get me downstairs to let her out. The other night she woke me up at 3am, when I'd been throwing my guts up (bad Chinese), and I was convinced she wanted a wee but she scooted straight to the corner of the kitchen..... to chase and eat the smallest spider I've ever known her take an interest in. It had obviously been taunting her for some time and she couldn't wait until morning.... hearing her crunch it up did nothing for my nausea, let me tell you.


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## missyme (May 28, 2008)

harley is getting there slowly he's almost 5 months he pee's outside everytime but his poo's are a hit or a miss he cries sometimes and not other times hopefully wont be too much longer. his accidents are getting less and less


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## BunBon (Oct 30, 2008)

Hi,

I have a beagle - he is 2 1/2 and he is fully house trained... eventually! We had him from a puppy and at 6 months he still had 'accidents' in the house. We were patient, persistent and consistent - but a beagle is just one of those breeds that is slower to house train than others (definitely waay slower than our previous dogs)

The following guide is pretty useful, especially for a beagle, and has a schedule you can try: house training guide - our beagle - and his mother as well - never barks when he needs the toilet. He will scratch at the door - but it took ages for him to do that. before he used to just sit and look at the door if he needed to go out - all very well if someone is watching, but no use at all if you are in the other room! The best way we found was to be proactive and stick to a schedule.

Its pretty annoying to be cleaning up messes indoors at 6 or 7 months old - but beagles are such wonderful dogs it more than makes up for it!


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## finoni9 (Sep 5, 2008)

Our 19 week old is now going several hours inbetween going to the toilet and we haven't had any accidents in about 3 weeks - yipee! but he never tells us when he wants to go out we just take him out regularly.

We also kept him in our sight ALL the time and continually watching for signs he may need to go out!


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