Training Problem Finder: Two Questions, One Plan
Tell us your dog's stage and what you're working on. You'll get the cognitive reason the problem happens, a practice routine you can run today, and the guides and games that actually apply.
1Which stage is your dog in?
2What are you working on?
Your plan
Puppy potty training: run the clock, not the guesswork
Young puppies have almost no bladder control and give few reliable signals. House training at this stage is a memory task about place and routine, not an obedience task — you're building an association before the dog can hold it.
Lead dimension: Memory
Routine: The 45-minute loop
Every waking 45 minutes, plus after sleep, food, and play
- Carry or lead the puppy to one fixed outdoor spot using the same door every time.
- Stand still and quiet for up to three minutes — no play, no talking.
- Mark the moment elimination starts with a soft word, then pay with food within two seconds of finishing.
- Stay outside for two more minutes so going outside doesn't end the fun.
- If nothing happens, go back in, confine or supervise directly for ten minutes, then repeat.
Know when to progress: Seven consecutive accident-free days before expanding house freedom by one room.
Read next
Games that support this routine
Train the dog in front of you
These routines assume a typical profile. Dognition's assessment shows where your dog actually sits across the five cognitive dimensions, so you can pick the method that lands first time.
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