German shepherds are fast learners, and they aim to please. Housetraining usually goes very quickly, but your dog is bound to make mistakes along the way. To protect your floors and carpets, you need to be prepared for the worst. This means having several different cleaning products, as well as rags and paper towels on hand at all times.

When you find stool on a carpet, first remove as much of the solid matter as possible. Blot up any liquids with an absorbent paper towel. Then use a pet cleaner specifically designed for carpeting, following the directions carefully. For urine, blot up as much as possible from the carpet with paper towels, continuing until you can get no more liquid to appear on the towels. Then clean with a pet cleaner made to break down the chemical components of urine so that the spot no longer smells. Again, follow the directions on the package.

With both kinds of accidents, the sooner you can clean it up, the better chance you have of neutralizing the smell and removing any stain. If accidents happen during training, do not punish the dog. As mentioned before, punishing bad behavior is not nearly as effective as ignoring it and rewarding good behavior. Just do your best to clean up accidents, and continue training your dog with patience and understanding.