There is nothing all that complicated about housebreaking a puppy, but the job is time consuming. The speed with which puppies pick this up depends on two factors: their physical development, and the predictability of their potty schedule. Just like human children, puppies need to develop the muscles necessary to “hold it,” and they have to learn to “go” in the appropriate places.

Ignore your friends and neighbors who claim their dog was housebroken in a week. No puppy is physically capable of developing that quickly. These dog owners have learned to read their puppies' “gotta go” signals and have them on a very consistent schedule. The humans here deserve the credit for learning what they need to do to teach their dogs, but the dogs will not be reliably housebroken for at least the first year. This doesn't mean they will have accidents every day, but it does mean they will have occasional relapses. Until he's about a year old, your Golden will need his humans to be predictable and vigilant about taking him out.

Keep a Schedule

The easiest way to housebreak your Golden is to put him on a predictable schedule and keep track of it. A simple yet effective means of doing this is to keep a chart on the refrigerator with the time the puppy went out and what he did. Young puppies between seven and twelve weeks of age should go out every hour, after every meal, after coming out of the crate, and after playing. Everyone in the family should help keep track of this, and if there are accidents, those should also be written on the chart. After a few weeks of keeping track like this, it will be obvious when you look at your chart what your puppy is ready for. From looking at the mistakes and successes, you will be able to tell when in the day your Golden puppy needs more walks, when he is ready to go a little longer between breaks, and when he has earned a little more freedom.

Choose One Spot

To start, you should choose one spot in the yard for potty breaks. Have your puppy on a leash each time you take him there. Give him at most one to two minutes to do his business; if he goes, he can have some freedom inside or out. If he doesn't go, he should stay with you on a leash or go back in his crate (if you can't watch him) for ten to twenty minutes before you try again. The rule here is no freedom until he's had a successful potty break. After a week or so of this routine, most pups really catch on, and you can start to extend the time between breaks to two hours or more at a time.

Potty on Command

Teaching your Golden to go to the bathroom on command is simple to accomplish. Be sure in these early weeks to take him out on leash and say your potty command just before he goes. Dogs need to hear words many times before they associate them with actions, so be patient — this could take a while. You can call each function by a different name if you'd like. This will make it easier to be sure your dog is completely empty before giving him freedom in the house. Some common phrases to consider are “go to it,” “hurry up,” “get busy,” and “go now.” Whatever command you choose should be said right before the dog begins to go.

Be sure you label the functions so that even in inclement weather or while on vacation you can get your dog to go quickly. By sticking to one spot in the yard you are helping your puppy learn why he is outside, and leaving his scent in one area continually will help him use that one spot for his potty needs instead of the whole yard.

A three-month-old male Golden puppy.

Middle-of-the-Night Potty Trips

The first few weeks, you will have to get up in the middle of the night to let your puppy out to potty. Do this with him on a leash, and make it as quick and businesslike as possible. The lesson you are hoping to convey is that it's no fun to get up in the middle of the night and go outside in the cold. Put your puppy right back in his crate after he does his business — no drink, no cuddling, no playtime. Puppy goes straight back to his crate, you cover it, and it's back to bed for everyone.

Your puppy needs you to adjust your schedule to his, but as he approaches adulthood, you can begin adjusting him to yours. One example of this is delaying the speed with which you get him out in the morning so that he is gradually getting up later instead of at the crack of dawn.

Cleaning Up Accidents

Keep track of accidents on your chart to see if there is a predictable pattern. If you find that your Golden pup poops at noon every day, chances are he needs another walk added in around that time.

Cleaning up accidents thoroughly is essential to helping your dog stay on track. When your puppy has to go, he will be attracted to any spots on the carpet or floor that smell like he has gone there before. The odor of a previous accident may attract your puppy back to the same spot if he has to go again. Cleaning up thoroughly after each incident is crucial to house-breaking progress.

If the accident is on carpeting, blot up urine and/or pick up the poop with paper towels. Pour a glass of plain water over the spot, and blot until the color is clear. You can then use a spray-on carpet cleaner and a scrub brush to clean the spot. On tile or linoleum simply wipe up, and use a spray-on solution.

You can also buy specially formulated products designed to break down the enzymes in these stains. As a result, your dog will not be able to scent the mess he left behind, and he will be much less likely to choose that spot again. These products are easy to find at pet supply stores or through catalogs.