You may find housetraining a dog a rather frustrating endeavor, especially if your dog is not learning as fast as you expected. You dog is having accidents in the house. It is very important how you handle this issue. You should avoid punishing you dog for the accidents for various reasons.
Puppies are not able to control their bladders for too long
A puppy can only control his bladder for one hour for every month of age. Thus, a 2-month old puppy can only control his bladder for about two hours.
It may not be the dog’s fault
If you left the dog alone in the house for longer than he is able to control his bladder, you should not punish him for something he is not able to control.
Your dog might not connect the punishment with the unacceptable behavior
If your dog has an accident in the house, it is likely that you will discover it way after it has occurred. Punishing your dog will not make sense to him unless it immediately follows the behavior itself.
Your may confuse your dog
If you start pushing your dog for having accidents in the house, he may not understand why he is being punished. He may, therefore, start to become nervous around you.
Frequent punishments could induce fear
Dogs have a natural desire to please their masters. But if you start to punish your dog repeatedly, he could learn to become afraid or nervous around you.
It could damage your relationship with your dog
If your dog starts to associate having your attention as a bad thing, a precursor to a punishment, he may start to avoid you. This is not a good way to build a positive relationship with your dog.
Punishment does not address the core issue
Punishing your dog for having an accident in the house will not dissuade him from doing it again. Instead, teach your dog where is the appropriate place to do his business. And give him ample opportunities to do so by taking him outside frequently.
Punishment is not an effective training method
Studies have shown that dogs learn more quickly with positive reinforcements rather than punishments. If you reward your dog for good behaviors rather than punishing him for negative ones, he is more likely to repeat the good behaviors.
It could be a medical condition
If your dog has already been properly housetrained but starts having accidents in the house, you may want to take him to the vet. This will ensure he does not have a medical condition affecting his ability to control his bladder.
When housetraining your dog, you should expect accidents in the house to happen from time to time. It is important during these times that you do not get mad and punish your dog. Punishment is not effective. And it may do more harm than good.
Click here to learn more from certified dog trainer, Adrienne Farricelli. 
