My Golden Retriever is three months old. He urinates more than 20-30 times a day, sometimes white in colour and sometimes yellow. He does poop four times or more and its colour is golden and black mixed especially blackish brown. How can we train him to urinate at one place?

Young puppies will inevitably have ‘accidents’. It is important to ignore these, and to clean up well so that the smell does not linger, as this may encourage him to repeat the performance on the same spot. Do clean soiled inside areas with enzymatic cleaners. Here are some basic tips to stop him soiling your house. When inside, closely supervise your dog. If can’t be with him, confine him to a small area or exercise pen during house training. Continue this until he has gone at least 4-8 weeks without any accidents. Always accompany him outside to eliminate. Take him out frequently, especially after eating, sleeping and play activities. Immediately reward outdoor elimination with praise and treats. Do it as soon as he has finished. (If you wait until back inside, he will think the reward is for coming back inside). Consider keeping a jar of treats near the door as a reminder to take a few on your way outside. If you catch him eliminating inside, startle him with a loud noise and immediately take him outside to finish eliminating. Then, once again, reward your dog immediately. Don’t punish when he slips up. This is rarely effective. Instead, reward good behaviour. Seriously consider puppy and obedience classes.

Question by – Aroonita Kapur, Siliguri