You stood in the yard for fifteen minutes. Nothing happened. You walked back in, and she squatted on the rug before you got your shoes off. Almost every new puppy home goes through this, and it usually means the routine needs a small change, not that the puppy is being stubborn.

Puppies get distracted outside. New smells, a passing car or a leaf can all beat the urge to go. Once she's back in the quiet house, her body remembers.

What helps:

- Take her to the same spot every time, on a leash, so the trip is about potty and not play.

- Stay quiet and boring until she goes. Save the chatting and games for after.

- Reward her the second she finishes, while you're still outside, not after you come back in.

- If she doesn't go within five minutes, bring her in and keep her close, crated or penned for ten minutes, then try again.

- Clean any accident with an enzyme cleaner. Regular soap leaves a smell that draws her back to the same spot.

- Never scold. Puppies who get punished often learn to hide when they go, even outdoors.

Most puppies take months, not days, to become reliable. Small, repeated squats or a sudden change in habits are worth a call to your vet, since a urinary infection can look like a training problem.

If you want the whole routine in one place, including workdays, apartments and rainy weeks, this step-by-step guide on how to potty train a puppy from Love My Puppy covers it.