Housebreaking Your Lagotto: A Survival Guide for Your Floors

Your Lagotto Romagnolo is one of the smartest breeds on the planet. They can sniff out truffles buried deep underground. But ask them where the bathroom is? Blank stare. Tail wag. Puddle on the kitchen floor.

Don’t worry — with a little patience, consistency, and a good sense of humor, your curly-coated genius will be housebroken before you know it.

The Golden Rule: Schedule Everything

Puppies are basically tiny, adorable alarm clocks that go off at very predictable times. Here’s when you need to get them outside:

Right after waking up (from naps AND morning sleep — yes, every single nap)
About 15 minutes after eating (what goes in must come out)
Right before bedtime
Every 30 minutes when awake at 9 weeks old

Here’s the good news: you can add about 5 minutes to that interval for every week your puppy ages. So by 12 weeks, you’re looking at roughly 45 minutes between potty breaks. Progress!

Pick a Spot and Stick With It

Use the same door every time. Walk to the same spot in the yard. Your Lagotto is building a mental map: this door = outside time = potty place. The more predictable you make it, the faster they connect the dots.

Once you’re at the spot, walk slowly in a small area. Movement helps get things moving (if you know what we mean). No need for a grand tour of the neighborhood — save that for after the mission is accomplished.

The Two-Squat Rule

Here’s a pro tip that will save your rugs: don’t go inside after the first squat. Wait for the second one.

Puppies get distracted. A bird! A leaf! The wind! They’ll start doing their business, get sidetracked, and then finish the job on your living room carpet five minutes later. Stay outside until you see squat number two, and you’ll avoid a lot of indoor surprises.

Throw a Party (Seriously)

When your puppy does their business in the right spot, act like they just won the World Cup. Praise them. Pet them. Tell them they’re the best dog in the history of dogs. Use a consistent phrase like “Good job!” or “Yes!” so they learn to associate the action with the reward.

Some people offer treats too — and honestly, if a tiny biscuit speeds up the housebreaking process, that’s a solid investment.

Manage the Indoor Space

A brand-new puppy should not have free rein of your entire house. That’s not a puppy — that’s a tiny accident machine with a running start.

Start with one or two rooms. As your Lagotto proves they can be trusted (a few weeks without accidents in the current zone), gradually expand their territory. Think of it like unlocking levels in a video game.

When you can’t actively watch them — and we mean actively, eyes-on-puppy watch — pop them in a crate. Dogs naturally avoid soiling their sleeping space, so a properly sized crate is your best friend during housebreaking.

For older puppies (3+ months) who are still having the occasional “oops,” try keeping them on a leash indoors. It sounds funny, but it keeps them close enough that you can read the warning signs — the sniffing, the circling, the sudden look of concentration.

When Accidents Happen (And They Will)

No drama. No scolding. Clean it up and move on.

What matters is getting the smell out completely, because if your puppy can still smell a previous accident, they’ll think that spot is an approved bathroom. Mix up 1 part vinegar to 3 parts water in a spray bottle, soak the area, and blot it dry. Enzymatic cleaners from the pet store work great too.

Your nose might not detect anything, but your Lagotto’s nose is roughly a thousand times better than yours. Clean thoroughly.

The Bottom Line

Housebreaking a Lagotto Romagnolo isn’t complicated — it’s just repetitive. Same schedule, same spot, same praise, same patience. Your puppy wants to get this right. They just need you to show them how.

And remember: every accident is not a failure. It’s just your puppy reminding you that they’re still learning. Give it a few weeks of consistency, and you’ll both forget this phase ever happened.

Well, mostly.