The Best Tips, Tricks, and Guide on How to Potty Train a Puppy
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There are lots of ways to describe a puppy—adorably cute, irresistibly cuddly, sweet enough to melt your heart—but “easy” isn’t always one of them! Young dogs require a lot of time, energy, and attention, particularly when it comes to how to potty train a puppy. If you’re new to dog training or thinking about adding a furry four-legged family member to your home, we’re here to help make the process seamless. That way, you can enjoy the fun part, like giving them plenty of treats, taking pictures of them curling up on their puppy bed, and finding them the perfect dog collar.
Curious about potty training a puppy with puppy pads? Not sure how to potty train a puppy in an apartment? We consulted with JoAnne Basinger, a highly experienced dog trainer at Andrea Arden Dog Training in New York City, to bring you a step-by-step instructions for how to house train a puppy, along with tips, tricks, and answers to your most frequently asked questions.
Remember that potty training is a process, so don’t get discouraged if you see setbacks or accidents. Your hard work will pay off in the end, we promise!
Potty Training Essentials
How to Potty Train a Puppy
1. Establish a Schedule
To begin the potty training process, first establish a routine. In the beginning, we recommend taking your pup out as soon as they wake up, after every meal, after naps, after play times, and before bed. For a 2-month-old dog, that could mean bathroom breaks every two hours; older dogs can go longer between walks.
2. Repeat Your Route
Be consistent with where you walk your dog. Taking them to the same area over and over again helps them associate doing their business with one particular spot. Sometimes a cue phrase, like “go here” or “go potty” can help with their routine, too.
3. Reward Good Behavior ASAP
To make sure your dog knows that they’re doing the right thing, reward their behavior as soon as possible with praise and/or treats. You want them to associate their action with your positive reinforcement.
4. Watch Them Inside
To mitigate the chances of an accident, don’t let your new puppy wander around your home unsupervised. Keeping them on a leash inside can help them learn limits. Just be sure that they’re safely secured and always supervised.
5. Be Aware of Their Signals
If your dog abruptly stops playing or starts circling, whining, or pawing at the door, they’re likely telling you that they need to go out. Potty training bells are a great tool to help your furry friend communicate their needs.
6. Use a Crate When Needed
To prevent your dog from getting hurt, destroying your things, eating what they shouldn’t, and having unchecked accidents, keep them in the crate when you’re not home, or during the night.
7. Use Puppy Pee Pads When Needed
Puppy pee pads can come in handy if you can’t take your puppy out every time they need to go. When it’s potty time, bring them to the pad, and praise them when they do the right thing.
8. Clean Up Messes Properly
Accidents are definitely going to happen, so be prepared to do some extra cleaning until your pup is potty trained. Make sure you have an enzymatic cleaner on hand. It’s safe for pets to be around, and it will remove the smell so your puppy doesn’t think they should go there again.
9. Consult a Vet When Necessary
If you notice that your dog has trouble going potty, only urinates a tiny bit at a time, has diarrhea or abnormal stool, or can’t control their bladder, it could be a sign of an infection or another health problem. Schedule an appointment with a veterinarian to get your little buddy checked out and feeling better.
How Long does It Take to Potty Train a Puppy?
Potty training can take anywhere from a couple of months to a year. “How long it takes is dependent on the puppy’s age when training starts, past experiences, and your consistency and diligence,” says Basinger. Remember, your pup not only needs to understand where it’s okay to go, but also how to control their bladder and bowels until it’s outside, so be patient.
Don’t be discouraged by setbacks along the way. Basinger says, “Progress tends to ebb and flow with periods of rapid improvement followed by plateaus or even setbacks. That’s a normal part of the learning process, not a sign that training isn’t working.” Training is generally considered complete when your dog goes two months without an accident.
How Often Does a Puppy Need to Go?
As a general rule of thumb, the age of your pup in months is a good benchmark for the number of hours they can hold their bladders. A three-month-old dog, for example, can go roughly three hours between potty breaks. That said, these milestones can vary from breed to breed and dog to dog. Pay attention and take notes in the beginning if need be. You’ll get a sense of their specific needs soon.
Should I Potty Train with Puppy Pads?
If your ultimate goal is to have your dog go to the bathroom outside only, try to avoid using puppy pads if possible—they add an extra step to the training process that you’ll have to undo later. That said, in the right circumstances, they’re great to have on-hand. “For those who cannot be at the ready to get their pup to their outdoor potty area, can’t handle waking during the night to give their pup potty breaks, or have strict advice from their veterinarian not to bring their puppy outside yet, pads are a helpful option,” explains Basinger. Pads can be particularly useful in an apartment, where outdoor space isn’t immediately accessible.
How to Create a Routine
Keeping a consistent schedule of when and where you walk your dog, as well as when and what you feed them, is immensely helpful in creating a successful training routine. Basinger suggests drafting an age-appropriate schedule for walks and meals that you can adjust as your pup progresses. “As your puppy matures, they will begin to develop some bladder and bowel control, need to eliminate less frequently, and have developed a preference for going in the right place due to your diligent supervision and management,” she says.
While a routine is extremely important in potty training, being flexible about that routine is crucial, too. “Young puppies need to go immediately after waking up or playing, and about 30 to 60 minutes after eating or drinking,” she adds. “Basically, they need to go a lot!”
Signs to Keep an Eye Out For
To prevent accidents, pay attention to your dog’s signals that they need to go. They might start circling repeatedly, bark or whine, pace, stand by the door, suddenly stop playing, or sniff the floor. The sooner you recognize these behaviors, the easier it becomes to avoid them doing their business inside. Pet bells on the door are another great way for your dog to learn to clearly let you know that they need a potty break.
Expert Dos and Don’ts
Do always take your puppy out to relieve themselves immediately after they wake up and after they’ve been playing. “A good general pattern to follow is wake, potty, aerobic play, non-aerobic play, sleep, wake, potty, aerobic play, non-aerobic play, sleep—repeat,” Basinger shares.
Don’t let your puppy roam free throughout the house without supervision. Basinger says, “A puppy should be kept on leash to reduce its freedom to prevent accidents of all sorts in the home.”
Do immediately reward successes with treats and encouragement. You want your dog to associate this positive feedback with the fact that they did their business properly.
Don’t punish your pup for having accidents. “Use this as your reminder that you should have been supervising your puppy, restricting your pup’s freedom, and setting them up better for success,” says Basinger.
Do stay consistent with feeding times, potty schedules, and walking routes.
Don’t keep your puppy in the crate longer than they can hold their bladder and bowels. “Once you have a better sense of your pup’s needs, you will have a clearer idea of how long they can be in the crate,” Basinger explains. “We want to avoid any accidents in the crate so that this environment will remain a great assistant in our potty training efforts.”
Do monitor food and water intake to learn how it corresponds to when your puppy will need a potty break.
Expert-Backed Tips
Some additional tips direct from our expert, JoAnne Basinger, dog trainer at Andrea Arden Dog Training in New York City:
- It is kinder and more effective to give your pup less freedom to start in order to reduce their chances of making mistakes. Practice makes perfect, so make sure your puppy is practicing eliminating in the right place, rather than in the wrong ones!
- It’s helpful to use a leash indoors. It only takes a few seconds for your pup to get into trouble, and the leash helps your pup avoid problematic behavior now so he can enjoy more freedom later.
- Do not yell, hit, or punish your puppy in any way for having an accident in front of you. “This can cause a puppy to feel unsafe going potty in front of you, making training outdoors on leash extremely challenging,” shares Basinger. “Instead, use your management tools to prevent accidents (crate, pen, leash), and reward your puppy with praise, love, and treats for going in the right place.”
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Amy Gordon
Amy Gordon is a freelance writer and editor who splits her time between New York, NY and Vieques, PR. When she’s not at her desk, you’ll probably find her on a plane with her nose in a book, in the Caribbean snorkeling through coral reefs, or on the couch watching true crime TV. Learn more and read her work at www.amygordonmedia.com.
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