The basics of potty training your new pup are straightforward! You are going to need to be patient, understanding, and consistent to be successful.
The Rules of Potty Training Your Dog
Never Punish a Dog for an Accident
If you catch your dog in the act, take your dog outside where they are supposed to potty. Punishing the dog can lead to them being afraid to potty in front of you, which can make proper potty training more difficult and make your dog find new and creative ways to hide where they go bathroom!
Establish the Potty Area
Whether it’s on an indoor potty pad, patio, or backyard, you want to bring them to the same area each time while working on potty training. As they get better and more reliable, you can start widening that area if desired.
Keep Your Dog on a Consistent Schedule
Your dog should go outside first thing in the morning, after each meal or any time they drink a lot of water, and then every four to six hours in-between meals. Feed your dog on a schedule and then remove the food after giving them enough time to eat (like 30 minutes). During training, we want to have a good idea of when they need to go!
If you can leash your dog when going outside to potty, this will help make it clearer that you’re going out to go potty instead of just to hang out or to play. It is important that you go with your dog and make sure they go potty. You’ll want to give them time to sniff and walk around, too. They should not be able to freely roam around the house if they have not gone potty.
Reward with Verbal Praise, Pets, or Treats
Each time your dog goes bathroom where they are supposed to go, say “GOOD POTTY!” give them lots of happy, verbal praise, and/or treats. As they get better and more reliable, you can reduce the treats and solely give verbal praise and pets.
How to Create a Potty Routine + Potty Schedule
The younger your dog, the more often they will need to go out to potty—they just can’t physically hold it for very long. The rule of thumb for puppies is how many months old they are, plus an hour. For example, a two-month old puppy can hold it for about three hours.
PUPPIES WHO ARE NOT FULLY VACCINATED CANNOT PUT PAWS DOWN ON THE GROUNDS OF SHARED OR PUBLIC SPACES. Adopters/fosters should use a grass or turf patch, puppy pee pads, etc. on a private patio or by the door until they’re able to go outside, if they do not have access to a private backyard.
Take your puppy out to potty after:
- They wake up from a nap
- They are let out of the crate
- They have a meal
- They drink more than a sip or two of water
- 5 to 10 minutes of playing (increase time as puppy ages and/or improves bladder control)
If you can take them through the same door and to the same area, this is an easy way to reinforce the desired behavior.
Signs of a Dog Needing to Potty
As your puppy gets better at holding their bladder and understanding where to go, they will typically start to SHOW you signs that they need to go outside to potty.
- Disengaging from play
- Squirming or whining when being held
- Starting to sniff the floor or circling an area
- Going to a door (they may even paw at it!)
- Whining/barking (particularly in the crate)
How to Clean Up After Puppy or Dog Potties Inside
You will need to thoroughly clean-up after any potty mistake your pup makes in your home. The less it smells like urine, the better. Enzyme-based cleaners tend to do the best job at breaking down any lingering smells and lifting the stain.
You’ll want to:
- Use a paper or reusable towel to gently blot any excess liquid on soft surfaces or wipe up on hard surfaces
- Spray an enzyme-based cleaner on the area; follow directions on the cleaner’s label for how much and how long to leave it on the surface
- Gently blot up remaining excess liquid or to remove cleaner
- Let thoroughly dry (I like to put a paper towel on top so I remember where it was!)
