Everything You Need to Know About Potty Training Your Puppy!
Potty training! It can often feel like the bane of your existence. Impossible, frustrating, and downright exhausting. But… there’s hope! With the right approach and a little patience, you can get your puppy on the right track. And remember, truly great companions are taught, not born (although temperament and genetics do play a role). Puppies are learning all the time—whether it’s something good or bad is entirely up to you!
Step 1: Rule Out Medical Issues
Before diving into training, if your puppy is peeing frequently, drinking a lot of water, or their urine has a strong odor, it's worth having them checked for a UTI or other medical issues. Potty problems often have underlying health causes, and no amount of training will fix a medical issue. Always rule out health concerns first.
Step 2: Stop Giving Your Puppy Too Much Freedom
“I’ve had them checked, they don’t have a UTI, they’re just mad at me for being at work!”
Slow down—probably not! The issue is likely miscommunication. One of the most common potty training mistakes is giving your puppy too much freedom too soon. Puppies should not be allowed to roam free in the house unsupervised, especially in the early stages of training.
Supervision is Key: If you can’t supervise your puppy 100% of the time, crate them. A crate isn’t mean—it’s one of the best tools you have for teaching good behavior and helping with potty training. Your puppy needs to earn the privilege of free-roaming, and that takes time. Remember, no puppy is perfect right away!
The Crate Is Your Friend: I recommend crating puppies consistently until they’re at least 12-18 months old. It prevents destructive behavior, helps them “hold it” longer, and keeps your sanity intact. A properly sized crate is crucial. They should be able to stand up, turn around, and lie down. A crate that's too big could actually set back potty training, as puppies might decide to use one side as a bathroom area and the other side as a sleeping area.
Pro Tip: No bedding in the crate at first. Puppies will often pee on a blanket or bed, then scoot it away, and that’s not something we want to encourage. Instead, keep the crate simple and clean to avoid any accidental messes.
Step 3: Potty Breaks: How Often, When, and Where
How often should you give potty breaks?
If your puppy is very young (especially if they’re small), they may need frequent potty breaks—sometimes every 1-2 hours, including during the night.
Set Alarms: If you work during the day, consider setting alarms to remind you when it’s time for a potty break. Alternatively, you can arrange for a friend, family member, or dog walker to help let them out during the day.
Worst-Case Scenario: If you can’t get your puppy out as often as needed, you can create a potty area in their crate or gated area—but not using potty pads!
Step 4: The Right Way to Reward Your Puppy
Here’s the secret to successful potty training: timing is EVERYTHING.
Timing Is Everything: As soon as your puppy finishes pottying outside, praise them and give them a treat immediately. Not when they come back inside, not when you get to the door—right when they’re done peeing or pooping.
Why Timing Matters: In dog training, you have about 1.3 seconds to reward or correct a behavior for the dog to associate the consequence with the action. If you wait until your puppy comes back inside, they won’t link the reward to going potty outside. You’re actually reinforcing the wrong behavior if you reward them too late.
Step 5: Avoid Potty Pads Like the Plague
I can’t stress this enough: Potty pads are the worst thing you can do for potty training. Even for small dogs. Training your dog to use a potty pad often leads to them pottying on rugs, carpets, and anywhere else that resembles a “pad.” Not ideal!
If you absolutely must have a potty area in your home (e.g., you’re gone for long periods of time), consider using real sod. Here’s how:
Use a crate tray (or small kiddie pool) to set up a small patch of real grass. You can put potty pads underneath the sod to catch the mess, but make sure your puppy still knows that this is their potty space.
Keep it Small at First: The rest area in the crate should only be large enough for your puppy to fit comfortably. This will encourage them to use the potty area and not make a mess in their resting space.
Over time, you can increase the size of the rest area as your puppy gets more comfortable with the setup. But remember—always pair this with a solid potty schedule. One day, you’ll take the potty area away and your dog will need to know where to go and what to do.
Step 6: Consistency is Key
The best way to potty train your dog is by maintaining a consistent routine: Crate time > Potty break > Play time > Repeat.
This predictable schedule will help your puppy understand what’s expected and when. No training method is one-size-fits-all, but this routine has worked for hundreds of dogs.
If You're Struggling, We're Here to Help!
Potty training can be challenging, but it’s entirely doable with the right techniques and plenty of patience. If you’re still having trouble, don’t hesitate to reach out for help! We offer virtual training sessions to guide you through the process, and we’re always happy to support you on your training journey.
-Courtney, Owner and Head Trainer of Bold City K9