Potty Training Your Puppy

Potty training is much easier when you anticipate when your puppy needs to go rather than waiting for your puppy to tell you.

Young puppies have limited bladder control, and when they're awake and active, things can happen quickly. A predictable routine of potty breaks, meals, play, naps and supervision helps your puppy learn what you expect.

The “Must-Go” Times

Always take your puppy outside:

• Immediately after waking in the morning

• After every nap

• After eating

• After an energetic play or training session

• After drinking a significant amount of water

• Anytime you see signs that your puppy may need to go

Watch for sniffing, circling, suddenly wandering away from you, heading toward another room, or becoming distracted from whatever they were doing. Don't wait to see if you're right — take the puppy outside.

First thing in the morning means first thing. Don't shower, make coffee or start breakfast first. Your puppy has been waiting all night.

Keep Meals Predictable

Feeding at approximately the same times each day makes potty habits more predictable.

Take your puppy out before eating. After the meal, give your puppy a little time, then go outside again—generally within about 15 minutes.

Don't rush that second trip.

Puppies often urinate first and need additional time before having a bowel movement. If you head back inside immediately after the first success, you may be cleaning up the second one on your floor a few minutes later.

Be patient. Give your puppy enough time without turning the potty trip into an exciting play session.

An Example Puppy Schedule

Adjust these times to fit your household. The routine is more important than the exact clock time.

6:00 AM — Wake up, potty, play, breakfast, and water
6:30 AM — Potty, then nap
9:00 AM — Potty, water, play, then nap
12:00 PM — Potty, play, lunch, and water
12:30 PM — Potty, then nap
3:00 PM — Potty, water, play, then nap
6:00 PM — Potty, play, dinner, and water
6:30 PM — Potty, then nap
Bedtime — Final potty trip, perhaps a small drink if needed, and then bed

Very young puppies may need additional potty trips between these scheduled times, particularly when they're awake and active.

A Few Things I Do Differently

Over the years, I've developed a routine that works well for me and for the puppies I raise.

I use an exercise pen for some unsupervised time. It gives the puppy room for toys and a little more freedom while still providing a safe, controlled environment.

I also use a crate at least twice during the day. Crate time isn't only about potty training. I use it to teach puppies to self-soothe, rest, and become comfortable being alone for reasonable periods. Learning how to settle is an important part of raising a calm adult dog.

I feed dinner early. An earlier evening meal gives the puppy time to eat, digest, play, and have several potty opportunities before bedtime. That can help reduce middle-of-the-night potty trips.

I don't rush potty time. If your puppy urinates immediately, don't assume the job is finished. Give them a little more time. That patience can prevent an accident five minutes after you come back inside.

When Accidents Happen

They will.

An accident doesn't mean your puppy is stubborn, naughty, or failing at potty training. Usually it means we missed the puppy's signal, waited a little too long, or gave the puppy more freedom than they were ready to handle.

Clean the area thoroughly with an enzymatic cleaner and move on. Punishing a puppy after an accident doesn't teach them where they should have gone.

Instead, think about when the accident happened. Was it after a nap? Ten minutes after eating? During an energetic play session?

That information helps you anticipate the next one.

Routine + Supervision + Patience

Potty training isn't complicated, but it does require consistency.

Keep your puppy close enough to notice early signals. Use the crate or exercise pen when you can't supervise. Keep meals and potty trips predictable, and give your puppy enough time outside to finish what they went out there to do.

The more successful trips your puppy has outside, the faster the routine becomes a habit.