9 Simple Steps To Potty Train Your Puppy
If you want to potty train your dog, you must be consistent and diligent. While indoors, they must be supervised at all times to ensure you catch accidents before they happen.
Potty training your new puppy might be one of the less fun aspects of being a new dog owner, but it’s one of the most important. There’s nothing worse than your lovely home being covered with dog poop and pee!
In this article, I’m going to walk you through 9 simple steps to potty train your dog fast. Follow each step and I guarantee your puppy will be housebroken in no time. Just don’t forget that the most important rule of all is: consistency. Consistency with supervision, toilet breaks, and praise.
Let’s go!
Key Takeaways
- Establish a consistent schedule for toilet breaks to reinforce positive habits
- Provide lots of opportunities for your dog to relieve themselves outdoors, especially after meals, naps and playtime
- Consider crate training as a helpful tool in potty training, ensuring it remains a positive space for your puppy
- Always supervise your dog while potty training—this will help speed up the process
Potty Training: A Step-By-Step Guide for New Dog Owners
Here’s the 9-step process to get your dog potty trained in no time!
1. Prepare Your Home
Before bringing your puppy home, puppy-proof your living space. Remove any hazards such as toxic plants, electrical cords, and small objects that could be swallowed.
2. Create A Safe Space
Set up a designated area where your puppy can feel safe and comfortable. This could be a crate or a cozy corner with a bed and toys.
3. Use Crate Training
Speaking of crates, these are a fantastic way to teach your puppy to hold his bladder. That’s because your puppy will want to avoid soiling where they sleep. So by confining them to their crate when they’re not under your direct supervision, you’ll reduce the likelihood of accidents.
The crate should be just large enough to stand up, turn around, and lay down in. If you make it too large, they’ll use half as a space to sleep and the other half as a toilet! And don’t worry about your dog feeling claustrophobic. They have what’s called a ‘denning’ instinct, which makes them feel safe and secure in small spaces.
Don’t include bedding or pillows in the crate until you’re certain your puppy won’t soil in there. And make sure that alongside crate training, you give them plenty of opportunities throughout the day to go out for a toilet break. Never leave a puppy in a crate all day.
4. Establish A Routine
All dogs thrive on routine, so start establishing a schedule for feeding, bathroom breaks, playtime, and nap time. Take your puppy outside frequently, immediately after meals, naps, and playtime. Use verbal cues like “go potty” so your puppy learns to associate this with the act of elimination.
By adhering to this structured routine, you provide your puppy with clear expectations and opportunities to learn proper toilet habits.
Here’s a sample schedule while your puppy is still learning:
- 7:00 am: Morning toilet break
- 7:30 am: Breakfast
- 7:40 am: Toilet break (straight after food)
- 11:00 am: Lunch
- 11:10 am: Toilet break (straight after food)
- 12:30 pm: Toilet break
- 2:00 pm: Toilet break
- 3:00 pm: Afternoon playtime
- 3:15 pm: Toilet break (straight after playtime)
- 4:00 pm: Dinner
- 4:10 pm: Toilet break (straight after food)
- 5:00 pm: Toilet break
- 6:00 pm: Toilet break
- 8:00 pm: Final toilet break before bed
In the beginning, you’ll want to give your puppy plenty of opportunities to go to the toilet outside. Anywhere from every 15 minutes to every hour is normal. Stick to these intervals until your puppy is successful for several days in a row. Then, gradually increase the amount of time between intervals.
If you see accidents indoors, go back to more frequent potty breaks and increase supervision when inside the house.
5. Always Supervise Your Puppy
It would be best if you supervised your puppy whenever they’re awake so that you can interrupt inside accidents and reward outside potties. Watch out for signs that they need to use the bathroom. For example, walking around in circles, sniffing the ground, or squatting. As soon as you notice this behavior, take them outside.
If they’ve already started to poop/peep indoors, clap your hands and say ‘ah ah!’ and take them outside as quickly as possible. Then watch them until they’re finished so that you can praise them and give them a treat.
6. Reward Good Behavior
It’s so important to supervise your puppy when outside, so you can see if they’ve gone to the toilet or not. When they do, shower them with praise (say ‘good dog!’ and give them treats) so that they learn that this is good behavior.
Don’t just let them go outside and shut the door because you won’t know if they’ve been to the toilet or not. This will lead to more accidents indoors.
How To Crate Train Your Puppy
If you’re enjoying this article, check out our guide on how to successfully crate train your puppy.
7. Leave Mess Outdoors For A Little While
When your puppy successfully uses the toilet outside, don’t clean up the poop straight away. Leave it there until they’re due for another toilet break.
Dogs like to go to the toilet in the same place, so by leaving their poop there you will encourage them to do the same thing again! After each new poop has been left in that area, you can clean up the previous one.
8. Clean Up Accidents Inside Thoroughly
As I said above, your puppy will want to return to spots where they weed/pooped previously. That’s why it’s really important you thoroughly clean any areas indoors where they’ve had an accident.
If they’ve had an accident on the carpet, you’ll need to use an enzymatic cleaner that’s strong enough to get rid of dog urine. Try Angry Orange Pet Odor Eliminator.
This product can also be used if they’ve had an accident on a hard floor, like tiles or wood. Follow the instructions on the container and make sure you thoroughly clean the area so no trace (or scent) of the wee/poop is left behind.
9. Be Patient & Consistent
The most important step of all when potty training your puppy is to be patient and consistent. Mistakes will be made along the way but that’s okay. That’s normal. As long as you follow the steps above, your dog will soon get the hang of using the toilet outside.
Make sure you stay positive and celebrate the small victories along the way!
6 Top Tips To Speed Up Potty Training
Give Them Lots Of Opportunities To Go To The Toilet
Provide your puppy ample opportunities to relieve themselves in the right area so that they can develop good skills. This involves frequent toilet breaks throughout the day, particularly following meals, naps, and playtime. Offer some allowance for your puppy to take their time while outside. With consistent repetition and praise, they’ll soon get the hang of it.
Feed Your Puppy A Consistent Diet
It is essential to maintain a consistent and balanced diet for your puppy for their overall health. The food you opt for should be tailored to their size and age and of high quality. A regular feeding pattern helps keep their digestive system in check, minimizing incidents of indoor accidents.
Consider Different Textures
Encouraging your puppy to relieve themselves outdoors on a variety of surfaces, including grass, gravel, or pavement, can aid in generalizing their potty training skills. By exposing them to different textures during outdoor outings, you help them associate the act of elimination with various environments.
This broadens their understanding of acceptable toilet locations and reduces accidents indoors. Encourage and praise them when they use different surfaces, reinforcing the desired behavior and strengthening their potty training habits.
Differentiate Between Toilet Time & Playtime
To prevent confusion for your puppy, it’s vital to differentiate between toilet time and playtime. During toilet breaks, keep interactions minimal and focus solely on the task at hand—eliminating.
Reserve playtime for designated periods when your puppy isn’t expected to relieve themselves. Consistency in separating these activities fosters better potty training habits and reduces accidents indoors.
Never Punish Them
If you want to help your puppy become better with toilet training, use positive reinforcement like verbal praise or treats. Never punish or shout at them for having an accident, as this can make them more anxious during the learning phase and slow down progress. By focusing on positive reinforcement, you create a supportive and encouraging environment that motivates your puppy to repeat good habits.
Take Your Time… It’s A Process
Teaching your puppy the right way to potty can be challenging, but with patience and consistency, they’ll get the hang of it. It’s important to mark every small step of progress and stick to your training routine. No need to panic when accidents happen; instead, try to calmly learn from them. By quietly recording progress and providing an encouraging atmosphere, your puppy will soon be fully housetrained.
In Summary
- Consistency is key – Stick to a regular schedule and routine to reinforce good habits.
- Use positive reinforcement – Reward your puppy with praise and treats when they potty outside.
- Supervise indoors – Keep a close eye on your puppy indoors and intervene if you catch them in the act of eliminating indoors.
- Clean accidents thoroughly – Use an enzymatic cleaner to remove traces of urine or feces, discouraging repeat accidents.
- Be patient and persistent – Potty training takes time, so stay committed and consistent in your efforts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Supervise closely indoors and redirect them outside if you catch them in the act. It’s important to be vigilant while they’re still learning. That means keeping them nearby and having one eye on them at all times.
Take you puppy out every hour, and straight after meals, naps, and playtime.
Potty training can take several weeks to months, depending on the individual dog and consistency of training.
