First, I want to say congratulations on your new puppy. Getting a new puppy is very exciting! You may be waiting to bring your puppy home or you just brought your pup home and wondering if you can potty train an 8-week old puppy.
Yes! You can potty train an 8-week-old puppy. In fact, potty training should be started the moment you bring your puppy home.
Let’s talk everything potty training for an 8-week old puppy so you can have an easy potty training experience for you and your puppy.
How do you potty train an eight week old puppy?
There are a few ways that you can potty train an eight week old puppy and they are as follows:
- Litter Box
- Puppy Pad
- Crate Train
- Go Outside
With that said the best way to train a puppy depends on your needs.
If you are looking to potty train your puppy indoors I highly recommend litter box training over puppy pad training. It is more cost-efficient and eco-friendly.
RELATED====> How to Litter Box Train a Puppy
Should I Use Pee Pads in my Puppy’s Crate?
If not, start training your puppy to go potty outside from day 1. You can crate train if you are unable to keep eyes on your puppy at all times.
RELATED====> Potty Train a Puppy FAST and EASY!
How to Potty Train a Dog with a Bell in 7 Days or Less.
How Long Does it Take to Potty Train an 8 Week Old Puppy?
The key to successfully potty training a puppy are as follows:
- Be consistent and Follow a Routine.
- Create a Puppy Potty Schedule.
- Positive Reinforcement.
- Patience.
Be consistent and follow a routine!
With consistency and following a routine, you can have you puppy potty trained in 2 weeks or less.
Some puppies will get it quicker than others. While some puppies can be potty trained in as little as 2 weeks, some can take several months.
A great way to be consistent and follow a routine is by creating a schedule.
Create a Puppy Potty Schedule.
It is important to create a schedule that you can use to potty train your puppy. This helps keep you consistent which is important to potty training success. It also teaches your puppy to learn good habits from the start and gets your puppy into a routine. Routines are VERY important for puppies.
PRO TIP: Set a timer on your phone!
RELATED====> What is a Good Puppy Potty Schedule for a Puppy? (+FREE Worksheet!)
Positive Reinforcement
When your puppy goes potty in his potty area… reward, reward, reward!
As soon as your puppy goes potty always mark it with a yes. This teaches your puppy that what he is doing is correct and what you want.
RELATED====> How to Teach your Puppy to Potty on Command!
After you mark with a yes, you can give your puppy a treat or you can praise your puppy by saying good boy or good girl and petting them. Do the potty dance!
Either way ensure you are always keeping the experience positive for your puppy.
Patience.
This can be a hard one. It is very easy to get aggravated or upset when your puppy has an accident.
The fact of the matter is that accidents happen. Just like they do when you potty train a toddler.
It is super important to be patient with your puppy…. Always!
What to do When your Puppy has an Accident?
When your puppy has an accident do not punish or scold him.
If you catch your puppy in action you can clap your hands or quickly pick up your puppy and take him to his potty area immediately.
Do not rub your puppies nose in the pee. This does not teach your puppy anything.
Yelling or rubbing your puppy’s nose in pee can cause your puppy to be scared of you and it can cause you to lose any progress you have had in potty training your pup.
If your puppy has an accident clean it up with an enzyme-based pet cleaner to prevent further accidents from your puppy smelling where he previously soiled.
Do 8 Week old Puppies Have Bladder Control?
No, eight week old puppies do not have control over their bladders which is why accidents happen.
Puppies bladder muscles and sphincter control are still developing. Think of a puppy like a baby. Babies don’t have control over their bladders yet either hence babies need to wear diapers.
Puppies do have a little more control over their bladders than babies, they can control their bladder for short… very short periods of time.
How long can a puppy hold it?
A puppy can hold it an hour for every month of age. So an 8-week old puppy can hold it for 2 hours.
As your puppy grows they will be able to hold their pee longer and their bladders will strengthen.
With that said, there are others times a puppy will need to go potty.
How long can an 8 Week old puppy hold pee at night?
Young puppies can hold their pee a little bit longer at night because they are sleeping. A puppy can typically hold their pee a couple hours longer than they can during the day.
An 8-week-old puppy can typically hold their pee for 4 hours at night. This means you will need to take your puppy out at least twice a night.
Should I Wake my 8 Week Old Puppy up to Pee at Night?
Yes, you should wake your puppy up at night to go potty.
When you first bring your 8-week-old puppy home he will whine at night because he doesn’t have his mom or litter mates.
After the first few night as your puppy adjusts he will learn to sleep through the night.
When to take your puppy potty?
- When your pup wakes up in the morning.
- 10-30 minutes after your puppy eats or drinks water.
- After play time.
- After nap time.
- Before bed time.
Taking your puppy out frequently (at least every 2 hours and as I mentioned above) will prevent accidents and train your puppy where to go potty (outside).
Conclusion.
You can and should potty train an 8-week-old puppy. Puppies have small bladders and will need to be taken out frequently. When training such a young puppy you need to be consistent in your training method, establish and follow a routine, be patient, and use positive reinforcement. Do this and you can potty train your puppy in as little as 2 weeks.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can an 8 week old puppy potty outside?
Absolutely, a puppy can go potty outside but they won't do it on their own. You will need to establish a potty routine and take you puppy outside to prevent accidents.Â
Should I carry my puppy out to pee?
No, don't carry your puppy out to pee. Instead walk your puppy to the door and then walk your puppy out to their potty area. You will want to leash your puppy out to potty.Â
Only carry your puppy out, if you stop your puppy in the middle of an accident. Once your puppy finishes going potty outside, praise them.Â
How often do 8 week old puppies pee at night?
An 8 week old puppy can typically hold their pee for 4 hours at night, so your puppy will need to be taken out to pee 2 times or every 4 hours depending on your sleeping schedule. Â