Adding a puppy to your family is a very exciting time but things can get VERY messy VERY quickly without a potty training plan in place.
Potty training a puppy is essential and one of the most important things you will teach your puppy!
Although potty training a puppy can seem like a daunting task, it can be done fast and easily.
So… how do you potty train a puppy fast and easily?
The key to potty training a puppy fast is to choose ONE potty training method and to BE CONSISTENT!
Do this and you can have your puppy potty trained in as little as 7 days! Yes, I said it… 7 DAYS!!
In this guide, I am going to go over the different ways that you can potty train your puppy, as well as give you some tips and answer some common puppy potty training questions!
So, let’s get to it…
What age is best to start potty training a puppy?
Potty training a puppy should be started as soon as you bring your puppy home regardless of what his age is.
Because potty training starts the minute you bring your pup home, it is important to know which potty training method you want to use BEFORE you bring him home AND to make sure you have everything you need for that method at home and in place- ready to go.
Doing this ensures that you begin this process easily, stress-free and helps avoid confusion to the puppy if you change the way you want to potty train you puppy.
Potty Training a Puppy is Like Potty Training a Toddler.
Yes! Potty training a puppy is like potty training a toddler! If you’ve already done this, you know how hair pulling and messy things can get when you aren’t consistent in taking your toddler to the bathroom. (GAG! I remember just throwing away those messy undies!)
Potty training toddlers require a LOT of patience and consistency. The same goes for potty training puppies!
Just as a toddler has accidents, puppies will too.
The fact is that we get busy and can easily lose track of time and we get distracted and turn our heads.
It is VERY important to not yell at your puppy when they have an accident. This can frighten your puppy and make training a lot harder.
What to do if your puppy has an accident?
If your puppy does have an accident, again, do NOT yell! I know that it is frustrating but trust me, yelling will get you nowhere.
Instead, make a noise to distract him, pick him up immediately and take him to his designated potty area. Give your puppy his potty cue i.e ‘go potty’. If he finishes in his potty area, mark the behavior with yes and praise him.
Clean up the soiled area and move on.
How do you know if your puppy needs to poop or pee?
A great way to have fewer accidents is by being able to read the signs that your puppy needs to poop or pee.
7 Signs to know when your Puppy NEEDS to go potty:
- Whining
- Sniffing A LOT
- Circling
- Going to the door and scratching, whining, pawing or staring
- Quick changes in play, activity or behavior
- Licking or sniffing his butt or groin
- Running to the opposite end of the house from where he sleeps
Does Rubbing your dogs nose in pee work?
Would rubbing your toddlers nose in their pee keep them from having accidents? Absolutely not!
Rubbing your puppy’s nose in pee or poop does nothing but causes your puppy to fear you.
This is one of those outdated and ineffective training methods and that causes more harm.
Just don’t do it! If you choose to, you will NOT have a puppy potty trained in as little as 7 days that’s for sure.
RELATED===> Should I Pee on my Dog to Show Dominance?
Puppy Potty Training Methods: 4 Ways to Potty Train a Puppy
- Crate Train
- Litter box Train
- Puppy Pad Train
- Train your puppy to go potty outside`
It is important to choose ONE method, stick with it and BE CONSISTENT! This is KEY to potty training success!
How to Crate Train a Puppy for Potty Training
Crate training a puppy is beneficial for a few reasons. One reason in particular is for potty training your puppy quickly and easily.
Using a crate to potty train your pup allows you to keep an eye on your puppy at all times.
To potty train your puppy using a crate do the following:
- Pick the right size crate.
- Start with putting your puppy in his bedroom (crate) in 10-30 minute increments. When your puppy is out of his crate you NEED to be watching him at all times and limit the area he is allowed to be in i.e. the living room.
- Every time you let your puppy out of the crate, leash your puppy and take him outside to potty immediately.
- Before you go out the door, tell your dog let’s go potty. (This teaches your puppy what to expect before he even goes outside. Eventually when you say let’s go potty, your pup will run to the door.)
- When your puppy potties outside in the designated potty area, mark it with a yes, praise him and give him a treat.
- Go straight back in the house and give your puppy some play time before he goes back to his ‘room’ (crate).
RELATED====> How to Teach your Dog to Potty on Command!
Basically, ANYTIME you can not have your eyes on your puppy he needs to be in his crate. Yes, that includes at night and when you leave the house.
PRO TIP: When choosing a crate for your puppy, you need to choose a size that gives your puppy just enough room to turn around. If you get too big of a crate, your puppy will use the bathroom in it on the opposite side of where he sleeps. Also, NEVER use potty pads in your dog’s crate! This defeats the purpose.
Crate Training Product Checklist:
- Crate
- Puppy treats
- Leash
How to Litter Box Train a Puppy
Yes, dogs can be litter box trained too! Litter box training is great for puppies, small dogs, senior dogs, and for those who live in apartments or high rises. It is actually really easy to litter box train a puppy.
You will need dog litter box. You want one that your pup can easily get in and out of.
For the litter: Do NOT use kitty litter or expensive dog litter that you can get from Chewy or your local pet store. Go to your local feed store or tractor supply and buy pelletized bedding (horse bedding). It is eco friendly and more cost effective. You can get a 40 pound bag for less than $8.
Once you have your litter box ready, do the following:
- You will want to start with a space big enough for your puppy’s bed and the litter box. You can use a puppy playpen to do this. (Dogs don’t like to use the bathroom where they sleep so it is instinctive for them to go away from their bed to potty.)
- If you see your puppy using the litter box praise him.
- After your puppy potties, mark with yes, praise him and then give him some playtime. When you are done playing put him back in his area.
- After about a week, add a little space between your puppy’s bed and litter box. Not very big. You will want to increase space a little at a time.
- If your puppy has no accidents after a few days (in the added space), then you can continue increasing the space a little at a time.
- Eventually giving him access to one room, then 2 etc. As long as your puppy has no accidents.
- If you increase your puppies space and he has an accident then go back to the space you had before. Then try again in a couple days if no other accidents occur.
Litter box Training Product Checklist:
- A litter box for dogs
- Pelletized bedding
- A puppy playpen or something to confine your puppy to a small area.
How to Puppy Pad Train a Puppy
I am going to be honest. This is NOT my favorite potty training method. It is actually my least favorite for a few reasons which I will list below:
- Puppies LOVE to play with the puppy pads.
- When males get older they go from squatting to hiking up their leg which can be VERY messy.
- Can be confusing for puppies if you want them to potty outside. Puppy pads tell them that they can potty in the house.
Determine if you want your dog to potty inside or outside.
If you want your dog to always potty inside, I recommend you litter box train your pup. It is more eco friendly and more cost-efficient.
If you want your dog to potty outside, then skip the puppy pads altogether and train your puppy to go outside.
Now, IF you want your dog to go potty indoors and still want to puppy pad train your pup, then you can train them the same way you litter box train a pup or you can put the puppy pad where you will eventually want it to stay permanently and…
Choose a puppy pad size according to the size of your pup. Take your puppy to the puppy pad and give him his potty command. If he walks off continue putting him back on the pad and give him his potty command. If he goes, then mark with yes, praise him and give him a treat. If he doesn’t then leave and try again every 30-45 minutes. Increasing the time over time. Also, watch for signs your puppy has to potty. If he is showing signs, then take him to the puppy pad and give him his potty command.
Puppy Pad Training Product Checklist:
- Puppy pads
- Puppy Pad Holder (To keep your puppy from playing with the puppy pad.)
- Treats
How to Train a Puppy to go Potty Outside
This is the method I use from Day 1 when potty training a puppy. I don’t use a crate at all. Not because I don’t like them, but because I don’t have the space for a crate big enough for German shepherds. (I am a minimalist.) I also teach my puppy to potty on command.
This method is actually very easy and you will be surprised at just how fast your puppy learns it.
To train a puppy to go potty outside do the following:
- Designate a potty area.
- Start taking your puppy out every 30-45 minutes and 15-20 minutes after eating and drinking, after playtime and immediately after your puppy wakes up.
- When you take your puppy out walk him to the door that you will be using to take your dog to potty. (Use the same door each time).
- Put his leash on and say Let’s go potty. (This teaches your puppy what to expect when he goes outside.)
- Walk your puppy to his potty area and give him his potty command.
- Once he uses the bathroom then mark with a yes and praise him and you can give him a treat.
- Then take your puppy back inside immediately. (No outside playtime.)
It won’t be long before your puppy goes and sits at the door when he has to go potty.
PRO TIP: During potty training ONLY go outside to potty. If you take your pup for a walk, then use a different door than the one you use to ‘go potty’.
Potty Training Outside Product Checklist
- Leash
- Treats
How do I get my dog to tell me he has to pee?
When you are consistent with potty training, you will know.
Your puppy may go to the door and sit at it and/or paw it. He may also come and sit in front of you and stare at you or whine.
Be sure to watch for signs he has to go potty. You will learn how your puppy acts when he has to go potty.
You can also train your dog to use a bell. Yes, a puppy can use a bell! This comes in handy because if your puppy goes and sits at the door you may miss him doing that. The bell ensures that your puppy can easily let you know that he has to go.
You can start bell training from the beginning of potty training, or you can start it when your puppy gets the concept of going to the backdoor to go potty.
How do you Stop your Puppy from Peeing and Pooping in the house?
Well… I am going to be quite blunt here. If your puppy is peeing and pooping in the house, it’s not your puppy’s fault… it’s yours.
It’s easy to get distracted and sometimes what feels like minutes, has actually been hours. Your puppy can only hold it for so long before he just can’t any longer. Watch your puppy more closely. You may be missing signs that he needs to go potty.
Tether your puppy to you with a training leash. This ensures that you can keep an eye on him at all times.
Get a spray to make sure you are cleaning up the pee or poo scent from previous soils. Dogs has a keen sense of smell.
Give him less space. Don’t give your puppy access to the entire house. Start with one room. As your puppy does well and is going potty as he should, then you can give more space a little at a time.
How Long can a Puppy Hold their Pee?
A puppy can hold his pee for an hour for every month of age. So an 8-week-old puppy can hold his pee for 2 hours. Keep in mind though, that after your puppy drinks, he may need to go pee within 15-30 minutes after.
Puppies can hold their pee longer at night. You can add an extra hour for nighttime i.e. an 8-week-old puppy can hold their pee fore 3 hours at night. So expect a potty breaks at night until your puppy gets older and can hold it longer.
How Long After a Puppy Eats, Does he Poop?
After your puppy eats, you can expect your puppy to have to do the doo within 15-30 minutes.
Tips on How to Potty Train a Puppy
The #1 and most important tip is to BE CONSISTENT!
- Be patient.
- Don’t yell at your puppy when he has an accident.
- Take your puppy out frequently- Start every 30-45 minutes- move to one hour and then keep adding 30 minute increments.
- Take your puppy potty immediately after waking up, after play (and during if you notice a change in his play or behavior) and 15-30 minutes after eating and drinking.
- Do NOT leave food or water down. You puppy will need to pee 15-30 minutes after eating or drinking.
- Don’t let your puppy drink water after a certain time.
Conclusion.
Getting a puppy is a very exciting time, but things can get messy quickly without a potty training plan.
Potty training is a MUST and should begin the moment you bring your puppy home.
Potty training a puppy is actually easier than you think, all you need to do is choose one potty training method and be consistent! This is KEY to potty training success!
Do this and you can have your puppy trained in as little as 7 days!
If you have any questions or comments leave them below.
Happy Training,
Lisa Marie
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