Potty training a puppy is a lot like potty training a toddler, it can be a headache but it is a necessity. Creating and following a potty schedule can help make the process a lot smoother and less stressful for both you and your new fur baby!
It helps your puppy get potty trained faster and helps establish a routine for your puppy (and you).
I am going to share with you key information that you need to know about puppy pottying as well as give you the exact schedule I used for my puppy that you can follow or tweak to better fit your schedule.
To determine a good potty schedule for your puppy, you will want to take into consideration your schedule and how often a puppy has to go potty.
So, let’s go over some key information that you need to know…
How long can a puppy hold their pee?
A puppy’s bladder is underdeveloped, and as puppies they can’t control their bladders. They can usually hold their pee an hour for every month of age.
Examples: An 8-week (2 month) old puppy can hold their pee for 2 hours.
A 12-week (4 month old) puppy can hold their pee for 4 hours.
Nighttime is a little different…
How long can a puppy hold their pee at night?
A puppy can hold their pee a little longer at night as they are sleeping. Typically, a puppy can hold their pee a couple hours longer than they can during the day.
Examples: An 8-week (2 months) old puppy can hold their pee for 4 hours.
A 16-week (4 month old) puppy can hold their pee for 6 hours.
Puppies 6 months and older can usually hold their pee all night.
How often does a puppy have to go potty?
Puppies 8-12 weeks old need to be taken out to potty at least every 2 hours. Puppies 3-6 months can typically hold their bladder for a little bit longer. At that point, you can add 30 minutes to an hour. Puppies 6 months or older usually can hold their bladder for longer periods of time and at this point should pretty well be potty trained. Once potty trained a dog will let you know when they need to go.
Puppies, even older dogs will also usually need to go potty as follows as well:
- When they wake up in the morning.
- After drinking water or eating.
- After playtime.
- During playtime if you see a change in behavior.
- After nap time.
- Before they go to sleep at night.
- 1-2 times at night depending on your puppy’s age.
- Before you leave the house.
When They Wake up in the Morning.
Wake up in the morning at the same time every day. As soon as you get up, take your puppy potty. If your puppy is little you can carry them to help prevent them from having an accident before they get to their potty spot.
Be sure to leash your puppy to avoid any distractions such as sniffing or running around and go straight to your puppy’s potty area.
Most often a puppy will pee and poop in the morning.
After Eating and Drinking.
It is super important to develop a feeding routine (schedule). Feed your puppy at the same every day. Doing this will allow you to know when your pup will need to poo. Your puppy will need to go potty about 10-30 minutes (usually 15 minutes) after your puppy eats or drinks.
Do not leave your puppy’s water down. If you do this you can ensure either your puppy will have an accident in the house or you will be making a lot more trips out to pee.
Only allow your dog to access water at anytime once they are potty trained.
And be sure to not give your puppy anything to drink after a certain time at night just as you would do if you were potty training a toddler.
After playtime and During playtime if you see a change in behavior.
After and during bursts of energy your puppy may have to go pee. This is because they brains are overstimulated. They are excited and their adrenaline is pumping.
If your puppy is playing and you notice his behavior changes i.e. puppy runs off or sniffs in circles pick him up, leash him and take him outside immediately.
After nap time.
After your puppy takes a nice nap it is VERY likely he will have to go potty when he wakes up. Take him out as soon as he wakes up from his nap.
Before they go to sleep at night.
You will want to take your puppy out to potty right before you go to sleep. Doing this ensures that you won’t have to make a trip outside sooner than needed.
1-2 times at night depending on your puppy’s age.
Depending on your puppy’s age will depend on how many times your puppy will need to potty at night.
An 8-week old puppy will likely have to go out twice. A 16-week old puppy may have to go out once.
A puppy 6 months or older can typically hold it 6-8 hours.
Before you leave the house.
Anytime you leave the house for a period of time you will want to take your puppy out to potty first. This will help prevent an accident in the crate while you are away.
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The Exact Potty Schedule I Used to Potty Train my Puppy at 8 weeks old.
7am- Wake up and potty
8 am- Water
8:15- Potty break
9am- Feeding time
9:15- Potty break
10:00 a.m.- Training, Playtime, Water
10:20 a.m.- Potty break
10:30 am.- Nap time (When puppy wakes up potty break)
1:00 p.m.- Training, Playtime, Water
1:20 p.m.- Potty break
3:00 pm- Feeding time
3:15 pm- Potty break
6:00 pm- Last water
6:15 p.m.- Potty break
9:00 pm- Potty before bed
1:00 a.m- Potty break
5:00 a.m. – Potty break
If you are able to stay home you can also schedule your play times, etc. The more precise you are the better and faster results you will have potty training your puppy.
The older your puppy gets the longer you can go between potty breaks. A great way to figure out a good potty schedule for your puppy is to track every time your pup goes potty.
If crate training take your puppy potty every time you take him out of his crate. If you are not crate training confine your puppy to one area where you can watch him or tether him to you with a training leash so that you can be watching him at all times.
Grab Your Free Puppy Potty Schedule Worksheet!
Be consistent in your puppy potty schedule!
It is very easy to lose track of time, trust me I know all to well. A great way to make sure you are consistent is to set timers on your phone. I know this may sound silly but it works!
Consistency and routine is key to potty training your puppy! When you are consistent, your puppy will be more consistent. Dogs especially puppies thrive off of consistency and a routine. This helps them learn faster and teaches them what you expect of them and when.
Conclusion.
Potty training a puppy can be stressful but it is essential. Having a good potty schedule for a puppy can make the process a lot easier and faster.
Creating and following a schedule will help both you and your puppy establish a routine.
When creating your puppy’s potty schedule, you will want to take into consideration your schedule and how often your puppy needs to go out.
If you have any questions or comments feel free to leave them below. If you found this helpful, share it!
