Potty training is one of the first big steps in your puppy’s life!
Training a puppy usually begins with the all-important house training. Potty training will begin to set the foundation for future puppy training. So, it is important to do it right!
Puppy Potty Training: The 5 Basics
When potty training your puppy, it is especially important to:
- Be consistent with place and time.
- Use a consistent verbal cue (like “bathroom” or “potty”).
- Pay close attention to your puppy’s behaviors and encourage their natural instincts.
- Be patient!
- Use plenty of positive reinforcement (NEVER punishment) including verbal praise, treats or a special toy.
Consistent Place and Time
- Use a strict schedule for all bathroom breaks.
- Puppies under 12 weeks of age should go out every 1-2 hours.
- Older puppies should go out 3 to 5 times a day.
- If your work or school prevents a strict potty schedule, hire a professional pet sitter or dog walker to make potty training easier and faster for your puppy.
- Use a strict schedule for feeding (dogs naturally eliminate after eating).
- When potty training, always use a dedicated spot for your puppy. When the puppy smells his scent, it encourages him to use that spot again.
- Take puppies out after:
- Sleeping
- Playing
- Eating or drinking
- Before bedtime
Learn Your Puppy’s Behaviors
Puppies will naturally display certain behaviors when they need to go out. Look for behaviors like:
- Sniffing.
- Going in cirles.
- Scratching.
- Whining or crying.
- Sitting by the door.
5 Tips for Successful House Training
Below are a few other simple tips to help make puppy potty training easier.
- Maximum time between potty breaks. According to the AKC, a good rule of thumb is your puppy’s age (in months) equals the maximum number of hours between bathroom breaks. But never expect your puppy to wait the maximum time and remember each puppy has its own timing! Again, learn your puppy’s specific behaviors when they need to go out.
- Use a crate. Canines do not like to the use the bathroom where they sleep or eat, so using a crate can be an invaluable tool in house training. Never use it as a punishment! Use a Use a properly sized crate (or one with moveable partitions as your puppy grows) for effective house training. There should only be enough room for your puppy to comfortably stand up, turn around and lie back down. If there is too much room, your puppy may begin to soil his crate.
- Do NOT use puppy pee pads with crate training your puppy if possible. Using pee pads and a crate for potty training will confuse your puppy about where he is expected to do his business and slow down his progress.
- Limit space when potty training. Use baby gates or crates to limit the puppy’s access in your home while house training.
- Use a leash. During potty training, using a leash (no longer than 6 feet) to take the puppy to his dedicated area outside to help control his focus and behavior.
Puppy Potty Training: When is it Done?
Usually after your puppy has gone approximately 3 months without an accident.
However, puppies can regress in their first year. In addition, big changes can suddenly cause accidents including:
- Moving to new home.
- Schedule or routine changes.
- A new baby.
- A new pet.
Again, with lots of patience, positive reinforcement and close attention to your puppy’s preferences and behaviors, you can successfully potty train your puppy!
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We are a small family breeder located in the heart of the Ozarks in Northern Arkansas. We strive to raise healthy, happy, well-socialized, quality Golden Retriever, Goldendoodle, Labradoodle, Mini Labradoodle, and Aussiedoodle puppies.
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