There’s no way around it: potty training is vital for pet owners and dogs.
Establishing a toilet training routine with puppies requires time, effort, and consistency to yield results, but the benefits are well worth it.
General Tips for Potty Training Your Puppy at Home
- Puppies require constant supervision, especially inside the house. If your puppy wanders out of sight, they may be getting into trouble or having an accident. Limit their access to the home, particularly in carpeted areas where cleanups are more difficult.
- As a general rule, puppies can hold their bladder for about one hour longer than their age in months. For example, a relatively inactive three-month-old puppy may be able to wait up to four hours between bathroom breaks.
- A properly sized crate—just big enough for your puppy to stand, turn around, and lie down—can be a helpful tool for potty training and sleep. Monitor your puppy while they’re in the crate, and don’t leave them crated for long periods. To help them feel secure, cover the crate to create a darker, den-like space. If your puppy cries, take them straight to their designated toilet spot. Once they finish, use a consistent phrase like “Go potty,” and offer praise only after they’re done.
- If you live in an apartment, consider placing a box of turf or sand on your balcony or patio as a designated toilet area for your puppy.
- A high-quality, balanced diet supports healthy digestion and can reduce waste by up to 25%. Research ingredients on your dog food package for real meat – not byproducts – minimal meat meal or fillers, and no artificial colors.
- Never become physical or hit your puppy – your hands are for praise only.
Potty Training Schedule: When Should Your Puppy Go?
There are six times a dog should be taken outside to toilet:
- Before going to bed for the night.
- As soon as they wake up.
- After a daytime nap.
- After eating.
- After exuberant play.
- After you return home from an outing.
It is important to stay with your puppy until it is finished toileting, or to place it in a playpen around a grassed area, sandbox, or toilet pad if you cannot stay to supervise.
Choosing the Best Potty Spot for Your Puppy
Identify an outdoor location that your dog will learn to recognize as their unique toileting area. It could be a spot in the flowerbed, or a corner of the yard or deck.
- To make the area easy to identify, create visual boundaries using flowerbeds, decorative rocks, or even temporary markers like blue painter’s tape.
- Dogs rely heavily on scent, so the area should smell like a toilet to them—but don’t overdo it. Leave a small amount of your dog’s waste in the spot, or place any indoor accidents there to reinforce the association. Clean it up as needed once the habit is established.
Puppy Had an Accident? Here’s What to Do Next
Mistakes happen with toilet training – it’s part of the learning process for your dog! Good management, however, can help minimize their frequency. It is useless to try and correct your puppy after the fact. Instead, focus on removing odors from previous accidents to prevent your puppy from returning to the same spot.
- If you catch your dog in the act, immediately guide them to the designated toileting area and praise them once you’re there—even if they don’t go right away. This helps reinforce the right behavior.
- Clean and deodorize the area properly using vinegar and baking soda or an enzyme cleaner (such as Nature’s Miracle). You can also use a few drops of lavender oil when washing bedding or cleaning up accidents.
- Never use bleach or ammonia-based products to clean up after your pet.
- If your dog has toileted all over a carpet or piece of furniture, call a professional cleaner to clean the offending area.
Prevent Accidents Indoors with These Pro Tips
Dogs naturally avoid toileting where they eat or drink. You can use this instinct to help your puppy stop going potty in unwanted areas of the house.
- Try serving your puppy’s meals in different areas throughout the home—even occasionally in their crate. This helps them associate more spaces with eating, not toileting.
- Use scatter feeding to teach your dog that the entire house is a place for eating. Scatter kibble or raw vegetables (baby carrots, celery, etc.) that your dog enjoys on the floor around the house. This encourages your puppy to forage and reinforces the idea that the entire house is for eating, not bathroom breaks.
Potty training your puppy requires consistent effort, but the results are worthwhile! Stay patient and positive, anticipate and make peace with mistakes during the early stages.
