Potty training a puppy? It can be a dirty job. If you are like most owners, you want to finish potty training a puppy as quickly as possible, certainly before the rugs are ruined and the house smells. Do not worry. If you are consistent, potty training a puppy will be fast and surprisingly painless. This guide can help.

When to Start Potty Training a Puppy

Begin potty training a puppy the day your pup comes home. There is no reason to delay. As long as your puppy is weaned, it is able to learn how to relieve itself in a designated spot. Potty training a puppy helps build your puppy’s self-confidence when it earns your praise.

Steps in Potty Training a Puppy

Potty training a puppy means you have to change your dog’s “go anywhere, anytime” habit to going when and where you want it to go. You do this by picking the target area, taking your puppy there frequently, and rewarding it with praise followed by play time when relieves itself at that spot. Expect to do repetitively since there is no shortcut.

Set a Schedule for Potty Training a Puppy

Setting a schedule is vital for success. While potty training a puppy, there are only two times when you can let down your guard: when your pup is eating and when it is sleeping. On the other hand, you can be certain that your dog will need to pee and poop after eating and when it wakes up. Repetition is highly effective, so begin a housebreaking routine that gets your puppy outside at these times.

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In general, the more time you can spend together outdoors, the more chances you will get to cheer your dog’s success. There is no such thing as taking a young dog outside too much. However, you need to keep an eye on what it is doing. Your pet wants your approval, so use this to your advantage when potty training a puppy.

Set a Designated Place for Potty Training a Puppy

When potty training a puppy, keep it on a leash so it doesn’t get distracted and wander off. Take it directly to the place where you want it to go potty. Don’t talk to it or play with it. Simply keep the puppy in that area until it does its business. Make sure you go to the same spot every time, and you will be amazed at how quickly it learns to go potty when you take it there.

Commands for Potty Training a Puppy

Tell your puppy “Go potty!” and pay attention to what it is doing. As soon as your puppy starts doing its business, praise it, saying “Good potty!” Don’t wait until it is done to start praising it: you want your dog to associate the word “potty” and praise with the act of relieving itself. In time, when you say “Go potty!” your dog will understand that it is OK to take a potty break right now, right here. If it needs to go, it will respond by relieving itself on command.

The Importance of Rewards for Successful Potty Training

After it has finished, praise your puppy generously. In time, the dog will learn to associate this rewarding experience with potty breaks. Remember, your puppy has no idea what you want it to do, so if you fail to praise it, it will not have any motivation to repeat the act. Praise is one of the secrets to success when potty training a puppy.


In addition to praise, it’s very important to let your puppy have some fun and wander around outside for a while after it has gone potty. If you take it indoors every time as soon as it goes, expect that your puppy will delay relieving itself. A puppy is smart enough that it will hold it so it can stay outside longer.

What About the Other Times?

Dogs want to please, so your puppy will learn the housebreaking routine quickly. But your puppy will also need to go at random times, and training it to wait until it is outside is the crux of potty training a puppy. There are several things you can do so your dog learns this quickly.

Watch for the Signal

In addition to your routine, take your puppy out as soon as it starts signaling that it is about to go. This signal varies by dog, and you will have to learn it. Your puppy may circle, start walking with an arched back or head for a remote spot. Your puppy may also whine or bark for no apparent reason. While you are still potty training a puppy, it is better to take it outside than take the risk of ignoring it.

Monitor Distractions While Potty Training a Puppy

There will be times when your puppy doesn’t give any signal. If it is getting a lot of attention from visitors or playing hard, it probably won’t realize it has to go until too late. Interrupt the action frequently to take it outside.

Be Aware of Changes in Routine

Remember that what goes into your puppy must eventually come out, so if it eats something between meals, whether treats or a piece of cardboard, adjust the potty schedule. Likewise, if you change its diet, be attentive to the end result. Remember that a large part of successfully potty training a puppy depends on your diligence.

Potty Training a Puppy When You are Away From Home

Realistically, you can’t watch your puppy’s every move. When you have to be away, expect your puppy to relieve itself where ever you allow it to run. However, a puppy won’t relieve itself in the space where it sleeps. This is why crate training helps so much with potty training a puppy. If you have the right size dog crate, you can be pretty sure your puppy won’t go to the bathroom there unless it is desperate .

Crate Training a Puppy to Help With Potty Training

The crate should be big enough for your puppy to stand upright completely, turn around, and lay down, but not big enough for it to poop in one corner and then move away from it. Your puppy will go to the bathroom in its crate if the crate is too big.


Initially, the crate will need to be small, and you will need a bigger crate as your puppy grows. Even when your puppy is fully housebroken, it will likely use its crate as a safe place to relax throughout its life. Adjustable sized crates are ideal for this reason.


Don’t make the expensive mistakes that many first-time crate buyers make. The bottom of the crate needs to be a solid pan. The bed should be machine washable and fast-drying. Big, thick pillows are the wrong choice. Don’t waste money on buying food dishes for inside the crate. If you need to leave a dog in a crate for that long, you should find another arrangement.

Accidents Happen

When your puppy poops in the living room or pees on the carpet, don’t be shocked. Accidents do happen, sometimes even months after you thought you were done potty training. A puppy won’t get it perfectly right away.


Your reaction to these accidents is critical. If you catch your puppy in the act, a loud “No!” and relocation outside to finish the job is enough. Be sure to avoid ammonia-based cleansers. To dogs, ammonia smells like urine, which dogs like to pee on.


If you find the evidence later, bite your tongue, clean the mess and be more watchful. If you yell when you find a mess, a dog has no idea what you are yelling about. The dog can not associate a pile on the floor with something the dog did previously. Instead, it just learns to be afraid. Don’t ever put a dogs nose in its feces or urine. Your dog may misinterpret your intent and, as a result, start eating its poop.


If you have been successful potty training a puppy and subsequently your puppy has an accident, review your own behavior. Make sure you are sticking to a routine, getting your puppy outside enough, praising and playing afterward, and paying attention to your dogs needs. Consistency is mandatory to get predictable results.

How Long Does it Take to Potty Train a Puppy?

Every dog owner wants to know how long it will take to finish potty training a puppy. Depending on your availability and consistency, complete housebreaking might take less than a month. Potty training a puppy could also take six months or more if you don’t crate train it, or if you have to leave your puppy unattended frequently. Different breeds respond to training at varying rates. Don’t hold your breath, but keep working at potty training a puppy so you don’t have to hold your nose either.

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Tags: housebreaking a dog, housetraining a puppy, potty training a puppy