How To Potty Train a Puppy

You’ve just welcomed your new furry best friend into your home, and at the top of your to-do list is figuring out how to potty train a puppy.  

The puppy potty training process might seem overwhelming at first, but it’s not as tough as you might assume. The best way to potty train a new puppy is to establish a predictable daily schedule, supervise your pup to prevent accidents, use a dog crate when you can’t supervise them directly, and reward elimination outside immediately after it happens.  

How To Potty Train a Puppy

During the early stages of the process, potty training a puppy is a full-time job. Young pups don’t have much bladder control and don’t yet know where to go to the bathroom. A predictable schedule, supervision, treats, and plenty of praise will all help make puppy potty training a snap. 

1. Create a Daily Schedule, Including Bathroom Breaks

Starting from day one, establish a consistent schedule for all your puppy’s activities, including meals, naps, playtime, walks, and bathroom breaks. Because puppies often need to eliminate after eating, sleeping, and being active, planning their whole day helps you anticipate when they’ll need to go potty so you can take them outside before accidents happen. 

 Your daily schedule should include: 

• Potty breaks: Puppies typically need to go to the bathroom first thing in the morning and at night before bedtime, as well as after naps, meals, play, and crate time. 
• Mealtimes: Most young puppies require three meals a day, which means plenty of trips outside. 
• Play time: Frequent short play sessions will help burn off some of that puppy energy. Activity can also increase the need to eliminate, so schedule potty trips along with the play sessions. 
• Naps in the crate: Most pups prefer not to soil where they sleep, which means the crate can be helpful when you can’t supervise. 
• Walks: To help your puppy feel comfortable and confident on leash walks, start off with brief trips around your neighborhood. If your pup’s vaccination series is incomplete, talk with your veterinarian about safe places for your puppy to explore. 
• Short training sessions: Puppies are ready to learn ASAP (even those 8-week-old babies), so introduce short training sessions for basics like “sit” and “come,” and then end the session with a potty break. 

2. Consider Your Pup’s Bladder Control

Young puppies don’t have full bladder control, so they need frequent potty breaks. A commonly used guideline is that a puppy may be able to hold their bladder for roughly one hour for each month of age, sometimes a little longer, but this is only an estimate. Individual puppies may need to go out more frequently. 

For example, a 3-month-old puppy may be able to hold their bladder for around three to four hours, but playing hard, meeting new friends, drinking, eating, and doing training exercises can all make your pup need to go out sooner.  

3. Closely Supervise Your Puppy

Unsupervised pups can do plenty of damage in no time flat, whether with those sharp little teeth or the other end making puddles and piles. Pet parents need to keep watch constantly. Too much household freedom too soon can lead to potty training regressions, since pups can hide out of sight and have accidents. 

4. Use a Crate as a Potty-Training Aid

Crate training can be a helpful part of the puppy potty training process. A properly sized dog crate provides your pup with a cozy den and can encourage them to hold it because dogs generally prefer not to soil their sleeping area. Plus, using a crate gives pet parents a break when they can’t focus on their puppy to make sure they’re not eating the remote control.  

A wire crate is a great option since the openness allows for airflow, but it can also be covered with a blanket to make it more den-like.  

If a crate isn’t an option, use a small puppy-proofed room instead, like a powder room. 

5. Learn Your Puppy’s Pre-Potty ‘Tells’

Puppies have a few obvious signals that convey the need to head outside for a potty break. Common signs that your puppy needs to go to the bathroom include: 

• Circling and sniffing the ground 
• Distracted behavior, such as dropping a toy and wandering away 
• Leaving the room 
• Hiding behind furniture 

If you notice any of these signs, take your puppy outside right away. 

6. Take Your Puppy to a Designated Potty Area

Puppies develop a substrate preference early, meaning they can learn to prefer a certain type of surface under their paws when they eliminate. This is part of the reason why country pups might have a tough time finding a place to potty in a city environment. 

To ensure your pup doesn’t choose your flower bed, use a leash and lead them to a spot that works for both of you. The added benefit is that the scent from prior elimination in the area may help cue your pup about what they’re there to do. 

7. Introduce a Potty Word

There’s a lot for pups to explore outside, so they often forget what they’re supposed to be doing in the yard or on the sidewalk. Naming the act of elimination with a word or phrase like “hurry” or “go potty” can help your puppy learn a cue for the behavior.  

To teach your puppy a specific cue, say the word or phrase softly while your puppy eliminates to connect the word to the act of going to the bathroom. With repetition, your puppy may learn to associate the cue with elimination. A potty phrase is also helpful on rainy days when you want to be speedy, or when you’re on the road in an unfamiliar area. 

8. Reward Your Puppy Immediately for Going Potty

Potty training a puppy means rewarding a job well done with a tasty dog treat every time they potty outside. The act of elimination is self-reinforcing, meaning that it feels good to empty a full bladder, but treats are used to reward the location of the potty.  

Give your puppy the treat immediately after they finish going to the bathroom—do not wait until you get back in the house. This helps connect the reward to the action, and signals to your dog that they get paid for going out on the grass instead of inside on the rug. 

How Long Does It Take to Potty Train a Puppy?

Potty training a puppy can take several weeks to several months, depending on the puppy’s age, breed, early environment, and pet parent attentiveness. There’s no universal timeline, but one clean month without accidents is a good sign that your puppy is becoming reliably house-trained.  

Tips for Potty Training Puppies

Potty training a puppy requires plenty of supervision, treats, and a positive attitude, even when you’re doing a potty run in the middle of the night. The following tips can help round out the basic house-training protocols:  

• Use pet gates: Rather than giving your pup free rein of your entire house, narrow their potential accident strike zone by gating off areas like the second floor or the dining room. 

• Keep your pockets full of treats: You never know when your pup is going to need a quick trip outside, so stay ready to offer a delicious reward for a job well done. 
• Don’t forget a leash: Using a dog leash, even if your yard is fenced, helps streamline the potty-training process because it prevents your dog from wandering off into the bushes and getting distracted. A leashed dog can be gently moved along and encouraged to potty. 

• Skip potty pads if you can: Potty pads can be useful when getting outside quickly isn’t practical, such as in high-rise homes or for pet parents with mobility limitations. However, if your goal is for your puppy to eliminate exclusively outdoors, regularly using a potty pad may be counterproductive.  
• Never punish for accidents: A puddle or pile inside the house is a pet parent mistake, not a puppy mistake. If you discover your pup in the act of eliminating inside, calmly interrupt them and take them outside to finish the job. If you find a mess after the fact, clean it up without scolding your pup. After an indoor accident, vow to be a better puppy supervisor. 

When To Call the Vet

Set up an appointment with your veterinarian if you notice any of the following health concerns: 

• Diarrhea 
• Straining when trying to eliminate 
• Increased thirst and urination 
• Bloody stool or urine 
• Visible parasites in stool 
• Lethargy 
• An abrupt potty training regression 
• No progress in potty training