Do you want to learn how to potty train your puppy? Maybe you’re about to get your new puppy and want to be prepared for when they arrive. Here’s everything you need to know about how to potty train a puppy.
How To Potty Train A Puppy:
- Look for signs your puppy needs to potty
- Take your puppy straight outside
- Choose a toilet spot in your garden or yard
- Give your puppy 10 minutes to potty
- Say your potty command word
- Give your puppy a treat and praise
- If your puppy doesn’t potty go back inside
- Crate or hold your puppy for 20 minutes
- Go in and out as many times as needed
- Take your puppy out throughout the day
Read on to find out the main reasons why puppies have potty accidents, how you can stop them from happening, what you need to do overnight, and how long it takes to toilet train a new puppy.
Never use the advice in this article as a substitute for professional veterinary advice or treatment. I am NOT a Vet, qualified dog trainer or dog behaviourist. This article is based on research, personal opinion and experience of owning dogs over the last 12+ years.
How To Potty Train A Puppy – Complete Guide
Potty training can be a challenge for most dog breeds and does take time and commitment.
If you can take some time off work, it may help speed up the process. The sooner you get started, the less likely your puppy will be to fall into bad habits.
IMPORTANT TO CHECK WITH YOUR VET BEFORE STARTING POTTY TRAINING: Before you begin this potty training, you need to check with your Vet that it’s safe for your puppy to go outside into your garden or yard BEFORE vaccinations are complete. There can be many reasons why it may NOT be possible. For example, you may not have a private and secure yard or garden to use, you may live in a climate that’s too cold or hot for a young puppy to be outside in, you may live in an area where you puppy is at risk of catching Canine Parvovirus (which can sadly be fatal), or you may have too many wild animals or unvaccinated dogs that can access your garden or yard which could put your puppy at risk of catching Canine Parvovirus. So make sure you call your Vet to check that with them BEFORE you begin to toilet train your puppy outside.
This Is How To Potty Train A Puppy:
1. Watch For Signs Your Puppy Needs To Potty
The first thing you need to do is watch for signs your puppy needs to potty. For example:
- Circling
- Squatting
- Sniffing
- Getting excited
- Running around the house
- Hanging around in a spot they’ve done a wee or poo before
- Sitting by the back door
- Crying
- Whimpering
- Barking or yapping at you
- Pawing at you
- Staring at you for no reason whatsoever!
Look for any movement or behaviour where your puppy seems fidgety, over-excited, or like they’re looking for an area to wee or poop in your house.
2. Take Your Puppy Straight Outside
If you spot any signs that your puppy is about to potty, get outside and on to the grass as quick as you can!
There’s literally no time to wait, so keep your shoes and dog treats by the door.
Use the exact same door each time each time you go out too, as the repetition and consistency will help to instil the new potty routine.
If you can, carry your puppy outside into the garden or yard.
That way they should try to hold it until you reach their designated toilet spot. You don’t want them to have any accidents just before you get outside!
3. Choose A Toilet Spot In the Garden Or Yard
Choose a specific toilet spot in your garden or yard where you want your puppy to go potty. This is to teach your puppy where their toilet spot is.
Again, going to the exact same place each time will help with repetition and establishing the new toilet training routine.
(Just be sure you’ve checked with your Vet that it’s safe for your puppy to be outside in your garden or yard before vaccinations are complete as they could be at risk of catching Canine Parvovirus).
4. Give Your Puppy 10 Minutes To Potty
Give your puppy around 10 minutes to potty. Don’t distract, talk, play with them, or give them any attention during this time.
To start with, they’ll probably do pretty much anything other than what you want them to do – which is of course to wee or poop! This can be funny but also a bit annoying, especially if it’s cold or raining outside.
But don’t get frustrated as it’s very normal, especially for puppies. They have no idea why they’re even outside – well not yet anyway!
Try not to make eye contact and don’t move about too much either. Be really boring, quiet and still, so they focus on the job in hand!
5. Say Your Potty Command Word
Just as your puppy gets into the potty position, say your command word or words. That could be ‘wee wee time’ or ‘go potty’ – or whatever you want it to be.
To start with, you want to say these words at the very moment your puppy starts to potty.
So that’s the exact moment they squat into the poop position or just when they dip their legs and start to wee.
That way they’ll start to understand why you’re saying those words, and what ‘wee wee time’ actually means.
You can use the same command word or words for both wees and poos because, to dogs, it’s all the same thing.
Don’t speak too loudly at this point either. You might startle or excite your puppy a bit too much and they may then run over to you, rather than wee or poop on the grass!
So just say the words loud enough for your puppy to hear you.
Just be sure to use the same command word – or words – each time you take your puppy outside to potty – consistency is key!
Once they’ve got the hang of the potty command word, you can then start using it as you walk towards the door into the yard, or when you’re standing at the back door.
6. Give your Puppy A Treat
If your puppy does potty, immediately give them a high-value treat.
Don’t delay the treat until you come back inside. It has to be straight after your puppy has done a wee or poo so they understand why you’re giving them the treat.
When you start potty training, it’s best to use some tasty dog treats that are highly motivational!
7. Give Your Puppy Lots Of Praise
If your puppy does wee or poop outside, go crazy with praise!
You need to make the biggest fuss and go over-the-top with excitement so they know they did a good thing!
8. Play With Your Puppy Outside
Once your puppy has been to the toilet, play with them outside for a few minutes if you can.
You just want them to associate doing a wee or poop outside with getting lots of rewards, attention and fun.
9. If Your Puppy Doesn’t Potty, Don’t Stress!
If your puppy doesn’t wee or poop, don’t worry and don’t get disheartened or stressed! Just take them back inside and try again in 20 minutes.
Do this without making a fuss or giving them any attention.
10. Crate Or Hold Your Puppy For 20 Minutes
This step is really important.
When you come back inside, you must either crate or hold your puppy for 20 minutes. This is so there are no accidents while you wait to go back outside and try again.
This is prime accident time!
In fact, this is where a lot of new owners fall down with potty training. They come back inside, presume their puppy doesn’t need to go, and then take their eyes off the ball.
The next thing they see is a puddle of wee on the floor and a poop on their favourite new rug!
So, for the first few weeks, you really do have to be ‘on it’! You need to quite literally grow eyes in the back of your head!
Get into the mindset that, if you don’t allow your puppy to pee and poop inside, they will have to go outside – it really is just a matter of time!
Then, when they potty outside, you can reward them for doing the right thing. And this then teaches your puppy what you want them to do.
This is basically how you potty train them!
11. Go In And Out As Many Times As Needed
To start with, you may have to go in and out of the garden or yard several times while you wait for your puppy to go potty.
So it’ll look something like this:
- Go outside
- Wait 10 minutes
- And if there’s no pee or poop
- Go inside for 20 minutes
- And crate or hold your puppy
Then after you have waited:
- Go outside again
- Wait 10 minutes
- And if there’s no pee or poop
- Go inside for 20 minutes
- And crate or hold your puppy
Then after you have waited:
- Go outside
- Wait 10 minutes
- And when your puppy eventually pees or poops
- Give them a treat and celebrate like you’ve never celebrated before!
Now I understand all this going in and out of the garden or yard sounds like a lot of hard work and time. And, to be honest, it is a lot of work and does take up a lot of time.
Watching, waiting and reacting quickly is pretty intensive at first – but it isn’t forever! Only until your puppy gets the hang of where you want them to potty.
So the first few weeks – or possibly a month or so – will be more intense but things will settle down in time.
12. Take Your Puppy Out Regularly Throughout The Day
Take your puppy out every 30 minutes at first. Young puppies have small bladders and need to potty every couple of hours during the day.
Generally, they can hold their bladder for around an hour for every month of their age.
So a 2 month old puppy can hold their bladder for around 2 hours, a 3 month old puppy for around 3 hours, and a 4 month old puppy for around 4 hours – and so on.
They also need to potty after they’ve woken from sleep, eaten food, and after any playtime too.
But even if your puppy doesn’t look like they need to go potty, you should still go out regularly throughout the day.
That’s because this isn’t just about them needing to potty, it‘s about establishing the new potty routine.
Teaching your puppy where you want them to wee and poop, and then rewarding them so they basically learn what you want them to do out there.
All this going in and out is quite intensive at first, but it’s only until they figure out where their toilet spot is.
The whole idea is to give your puppy as many opportunities as possible to potty outside so you can reward them for doing the right thing.
The more successes they have outside, the quicker your puppy will learn where you want them to potty.
The more accidents they have inside the home, the harder it’ll be to potty train them.
That doesn’t mean to say it’ll be impossible, accidents will of course happen, but you just want to limit them as much as possible so they don’t become routine.
Potty Training A Puppy At Night
It’s normal for a puppy to wee and poop indoors overnight because their small bladders won’t last that long to start with.
So, night times are going to be a bit of a challenge, especially at first.
Crate training does make things easier but using a crate has to be a personal choice.
This is how to potty train your puppy at night:
Take Your Puppy Out For One Last Wee Before Bed
You need to take your puppy out for one last wee before bed. Ideally this should be at around 10pm – 11pm, depending on what time you normally go to bed.
Praise and treat your puppy if they wee. But don’t start playing with them and don’t let them get too excited – because it’s now time for bed!
Carry Your Puppy To Bed
If you can, it’s best to carry your puppy to bed if they’re sleepy.
Put them in their crate and then shut the door. If you aren’t using a crate, adapt this to what you want to do.
Just be sure to sleep near to your puppy at first. You need to be right there with them to give them that extra reassurance through the night.
Put The Crate Beside Your Bed
If you decide to crate train, it’s best to position the dog crate right beside your bed at first.
That way your puppy will be able to see and hear you and won’t feel so scared or alone.
Over time, you can gradually move the crate further away if that’s what you want to do. It just depends where you want your puppy to sleep.
Set Your Alarm
For young puppies, you’ll need to get up during the night so set your alarm for around 2am.
This may only be for a few weeks – or possibly a month or so – until they can comfortably sleep right through.
Take Your Puppy Out During The Night
Get up and take your puppy out at least once during the night.
If you don’t, they may wee indoors overnight because their bladder may not be able to hold it that long.
If you’re crate training, you have to take them out for a wee when they ask as they’ll be relying on you to care for them.
You should hopefully get away with just going out once. However, if your puppy keeps having accidents during the night, you may have to increase that to twice.
It’s worth noting that some puppies will sleep through the night from day one and others won’t – it very much depends on the individual dog. So you’ll just have to see how it goes!
Don’t Talk To Your Puppy When You Take Them Out
When taking your puppy out during the night, don’t talk to them or give any attention.
Just pick them up (if you can lift them) and put them outside on the grass.
If your puppy starts to play, just ignore them. If you talk to them or give them lots of fuss, they’ll have you up all through the night!
Work Out Why Your Puppy Is Crying
It’s normal for a young puppy to cry through the night at first.
You just need to try and work out whether they’re scared of being on their own, want your attention or simply need to potty.
If you get into a set routine from day one, you’ll know when your puppy’s bladder is empty and should be able to get some sleep.
Give Your Puppy Reassurance
If you’ve already taken your puppy out and they’re still crying in the night, the best thing to do is say ‘settle down’ in a soft voice.
When they’re quiet say ‘good boy’ or ‘good girl’. Keep repeating this over and over until they settle down.
Don’t rush in and keep getting your puppy out of their crate each time they cry. If you do, they’ll learn to cry to be let out.
Obviously, if they’re really distressed, that’s different. But you do have to expect your puppy to be a bit unsettled for the first few weeks.
They’ve just been taken away from their mom and siblings and everything else they know.
So, just be patient and calm and stick to the routine and things will settle down in time.
Why Does My Puppy Keep Having Potty Accidents?
As we all know, puppies will be puppies and there will be some accidents along the way. That’s 100% normal!
Sometimes potty training doesn’t go to plan and there can be so many reasons why.
So let’s run through the main reasons why puppies have potty accidents so you know how to minimize them from Day 1!
The main reasons your puppy is having potty accidents are:
You’re Not Watching Your Puppy Enough
This is probably the most common reason, yet it’s so simple to fix!
Most potty accidents happen because you’re simply not watching your puppy enough.
In those important first few weeks, you need to literally watch your puppy like a hawk. But this can be really hard to do, especially when you’re busy.
So, if you cant watch your puppy and need to pop out of the room for whatever reason, use a crate for short times throughout the day.
However, you must always use a crate responsibly! Only for up to 2 hours maximum for puppies spread throughout the day – 5 minutes here and 5 minutes there.
This isn’t a place to leave them for hours on end (with the exception of sleeping in one overnight).
A puppy shouldn’t potty in their crate because dogs don’t like to wee and poop where they eat and sleep!
That means you’re safe to leave them there for a few minutes while you make a coffee, answer the door, go to the loo or have a shower, for example.
Another alternative is to ask friends or family to help. So, if you have someone that can help watch your puppy, then take it in turns.
It will get easier over the coming weeks so hang in there!
You’re Not Going Outside With Your Puppy
When you’ve had no sleep, you’re cold, and it’s wet outside, you may not want to go outside with your puppy.
You may open the door and think it’s ok to let them go out to potty on their own.
Unfortunately, this just wont work!
You need to make sure you’re going outside with your puppy so you can teach then what you want them to do.
That means putting on your shoes and standing outside with them while they potty – even when it’s cold and and even when it rains!
You have to play your part in teaching your puppy the new potty routine or they simply won’t learn what it is you’re trying to teach them.
A lot of people get a new puppy and think they automatically know where to potty. Dogs know to pee on the grass, right?
But why would they know? They were only born 8, 10, 12 weeks ago – they’re just babies!
So this means you need to go outside with your puppy until they have learnt the new potty routine.
Your Puppy Is Not Being Taken Out Enough
It’s important to take your puppy out regularly throughout the day. Definitely after sleep, definitely after food, and definitely after any playtime too.
A young puppy can’t hold their small bladder for long, roughly an hour for every month of age.
In fact, most puppies – regardless of breed – need to wee every couple of hours throughout the day.
Your puppy is relying on you to help them with that so it’s going to be pretty intense for the first few weeks.
That’s why it’s better – if you can – to take some time off work, or ask friends or family for help and support.
The more opportunities you give your puppy to wee and poop outside, and the more times you reward them for doing the right thing, the quicker they’ll be potty trained.
Your Puppy Was Left Alone Too Long
If you leave your puppy alone too long, they just won’t be able to hold it – and that’s not their fault!
Sometimes it’s just one of those things. For example, you may have work or other commitments that take your attention away – which is totally understandable!
But those first few weeks are just so important. The more you take your puppy outside, the more chances you’re giving them to learn what they’re supposed to do.
Obviously, potty training will be harder if you’re out of the home a lot but you just have to do your best – which is of course good enough!
So maybe take a couple of weeks off work to try and nail the new routine, and rope in any friends or family that can help you. There are so many ways to make it work!
Whatever you do though, you’ll need someone to call in and let your puppy out during the day.
Puppies can only hold their small bladders for a few hours and will end up weeing and pooping on the floor if they’re left alone too long.
And unfortunately, if they’re having accidents all day every day, it’s going to be much harder to teach them the new potty routine.
Crating your puppy for long periods of time isn’t the answer either, and to be honest, it’s just not fair. Just a couple of hours at the very most for puppies, spread throughout the day.
Their bladders won’t be fully developed and they just wont be able to hold it for hours on end.
You could look into getting a puppy pen or sectioning off one room in your house so at least you can keep things contained. This’ll give your puppy enough room to run around and play.
But the downside is your puppy will potty there. If they’re no longer in a confined space they’ll basically wee down one end and play at the other.
And, if you can’t watch them and take them out regularly, it’ll be harder to potty train them that way.
However, it’s a better option than leaving them to roam freely and potty everywhere around your home.
That way, you can double-down on the potty routine when you are home to get this nailed once and for all!
Your Puppy Can Smell The Scent Of Wee Or Poop In The House
When a puppy has an accident you need to scrub the floors clean, and you need to use the right cleaning products to remove any remaining trace of scent.
So be sure to use a special enzymatic pet cleaner that neutralizes smells.
We have one you can buy in the UK that’s RSPCA recommended called ‘Wee-Away’ which is a pet safe stain and odour remover spray. But there are plenty of these types of ‘pet odour eliminators’ or ‘pet cleaner sprays’ if you search online.
Whatever you do though, don’t use general house cleaners as some contain ammonia which, to a puppy, basically has the same scent as wee.
So you’ll clean the floor and your puppy will just smell wee everywhere and think it’s ok to pee in the same spot again!
If your puppy has done a wee on your carpet, sofa or bed, another thing you can do is use white vinegar and bicarbonate of soda.
These are lifesavers to keep in the cupboard to neutralize smells (although obviously you’ll need to patch test first!).
- Just soak up any excess wee with paper towels
- Clean the area with white vinegar and water
- Let the area dry out completely
- Sprinkle on the bicarbonate of soda
- Leave it there ideally for 24 hours
- Cover it over with a dry towel and keep your puppy off it
- Then vacuum over the affected area
That should remove the smell and stop your puppy wanting to wee there again!
Just try to deal with any accidents as soon as you notice them. The longer they’re there, the harder the scent will be to remove!
The more scent in the house, the more your puppy will want to wee in the house! And the more accidents in the house, the harder your puppy will be to potty train.
Your Puppy Didn’t Wee Before Bed
When you take your puppy out at 10pm or 11pm, you need to be sure they’ve done a wee. It can be quite hard to tell sometimes, especially when it’s dark.
For males, you can have a quick look underneath to see if they’re wet. For females, it can be a bit harder to tell but just do your best.
If you know your puppy hasn’t wee’d, you have to wait it out.
Go in and out of your home until they do because they need to wee before bed!
You Didn’t Get Up To Take Your Puppy Out In The Night
If your puppy keeps having accidents overnight or is crying to go outside during the night, then it’s highly likely they just can’t hold it that long.
Puppies have small bladders and, depending on the breed, it takes around 3-4 months for them to be able to hold it right through the night.
So, until they get to that point, you have to get up in the night to take them out at least once and possibly twice – to start with anyway.
Some puppies are better at holding it than others. But, if you keep waking up to accidents, you need to re-think the night-time routine.
Your Puppy’s Crate Is Too Big
If you used a crate for your puppy to sleep in but they keep having accidents, then you may find the size of crate you’re using is too big.
They need enough room to get up and turn around comfortably, but not so much room that they can pee down one end and sleep at the other.
The natural instinct dogs have to ‘keep their den clean’ won’t kick in if the area they sleep in is too large!
Your Puppy Feels Anxious When Alone
When you first get your puppy, they may feel anxious if they’re not with you or can’t see you at night. They’ve been used to having their mom and siblings with them all the time.
So, if you sleep too far way from your new puppy in those first few weeks, they may get anxious and have accidents during the night.
Try to remember that everything is new to them and they may need some time to settle in and adjust.
That’s why it’s much better to have your puppy in a crate beside your bed for the first few weeks or months and then gradually move them further away – only if you want to of course!
They need to be able to hear you and see you so they feel reassured when they sleep.
Your Family Isn’t On The Same Page With Dog Training
There may be several people living in your home, and that means everyone will play a part in your puppy’s training.
But, if one person is saying and doing one thing and another person is saying and doing something else – and the children aren’t sticking to any of the training rules – then confusion will set in and your puppy may start having accidents in the home!
Even if you’re all using different command words. For example, one person says ‘go potty’ and another says ‘wee wee’, this can confuse a puppy and set you back with potty training.
Everything you do has to be consistent and repetitive.
So, however many family members you have living in your home, remember to go through the rules and routine together – so that everyone is on the same page!
Your Puppy Is Unwell
Not all potty training accidents are what they seem.
If your puppy is constantly or uncontrollably weeing and you’re concerned there may be something medically wrong with them, your first port of call is always your Vet.
It could be a medical condition like a urinary tract infection (or UTI) that may need treatment.
If they have diarrhea, you also need to rule out any more serious conditions. This is especially important when they’re young.
How Do I Stop My Puppy Having Potty Accidents?
This is how to stop your puppy having potty accidents:
Take Your Puppy Back To Basics
If your puppy keeps having potty accidents inside your home, they might not understand where it is you want them to potty.
They may be confused about what they’re being asked to do.
In this situation, it’s best to start the routine again and take things back to basics.
Watch Your Puppy More Closely
This biggest change you can make is to watch your puppy more closely when you’re inside and ask others to help you too.
As soon as you see any signs they need to potty, go straight back outside again. This is pretty intensive at first, but it’s only until they’re toilet trained.
Pick your Puppy up
If you catch your puppy mid-wee, don’t panic! Interrupt them by saying say ‘No!’ and then, if you can, pick them up immediately and take them straight outside.
When you pick your puppy up, they should stop weeing and hold their bladder. This should give you enough time to get outside and on to the grass.
For larger breeds, picking them up may not be so easy. But, for small and medium sized breeds, this works a treat!
Make Sure You Go Outside With Your Puppy
To start with, you need to make sure you’re going outside with your puppy.
That means putting on your shoes and standing outside with them while they potty.
That way you can instantly reward them to teach them what to do.
Smear Your Puppy’s Poop Outside
If your puppy keeps pooing inside, you need to deal with it right away!
So, even though it’s a bit gross, take your puppy’s poo and smear it on the grass outside where you ideally want them to go potty.
This should give them a scent and encourage them to go outdoors.
Take Your Puppy Outside Regularly
It’s important to take your puppy out at regular intervals throughout the day so you’re setting them up for success.
Try to stick to the potty routine as best you can as young puppies can’t hold their small bladders for long. You also need to take them out after sleep, food and any playtime.
This routine will calm down as soon as they start getting the hang of things!
Learn Your Puppy’s Potty Routine
Start writing down all the times your puppy wees and poos over the course of the next few weeks.
That way you can see if you can figure out their daily potty routine.
Doing this will help you plan your day around their potty training needs.
Get Up During The Night
If your puppy keeps having accidents during the night, make sure you get up to take them out.
Don’t wait for them to cry. Set your alarm for 2am and get into a regular routine.
If that doesn’t work, set another alarm for 4am and see if that improves things in a couple of weeks.
Give Your Puppy High Value Dog Treats
The vast majority of puppies love their food, but some packet dog training treats might not be motivating enough. So maybe try a piece of fresh chicken as an extra special treat!
However, this is just to get you started.
Just be sure not to feed any high-fat dog treats regularly as they won’t be good for your puppy’s health.
Don’t React When Your Puppy Has A Potty Accident
If you notice a wee on the carpet but don’t see your puppy doing it, you just have to clean it up and ignore it.
If you react, they won’t have a clue what you’re talking about.
The only time you can correct the behaviour is if you see your puppy showing signs they need to potty or they’re in the middle of doing a wee or poop on the floor.
Clean Up After Your Puppy
Floors need to be cleaned thoroughly after any accidents. Use a special enzymatic pet cleaner to get rid of all traces of the scent.
Household cleaners that contain ammonia won’t work as they have the same scent as wee.
And you don’t want your puppy smelling the scent of wee or poo in your home and thinking it’s ok to go in the same spot again!
Should I Shout At My Puppy When They Potty Indoors?
No! You should never shout at your puppy for having a potty accident indoors.
The only time you can correct any undesirable behavior is if you see your puppy moving into the wee or poo position. The rest of the time, they won’t have a clue what you’re angry about.
If you shout or get angry, your puppy will just end up being anxious or frightened of you and won’t understand.
This could make them feel like they have to hide away and potty under the table!
Should I Use A Crate To Potty Train My Puppy?
Yes, crates are helpful for potty training. The reason they work so well is because a puppy’s natural instinct is to keep their ‘den’ clean.
Basically, they don’t like to wee and poop where they eat and sleep so will learn to hold their bladder for longer.
However, crates must be used safely and responsibly. Only for short times throughout the day and overnight when you can’t watch your puppy.
Should I Use Puppy Pads To Potty Train My Puppy?
No, puppy pads can be very confusing for a puppy and don’t always work long-term. They teach a puppy to potty inside and can turn into a habit that’s very difficult to overcome.
It’s much better to work on the potty routine early on so there’s no confusion along the way.
However, if you’re out at work during the day, live in an apartment, or don’t have a safe and private garden or yard for your puppy to be outside in, you may want to consider using a ‘real grass patch’. This basically consists of some real turf in a box (not the artificial plastic turf).
That way your puppy learns what you want them to do in future, so will be much more likely to potty on grass when you do eventually go out for walks (after jabs of course!).
There are plenty of grass patch subscription companies around, like PiddlePatch here in the UK. They offer soil free grass where no chemicals or pesticides have been used.
So, if you have the option, real grass patches are a much better alternative to puppy pads!
Should I Use A Puppy Pen To Potty Train My Puppy?
Yes, a puppy pen can be helpful to confine your puppy to a specific area in your home. It’s bigger than a crate so your puppy can play there.
However, the space is no longer confined so they will also wee and poo there if not watched or taken outside enough.
When Can I Relax The Potty Training Schedule?
Once you’ve had more than 10 successes in the right toilet spot outside, you can then change up the amount of times you take your puppy outside a day.
Maybe go out once every hour instead of every 30 minutes. Then, once every two hours – and so on.
You need to use your own judgement on this, and figure out the sweet spot with regard to timings.
Just don’t leave it too long between trips outside as that’s when potty accidents happen.
And, the more accidents that happen inside the house, the more confusion sets in about where your puppy’s toilet spot is!
How Long Does It Take To Potty Train A Puppy?
It takes around 3 weeks to 6 months to fully potty train a puppy. This will depend how quick your puppy picks it up and how consistent you are with training them.
Some dog breeds are more stubborn that others, so you will need patience and to set aside time.
So, there you have it! Potty training can be hard and your puppy may wee or poo on the floor at first. This is normal! You just need to stick to the new potty routine and watch them really closely for signs they need to go. It can take a while for a new puppy to learn potty training so just keep going and don’t give up!
What do I do next?
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