All you need to know to Potty Train your new puppy

Congratulations! You have just brought home the most beautiful and perfect puppy in the whole world!

We all think that, right? No different than our baby when we come home from the hospital. We have the perfect one! You’ve looked forward to bringing this puppy home for so long; now you get to hug it, kiss it, and snuggle with it! Yes! But, there is real work to be done and that starts now, too. One of the biggest concerns most new puppy owners have is about POTTY TRAINING. Ooof. Some puppies are easy, some are a nightmare (but still perfect!).

Let’s dive right in! This new puppy of yours has been exposed to so many new things in the six to eight weeks of its life before it comes home with you. New foods, new smells, new things to explore, etc. But, most likely he/she has a daily routine at the humane society or breeder's house. That all changes in your new environment. But, one thing stays the same……everything needs to potty. Start a new routine immediately! Routines help us feel more comfortable, even in new settings.

How often should your puppy go outside? Initially, once every hour. They are small, and their bladders don’t have a large capacity. Also, some puppies have not had an introduction to pottying outside yet, and are used to being in a large flex pen where they can potty wherever and whenever they want. Going outside once an hour will hopefully catch them before they urinate inside.

As you get your puppy ready to go outside, always say the same thing: “Let’s go outside to potty!” or something similar. Make sure that when you are outside with your puppy it is all business. Limit your time outside to 5 minutes. Repeat your key “potty” phrase while outside: “Let’s go potty” or “Time to potty” or whatever you choose. If your puppy goes potty, it is celebration time! Seriously! Who doesn’t like to get rewarded for doing something awesome? Make sure that the reward is given INSTANTLY. As your puppy is squatting, you have the treat held out for them and are saying “Good Dog!” This shows them instantly that they are rewarded for good behavior. 

Oftentimes pet owners give the treat once they are back in the house. Do not! Not only has your puppy pottied outside, but he/she has also chased a butterfly or squirrel, rolled around in the grass, etc. They have no idea what they are being praised for. Again, instant rewards result in much faster potty training. You won’t always have to give them a treat (unless you want to); a simple good dog(!) will suffice in the future.

This doesn’t mean that your puppy can only be outside for 5 minutes every time you are out there. Of course there will be times when you are out running around the yard, playing ball, etc, maybe even for hours at a time. But, if the only reason for going outside is to potty, it’s all business, and five minutes max. Many people are worried about potty training in the middle of winter. I think it can be easier. Who wants to be out there on some of those frigid days….your puppy may feel the same way and make fast work of pottying so they can go back inside!

Many puppies are easily distracted and some may not go potty every time you take them outside. If that is the case and the five minutes is up, we happily go back inside, and we go in our crate for five minutes. What, in the crate? Yes, the crate is a wonderful training tool. Click here to read my full post on the benefits of crating your dog. The crate should only be big enough for your dog to turn around and lay down. I know that may sound harsh, but that is all the room they need. Dogs do not like to urinate where they have to sleep.

If you give them too much room inside the crate, they may urinate or defecate in one side, and lay down in the other. Also, the crate is meant to be a positive place. This is not a punishment for not pottying outside, it is simply a place for the puppy to stay for five minutes while you do something around the house before going outside immediately again. Too often I hear the story that the puppy wouldn’t potty outside, but goes immediately on the floor once coming back inside. The crate will safeguard against this. After five minutes is up, go back and give the puppy a hug, repeat your potty phrase while putting the leash back on, and head back outside. This may happen a couple times, but as soon as your puppy goes potty and gets that instant treat, back inside we go for another hour of play around the house. After a week or so of the every hour potty trips, try extending it to two hours in between going outside. Everyone makes mistakes, and so will your puppy, but with this gradual increase in “free time” inside between potty breaks outside, potty training tends to be a much smoother process.

How about overnight? Are we supposed to get up every hour and go outside? Absolutely not. What I recommend for all new puppy owners is to go out twice at night for the first couple weeks, then once per night for the next couple weeks, then see if your puppy can make it through the night by 12 or 13 weeks of age. It goes without saying to not let them drink a whole bowl of water right before bedtime. If you usually go to bed around 9:30 PM, try setting an alarm for midnight and 3AM, with the thought that you will probably be up around 6 or 6:30 for the day and the next trip outside. If you are at the once a night trips outside, maybe try 1:30 AM. Again these trips are ALL BUSINESS. This is not playtime. An instant treat outside for going potty, and hug before going back in the crate (if you are using one overnight), and that is it.

What are my feelings on puppy pads? Ugh.......... I think they are very confusing.

If you have a small dog that will only be going potty inside in a designated location, great, I think that is a good use for them. However, if you start out allowing your dog to potty on pads inside, but want to convert them to only pottying outside, I feel it adds a lot of confusion and slows down the process. Why is it okay to pee inside today but not tomorrow? Again, with the five minutes, all business rule outside, why not get out there right away?

Once you feel your puppy has the hang of knowing where to potty, feel free to give them more time and more freedom around the house. It’s normal to have a setback here or there, but once they get it, they’ve got it!

Good luck!