Training a puppy to understand the concept of potty training may be difficult but it is not impossible!
Simple Steps
If you can't fully supervise your puppy, kennel them.
Keep them on a food, water, and kennel schedule.
See our 'Potty Training Schedule' post for a reference example.
Shortly after playtime, take them out.
Proper reward and praise are key!
Puppy Rule of Thumb
1 hour : 1 month of age
For example:
A 2 month old puppy should be taken out to go potty (at least) every 2 hours
Pro Tips & Tricks
Let them hang out and play outside for a little while after using the restroom. This is so they don’t associate going potty with having to come back inside. Some dogs will delay going potty to avoid coming back inside.
Treats and praise when they potty outside.
If they do potty in the house, just pick them up and take them outside - they’ll likely potty again and you can reward that! If they’re actively pottying inside, there isn’t much you can do. If you punish it, it causes them to be fearful of pottying in front of you, resulting in them sneaking off to go potty behind your back. So, it's just one of those “oh well” things. Take them out, reward the potty outside, and try again next time.
If you have multiple dogs and they're too busy playing with each other to potty, try separating them to go potty first and then let them play.
Nighttime & Naptime
YES, you will have to get up in the night to follow along with their potty schedule!
Puppies sleep 14+ hours a day, so it is perfectly fine to let them hang out in their kennels during the day. But definitely make sure they get a nap in at the minimum - like kids, puppies can become little terrors from lack of sleep. If you don’t put them in the kennel, keep them in a blocked-off area so they don’t wander off and potty somewhere. As they age and their bladders mature, we will progressively give them more space and freedom!
Potty Pads
NO “potty pads” inside the house. Period.
You can put them on the bottom of the kennel for easy cleanup but know there is a chance they will just shred them up.
Gotta go, gotta go, gotta go right now!
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