How to Toilet Train Your New Puppy

Follow my potty training guidelines to give your puppy the best possible start.

Toilet training a puppy requires patience, commitment, and consistency — as well as the knowledge that a few potty accidents may occur along the way.

In This Article

• When Should You Begin Toilet Training Your Puppy?
• How Long Does It Take to Toilet Train A Puppy?
• What Supplies Do I Need To Toilet Train My Puppy?
• A Step By Step Guide On Toilet Training Your Puppy At Home
• How To Prevent Accidents During A Puppy’s Toilet Training
• What To Do If Your Puppy Has An Accident Inside Your Home?
• How To Toilet Train A Puppy While Working From Home
• How To Toilet Train A Puppy While At Work
• How To Toilet Train A Puppy At Night

WHEN SHOULD YOU BEGIN TOILET TRAINING YOUR PUPPY?

Toilet training should begin as soon as your puppy enters the front door. A puppy’s bladder is extremely weak at 8–12 weeks old which means it will take a while before your puppy learns to fully control their bladder. The sooner you get started, the better the results.

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO TOILET TRAIN A PUPPY?

As a general rule, it can take anywhere between 4–6 weeks to toilet train a puppy. However, this may vary, a puppy’s ability to learn is influenced by many factors, including breed, weight, size, age, and ability to consume knowledge.

Did you know (in some cases) it can take as little as one week to toilet train a puppy? Although, as mentioned above, it can take a few weeks before your puppy is able to hold their bladder for any significant period, so they will need supervision until then.

WHAT SUPPLIES DO I NEED FOR TOILET TRAINING MY PUPPY?

Toilet training your puppy is a process, and there’s bound to be accidents — which is why cleaning supplies are essential for making it a more seamless process.

I have created a list of essential puppy house training supplies below:

• Puppy Pads
• Puppy crate
• Pooper Scooper
• Stain & Odor Cleaner
• Poo Bags
• Puppy Barriers
• Treats (to act as a reward)
• Leash & Collar

A STEP BY STEP GUIDE ON TOILET TRAINING YOUR PUPPY AT HOME

Puppies are easily distracted; add a new environment, smells, faces, and other pets to the mix and it can be quite a difficult task getting their attention. Not to mention it’s often a completely new experience for them within the first few days in your home.

The key to success comes down to two factors; patience and positive reinforcement. Establishing a regular training schedule helps to boost their confidence, build trust, and set boundaries to decrease the likelihood of undesirable behavioral traits forming later.

1. CREATE A TOILET TRAINING SCHEDULE FOR YOUR PUPPY

To be more successful in toilet training your puppy, create a schedule around their feeding times. Puppies need to be fed three times per day until they’re four months old. Puppies that are fed on a consistent schedule become regular in their potty habits (going to the toilet).

Take your puppy to their designated toilet area at these key times of the day:

• Immediately they wake up in the morning
• After meal times
• After playtime or training sessions
• Before going to bed

Important note: Avoid feeding a large meal before confinement (restricting their movement). Similarly, your dog’s last feeding of the day should be a few hours before bedtime.

2. DESIGNATE A TOILET TRAINING AREA FOR YOUR PUPPY

I recommend sectioning off a small area indoors for your puppy to be toilet trained, before introducing them to the rest of the house. This will allow you to monitor your puppy’s behavior more closely throughout the day.

To be able to properly monitor your puppy, we advise you to use a leash to make sure your puppy doesn’t run away from you when you’re not looking. Getting a puppy used to a leash takes time, but with a lot of encouragement (and treats), they’ll learn to be comfortable with the idea. Once you’ve managed to clip on the collar and attach the leash, allow them to walk through the room to get used to the smells and their surroundings. If you’re training your puppy to go to the toilet outside then i suggest walking to the designated area with your puppy on a leash to prevent them from running off. As soon as they’ve finished eliminating, be sure to reward them with plenty of praise (and treats) in the beginning; positive reinforcement is the key to success.

Dog owners can also use a crate. When introduced to your puppy properly, crates can be a really useful tool for speeding up the toilet training process.

3. INTRODUCE A COMMAND

As soon as your puppy starts to sniff, circle, or paw at the ground, it usually means they need to go to the toilet. When you notice this behavior, introduce a cue command such as “go toilet” so that they know to associate going to the toilet with your chosen command.

As soon as they’ve finished, encourage their behavior through verbal praise such as ‘good job’ or ‘yes’ and reward them with a treat (if on hand).

Eventually, you can use the command to encourage your puppy to go to the toilet in various situations. Training your puppy to go to the toilet on command is particularly useful for when you’re in a rush to get somewhere or heading off on a road trip.

4. POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT IS ALWAYS THE BEST PRACTICE

As i mentioned earlier, it’s imperative to your puppy’s training that they receive plenty of praise whenever they do something good, (like going to the toilet in the area you designated for them).

The easiest way to show your puppy they’ve done the right thing is through verbal praise. Using words such as ‘good boy’ or ‘well done’ will encourage a puppy to continue their good behavior, and help them to learn more quickly. Treats are a big help too, but use them sparingly.

5. LOOK FOR SIGNS THAT YOUR PUPPY NEEDS TO GO TO THE TOILET

The easiest way to avoid a puppy eliminating indoors is by knowing the signs to look out for and acting on them before it’s too late. Here’s a list of common behavioral changes that often occur in puppies when they need to go to the toilet:

• Circling and pawing at the ground before squatting
• Barking or whining excessively
• Going to a door and scratching
• Sniffing or licking their genitals
• Revisiting a previously soiled area

6. REPEAT THE PROCESS

The moment your puppy shows a need to go to the toilet, be sure to pick them up and take them to their designated toilet area (whether that’s inside or outdoors). In time, this process will become natural for them and you won’t need to supervise your puppy as frequently.

Toilet training your puppy is all about rinse and repeat. When your puppy is finished doing their business outside, bring them in straight away, remember you don’t want them to associate the outdoors with ‘playtime’ just yet.

HOW TO PREVENT ACCIDENTS DURING A PUPPY’S TOILET TRAINING

There’s no easy way or ‘quick fix’ when it comes to preventing accidents. The most important thing to remember is that you must remain calm when your puppy has an accident and avoid any form of punishment. Punishing your puppy will only cause unnecessary stress which will prolong their learning process.

More often than not, getting angry at your puppy can encourage them to avoid you when going to the toilet which makes it difficult for you to teach them the correct behavior. To avoid this from occurring keep reading to find out the best practices for dealing with toilet training accidents.

ALWAYS SUPERVISE YOUR PUPPY

The most efficient way to recognize when your puppy needs to go to the toilet is through supervision. Puppy crates/playpens are also perfect for controlling a puppy’s movement.

In time, as they become more reliable — you can gradually increase their freedom, allowing them access to more areas in the house and not having to supervise them as frequently.

WHAT DO DO IF YOUR PUPPY HAS AN ACCIDENT INSIDE YOUR HOME?

Potty accidents are inevitable no matter how careful you are. Knowing how to deal with the situation will prepare you for whenever it happens (because there may be a next time) and allow you to deal with the situation more calmly.

If you catch your puppy, pick them up and place them in their designated toilet area. As they finish doing their business be sure to reward this behavior verbally.

HOW DO I PREVENT MY PUPPY FROM PEEING IN THE SAME AREA?

Puppies, like adult dogs, will return to the same area they’ve previously eliminated if you allow it, preventing this from happening really comes down to how you tackle the situation. If you’re trying to prevent your puppy from eliminating in the same area twice then be sure to follow these steps below:

1. If you witness your puppy relieving themselves in the house, quietly interrupt them and take them to their designated toilet area to finish. Even in this case, do not scold them because you will only slow down the learning process.
2. Clean the spot and make a note to intensify your supervision techniques.
3. Place your puppy’s favorite treats near the spot where they eliminated, (puppies don’t like to eat where they go to the toilet) so this will hopefully deter them from visiting this same spot twice.
4. Put your puppy in their crate or playpen when you have less time to supervise them.

Puppies are highly motivated to soil in areas where they’ve eliminated before so you must follow the above steps to ensure they don’t repeat this behavior.

HOW TO TOILET TRAIN A PUPPY WHILE WORKING FROM HOME

Creating a routine for your puppy to stick to will allow you to comfortably toilet train your puppy while you’re working from home. it’s impossible to supervise your puppy every minute of the day, especially if you have a full-time job. That is why training a puppy through the use of a crate is a game-changer for full-time workers.

Whether it’s a pressing deadline that needs to be met or a meeting that you’re trying to get through undisturbed, a puppy crate or playpen allows you to keep your puppy in a confined space while you focus on the work at hand.

Puppy pads (or potty pads) are another useful aid for toilet training your puppy. The greatest advantage of using puppy pads is the convenience — the clean-up is as easy as tossing away the old pad and laying down another in its place.

HOW TO TOILET TRAIN A PUPPY WHILE AT WORK

People with full-time jobs often resort to enlisting the services of a dog sitter or puppy daycare that can help facilitate the toilet training process when they’re not home. Alternatively, you can section off an area of your house using a playpen, whilst covering the floor with old newspapers for your puppy to do their business on.

Having said that, i don’t recommend leaving your puppy surrounded by their excreta for the whole day. If you’re going to leave your puppy for more than a couple of hours, then i suggest you enlist some help — whether it be a neighbor, relative, or dog sitter, to check up on your puppy during the day.

Leaving your puppy unsupervised in a crate or playpen with nothing to keep them busy can lead to anxious behavior that causes them to bark excessively or show signs of separation anxiety.

To keep your puppy entertained while you’re away, make sure you leave them with enough food and water, as well as their favorite toys.

HOW TO TOILET TRAIN A PUPPY AT NIGHT

To be successful in toilet training a puppy at night, calmly navigate them towards their toilet area before bedtime. At night, when they’re feeling sleepy, puppies will often fall asleep instead of going to the toilet — which is why you need to wait and check to see whether they’ve gone to the toilet or not.

The most important rules to remember when toilet training your puppy is proper supervision, implementing a toilet training schedule, and providing plenty of positive reinforcement. Combine that with a little patience and you’ll have a fully toilet trained puppy in no time.