Potty Training for Dogs : How to House Train a Puppy?

One of the biggest concerns for many dog owners is the mess associated with sharing your place with a dog. Chewing on shoes, destroying rugs, digging beds and scratching the furniture are common disruptive behaviors many dogs show. However, the most annoying thing is soiling the house due to the need for proper potty training.

If you’re dog owner, who is looking for the best way to potty train a puppy, this blog post comes to your rescue. Learn more about effective potty training techniques that simplify your daily routine. We will dive deep into potty training schedules and the reward system and discuss your supervision role.

Puppy Potty Training Techniques

Every dog has a unique personality that will impact how well they respond to your chosen training method. Luckily, you can choose from various options or switch your strategy if your dog doesn’t make much progress. Owners typically use crates or puppy pads to toilet train a puppy.

Potty training tips for dogs that can be useful:

• Provide consistent supervision to help your dog learn the rules of your household better.

• Arrange your potty breaks regularly to meet your dog’s physical needs.

• Manage their feeding schedule and water intake according to your dog’s age.

• Confine the dog if you can’t supervise them at the given moment.

• Don’t overreact or punish your dogs for accidents; they’re unavoidable parts of the potty training process.

Now, let’s discuss 6 crucial steps to ensure potty training success. 

Crate Training

Using a crate to potty train a puppy has proven to be one of the most efficient tools. As den creatures, most dogs enjoy spending time in a confined place. It provides them with a sense of safety and security.  So, if you feel reluctant to use a crate at first, view it as a safe spot for your dog to relax rather than restrict their movement.

Important: Make sure you introduce them to the crate in a gradual manner to avoid the development of negative associations regarding confinement.

Since dogs love their crates, they will try to keep them clean. This instinct lies at the core of incorporating a crate into your potty training routine. A dog will do their best to avoid urinating in their living space. Your job will be to track the signs your dog is about to go potty and help them do it elsewhere. 

When you use a crate for dog potty training, pay extra attention to choosing a crate of the correct size. It shouldn’t be too spacious or too small. The right-size crate doesn’t restrict your dog’s freedom of movement, so they can freely turn around and stand up in it. 

However, if it’s too big, your dog may decide that one corner is suitable for urinating while the rest of the area is a safe spot to lie in. That’s why it’s a good idea to opt for adjustable crates. Their design includes partitions, allowing you to change the crate size and accommodate your growing puppy.

Pro tip: You can also use puppy pads for paper training. This benefits people working long hours or staying away from home for a while. Your dog learns to go at the specifically arranged potty spot in your house. 

Be careful; this may send your dog mixed messages, as the key to successful potty training is to teach your dog to hold it until they’re outside. So, moving away from this method as your pup grows up is better.

Establishing a Potty Routine for Your Puppy

A crucial element is creating a puppy potty training schedule by age. Young pups have small bladders and can’t hold in urine for long. So, it’s your job to create opportunities for realistic bathroom breaks for your dog according to age. 

The number of hours a dog can hold in urine corresponds to their age in months (up to 9 months). For example, a 7-month-old puppy can wait for a toilet break for about seven hours.

However, these numbers may vary depending on your dog’s holding ability and the dog's size (smaller dogs hold for shorter periods than bigger dogs).

Approximate schedule of potty breaks suitable for a young puppy:

• Take the dog out first thing in the morning and right before sleeping at night.

• Arrange opportunities to go potty after eating, drinking, or playing indoors.

• Provide a potty break after time in a crate or a nap during the day.

Try your best to stick to the schedule. Your dog must learn that there are only specific places to go potty, and other spots in the house are off-limits. If you work long hours, consider hiring a dog walker or asking a friend to take your puppy outside when needed. 

Accident Management

Accept it: Accidents will happen. It’s not about your dog misbehaving or doing it to get revenge on you. They are simple mistakes in any learning process, including puppy pee training. That’s why you need to stay calm and avoid punishing your dog for doing their business in the wrong place.

When accidents do happen, ensure you clean the spot properly. Dogs’ sense of smell is much stronger than ours, so consider using special cleaners to get rid of the urine or poop smell. If you don’t clear it correctly, your dog may start treating this spot as the one designated for the toilet. 

Recognizing Puppy's Potty Signals

The success of the potty training process will largely depend on how well you understand your dog’s body language. You must observe your dog’s behavior to identify the signs of the need to pee or poo. However, some body language signals are standard for all dogs.

Puppy’s potty signals typically include:

• Sniffing the ground
• Squatting
• Walking in circles
• Hunching their backs

Whenever you see these or other individual behaviors indicating your dog should go potty, act on them. Take your pup on a leash and bring them to the spot designated for peeing and pooping. Praise and reward your dog for using the right place.

Puppy Feeding Schedule

As with bladder control, the amount of food your puppy can handle depends on their age. The younger the dog, the more immature their digestive system is. As a result, a young dog copes better with small meals throughout the day.

Ideally, your puppy’s feeding schedule should include three meals of high-quality food. Avoid overfeeding your puppy as it may result in diarrhoea, making potty training for puppies more challenging.

Another reason the feeding schedule is beneficial is that young puppies can’t hold their food for long. So, after feeding them, you can monitor their behavior closely and take them outside to do their business. It provides an excellent potty training opportunity.

When it comes to water consumption, don’t limit it when potty training a puppy. However, if the puppy is peeing during the night, consider removing the water bowl before bed and presenting it first thing in the morning.

Young dogs are prone to dehydrating quickly. So, even if you’re in the middle of potty training, ensure your dog can access adequate water daily.

Positive Reinforcement

Praise, reward, and encouragement work miracles when you need to teach your dog certain behaviors. Dogs are much more likely to repeat the activity when rewarded for following some steps. It makes positive reinforcement one of the most effective tools in dog training. 

Though some owners may still practice scolding or even such cruel punishments as rubbing the dog’s nose into the poop, we suggest staying away from such methods.

First, it doesn’t help. Second, remember that you and your dog are building a long-lasting relationship based on friendship. Punishments don’t allow you to form a bond with the dog. Since they’re also ineffective, there is no point in implementing them.

How you can use positive reinforcement in potty training for puppies:

• When you see signs that your dog wants to go potty (squatting, walking in circles, etc.), rush your dog outside or to the designated spot in your place.

• Praise success by cheering and clapping in front of your dog.

• Reward the dog with their favorite treats to build a positive association with doing their business in the right place.

If your dog fails and happens to pee where they shouldn’t, stay calm and neutral about the accident. Clean the place thoroughly to remove any leftover scents. Keep observing and supervising your dog to help them next time. 

Common Potty Training Challenges

Sometimes, potty training for puppies doesn’t go smoothly. The rule of thumb is that your dog should show progress in their potty training within several months.  If it doesn’t happen, you may be dealing with some underlying issues.

First, contact your vet to check your dog for any health conditions influencing the ability to hold urine. Physically healthy dogs who struggle with potty training can benefit from sessions with a professional trainer or a behavior specialist. 

1. A dog pees in the spot where they had an accident before

It usually happens because the place hasn’t been cleaned correctly. Even if you can’t smell anything, your dog’s receptors are much more sensitive. That’s why you should use dog stain-cleaning substances to eliminate any traces of urine. 

2. A dog soils in the crate

This may happen when the dog’s crate is too large, and they can distance themselves from the dirty corner. Another common reason is that a dog spends too much time in the crate, having no other option but to go potty in the crate. If this is the case, consider hiring a dog walker to meet your dog’s needs for outdoor breaks.

3. A dog piddles all over the place

This issue is common among toy dogs. The solution might be to use potty training pads or special potty boxes to help housetrain a small dog.

Wrap Up

Potty training for puppies requires your time, patience, and consistency. The best potty training method relies on your dog’s instincts, close supervision, and positive reinforcement. Even when accidents happen, treat them as learning opportunities. Develop a potty break schedule that considers your dog’s age and individuality to guarantee potty training success. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do dogs regress in potty training?

Most puppies regress in potty training when dealing with stress and anxiety. Possible situations in which dogs regress are rehoming, adding a new family member or pet, and drastic changes in routine. Occasionally, potty training regression can be a sign of health issues, like kidney stones or diabetes.

Are female dogs harder to potty train?

There is no evidence that female dogs experience more trouble when potty training. Small breeds may find it harder to house train, but these difficulties may also be connected to the dog’s personality. 

How often do you give puppy water during potty training?

Young dogs need to stay hydrated. So, ensure your growing dog can have around 2 cups of water every few hours. The exact amount depends on your dog’s size and breed.