How to Potty Train
In this post, I am going to share how we have potty trained all of our puppies! Keep in mind, potty training isn’t about what works best for others, but finding training process that works best for you and your puppy. We hope this works for you as well as it works for us!
I will be breaking down the training process into several phases and steps. Move onto the next phase when YOU feel you and your puppy are READY to!
Reward the behavior we want rather than disciplining and scolding the behaviors we don’t want.
Our overall idea in potty training is that we want to reward the behavior we want (positive reinforcement), rather than disciplining and scolding the behaviors we don’t want. This means, when your puppy goes potty on your nice living room rug that you have kept so tidy, hold back the hasty, “NO, NO, NO!” When your puppy potties outside in the grass, praise the mess out of them and reward them with treats and lots of pets! We like to use the phrase, “go potty,” when our puppies do their business. This helps when we take them out of the car on a long road trip and tell them, “go potty,” they know exactly what to do!
What you’ll need:
Small treats
Leash
Cleaning supplies for accidents
Towels for accidents
Phase One
Take your puppy out roughly every 20 minutes to the area where you want them to potty every time. If they don’t potty after 5 minutes, take them back inside and repeat.
If your puppy goes potty outside, immediately praise them in a happy voice, saying, “good girl!/boy! Go potty!” When they finish, continue praising and feed them 1 or 2 treats and pet them. Take them inside.
If your puppy potties inside, immediately pick them up and put them outside, spend 5 minutes outside, go back in and repeat the 1st step. Clean up the accident well, so there isn’t a smell leftover for the puppy to think that’s where they’re supposed to go.
If your puppy wakes you for the first time in the night after they have slept for longer than 20 minutes and haven’t pottied, take them out and follow the last 2 steps.
Once your puppy can hold it longer than 20 minutes and is having fewer accidents, move on to Phase Two.
Phase Two
Take your puppy out roughly every 30-45 minutes to the area where you want them to potty every time. If they don’t potty after 5 minutes, take them back inside and repeat.
If your puppy goes potty outside, immediately praise them in a happy voice, saying, “good girl!/boy! Go potty!” When they finish, continue praising and feed them 1 or 2 treats and pet them. Take them inside.
If your puppy potties inside, immediately pick them up and put them outside, spend 5 minutes outside, go back in and repeat the 1st step. Clean up the accident well, so there isn’t a smell leftover for the puppy to think that’s where they’re supposed to go.
If your puppy wakes you for the first time in the night after they have slept for longer than 30-45 minutes and haven’t pottied, take them out and follow the last 2 steps.
(Yes, Phase Two is basically the same as Phase One… I promise, the work is worth it!!)
Once your puppy can go 1 hour without having an accident inside, move onto Phase Three.
Phase Three
Take your puppy out roughly every hour to 1.5 hours to the area where you want them to potty every time. If they don’t potty after 5 minutes, take them back inside and repeat.
If your puppy goes potty outside, immediately praise them in a happy voice, saying, “good girl!/boy! Go potty!” When they finish, continue praising and pet them. Take them inside.
If your puppy potties inside, immediately pick them up and put them outside, spend 5 minutes outside, go back in and repeat the 1st step. Clean up the accident well, so there isn’t a smell leftover for the puppy to think that’s where they’re supposed to go.
If your puppy wakes you for the first time in the night after they have slept for longer than an hour and haven’t pottied, take them out and follow the last 2 steps.
(Yeah, again, Phase Three is basically the same as the other phases (but you’re seeing fewer accidents!!!) But there’s more to this phase!
Your puppy is ready to spend some time alone in the day. Practice your puppy’s potty training progress and leave your puppy alone for 20 minutes, 30 minutes, then an hour.
If there’s no accidents inside after that, you’re making great progress with your puppy!
If there has been an accident, it’s okay! Just keep practicing the last 2 phases and the last step.
Please remember these things about potty training:
It seems like a lot of work, but it won’t last forever!
All puppies, even well potty trained, have accidents from time to time. Don’t scold them when they have accidents, just keep rewarding them when they potty outside, where they’re supposed to.
Keep praising and encouraging your puppy when they potty where you want them to!!
That’s about it! If you have tried this method and have questions, please reach out to us!