Welcome Puppy!
Our welcome kit for new puppies
This welcome kit highlights the services offered at our hospital and additional information on preventative medicine, common health problems of pets, grooming, microchipping, trainingtips and local emergency services.
Puppy Potty Training
Before we dive in…
Congratulations on your new puppy! It’s important to note a few things before starting:
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Potty training a puppy calls for vigilance, patience, commitment, and, above all, consistency.
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It may take several weeks or longer to train your puppy. The closer you follow this guide, the faster your puppy will learn acceptable behavior.
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Accidents are expected— it’s part of living with a puppy! These tips should help minimize accidents and, in a short time, train your puppy to go potty outside.
The Wrong (and Right) Way to Handle Accidents
Accidents are a normal part of house training. What matters is how you handle it.
DO NOT punish a puppy for accidents. If you find a soiled area, it’s too late to administer any corrections. Just clean it up and move on.
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Rubbing their nose in it, taking them to the spot and scolding them, or any other punishment will make them afraid of you or of going to the bathroom in your presence. Punishment will do more harm than good.
If you catch them in the act, interrupt your puppy with a startling noise (while being careful not to scare them) or say “OUTSIDE” and immediately take them to their bathroom spot. If they finish going outside, praise them, and give them a treat.
Clean the area thoroughly, as puppies are very motivated to continue soiling the same spots. Ask us about our favorite pet stain cleaning products!
If you allow them to have too many accidents, they may get confused about where they’re supposed to go, and you’ll have a harder time house training. To minimize the number of accidents, keep reading for our favorite potty training tips!
Establish a Routine and Take Them Outside Frequently
Puppies do best on a regular schedule, which helps them know there are times to eat, times to play, and times to potty. Feeding your puppy at the same times each day will also make it more likely that they’ll go potty at consistent times as well, and that will make house training easier.
As a general rule, puppies can control their bladder one hour for every month of age. For example, a two-month-old can hold it for approximately two hours.
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If you work outside the home, you can find a trusted person or hire a dog walker to give the puppy their breaks.
Puppies should be taken outside immediately after waking up, during and after playtime, and after eating and drinking. We recommend taking your puppy outside for a potty break every two hours, if possible.
Pick a Bathroom Spot Outside
Find a specific spot outside for your puppy to learn to go potty, and always take them to that spot using a leash. While they’re doing their business, use a word or phrase like “go potty” that you can eventually use before they go to remind them what to do.
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You should save longer walks and playtime for after potty time.
Pick Up Your Puppy’s Water Dish Before Bed
To reduce the likelihood that they’ll need to potty during the night, pick up their water bowl about two and a half hours before bedtime.
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Most puppies can sleep for about 7 hours without a bathroom break.
If your puppy does wake you up at night, don’t make a big deal of it, or they may think it’s time to play. Turn on as few lights as possible and don’t talk or play with your puppy. Take them outside to do their business, and return them to bed.
Supervise & Tether Your Puppy
Keep an eye on them when indoors— don’t give them an opportunity to have an accident!
When not actively training or playing with your puppy, tether them to you or a nearby piece of furniture with a six-foot leash and watch for signs they need to go.
Reward Your Puppy When They Go Potty Outdoors
Praise them or give them a treat immediately after they’ve done their business (and not after they come back in the house!) Rewarding your dog for going potty outside is the only way they’ll know what’s expected of them.Puppies are easily distracted! Make sure to let them finish before rewarding them or they may wait to finish until back in the house.
Barking, scratching at the door, squatting, restlessness, sniffing around, or circling are common signs that you need to grab the leash and immediately take them to their established bathroom spot outside. If they successfully go potty outside, praise them and reward them with a treat.
During the house training process, it’s best to treat the yard like any other room in your house. Give them freedom in the house and yard only after they’re reliably house-trained.
When You’re Away
When you’re unable to watch your puppy at all times, they should be confined to an area small enough that they can comfortably stand, lie down, and turn around in, but not go potty. You can use a portion of a room blocked off with baby/ puppy gates.
You may want to learn how to crate train your puppy and use the crate when you’re away, but be sure to do so humanely. For guides on crate training, you can check out [insert link]
A puppy under six months of age can’t be expected to control their bladder for more than a few hours at a time. If you have to be away from home for more than four or five hours a day, now may not be the best time to get a puppy (consider giving an older dog a home!)
If you already have a puppy and are away for long periods of time, you can:
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Arrange for someone to take them out for potty breaks
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Train them to go in a specific area indoors (be cautious, that could prolong the house training process).
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Train them to go on puppy potty pads or newspapers, though it may make them resistant to doing their business on any other surface.