House training a new puppy or shelter dog is usually one of your first goals when you come home. Successful potty training for dogs is about consistency, patience, and positive reinforcement; the goal is to instill good habits since the start and to build a loving bond with your pet.
Everyone—whether two- or four-legged—is happier when the puppy knows the rules of the road about where and when to go potty. In this guide we share our expert advice to potty train your pup in 5 simple steps.
That largely depends on how consistent you are and how long your puppy can hold it. It typically takes 4-6 months for a puppy to be fully house trained, but some puppies may take up to a year. Size can be a predictor, for instance, smaller breeds have smaller bladders and higher metabolisms and require more frequent trips outside. Consider that puppies begin to master their toilet bowls after the first three months of age, so we recommend starting potty training from that age on.
At the beginning of training your puppy to go to the bathroom, confining the pup to a defined space is highly recommended, whether that means in a crate, in a room or on a leash. As your puppy learns that they need to go outside to do their business, you can gradually give them more freedom to roam about the house.
Find a spot that will become the “potty spot,” (outdoors or indoors) and always take your dog to the same spot on leash at least once every 30 minutes while you are home. Make sure that you do this on frequent, regular intervals, six to eight times a day: after eating, drinking, playing, or sleeping. At night, one or two outings are enough for most puppies.
Pro Tip: Feed your puppy at set times each day, and remove the food bowl after 20 minutes. This will create regular intervals in which the puppy will have to go to the bathroom.
Stand still and quietly, wait until the puppy has finished pottying. You don’t want to interrupt the puppy and have them finish that potty indoors!
Pro Tip: If the puppy is learning to relieve themselves, creating noise or distracting him will hinder their learning.
As soon as you’re sure the puppy is done pottying, praise lavishly. Say “good boy/girl!” then give the pup a yummy treat.
Pro Tip: While your puppy is making his/her bowel movements, if you repeat the same phrase (for example, "go potty" ) every time your puppy goes outside to relieve himself, they will understand that this phrase means that it is the right time and the suitable place to remove.
After the puppy relieves themselves successfully, play with the puppy outdoors, or give the puppy up to 15 minutes of carefully supervised time in the house (whichever the puppy prefers).
Pro Tip: If the puppy does not pee or poop, that’s OK—take the puppy back to a confinement area for 10 to 20 minutes, and then outside again.
Repeat these steps throughout the day.
Make sure to pay attention to the signs that tell you that your puppy wants to go to the bathroom: whining, circling, sniffing, barking, or scratching at the door, are all signs they need to go. Take them out right away.
Pro Tip: Proper management and supervision are crucial to successful house training.
A FREE phone consultation is available for all dogs.
We do appointments by scheduling only as we are not open to the public. No dog is permitted on our property without undergoing a complete behavior assessment and temperament test.
“Hi Dillon, After conferring with Nicholas, I can confidently give the following opinion of the effect of your training: We adopted a 4 year old Doberman from our local animal shelter, where he was described as “smiling" and not aggressive with other shelter dogs. Within a few weeks in our house his true personality emerged; while he was happy to go on walks, he was very aggressive with approaching dogs. Three times he snapped at a family member who came into my son's room or approached my son unexpectedly. He also bit me twice resulting in stitches. The veterinarian recommended returning him to the animal shelter, having him euthanized or administering a high dose of a sedative daily. At that point, I contacted Dillon of Full Potential K-9 to come to my son's apartment and do a behavioral evaluation. The "smiling" trait, he said, was actually an aggressive expression in certain cases, but he felt that the Doberman was one he could work with. Dillon picked the dog up at my son's apartment and worked with him for 4 weeks in a board and train situation. During that time, Dillon sent texts, pictures, and videos to describe progress and lingering problems. Now the dog is off sedatives, much friendlier to visitors, and obeys commands well on walks and in public. Dillon was realistic, though, about the Doberman needing to be my son's only dog. So, in summary, Dillon has an accurate eye for evaluating and correcting canine behavior and is honest in telling us what problems still remain. The photos of our dog at Dillon's home look like he is having fun there and is treated as a member of the family, so I would definitely send our dog back for further training or boarding as needed.”
