Before You Start Potty Training Your Puppy, Do These 6 Things

If anyone ever told you potty training your puppy was easy, they are nuts. Potty training is one of the trickiest, yet most important things to teach your new pup. Besides teaching your puppy his/her name, I would argue that housetraining your puppy is the first thing to focus on. There are a number of different approaches to housetraining your puppy. Before you determine what will work best for your living situation, it is best to do your own research ahead of time and make a plan. 

We made so many housetraining mistakes with Navy, because of this, she was so incredibly difficult to potty train. At about five months of age she reverted back to her old ways and we had to start from scratch and retrain her. This was not fun for us or our roommates. Needless to say, we learned a lot of hard lessons potty training Navy which helped us potty train Duke relatively quick.

Through our personal experiences and research we made a list of five tips to consider when housetraining your new puppy.

1. Create a structured schedule
This is the most important thing to consider when housetraining your puppy. We tried to create a strict feeding and potty schedule with both Navy and Duke. However, things happen and schedules shift. A good rule of thumb we’ve been taught is to always let your puppy relieve himself first thing in the morning, before bed, after eating, drinking, and immediately after waking up from a nap. 

Monitor your new puppy for the first few days home. When do they normally have accidents in the house? For Duke it was first thing in the morning and about 15 minutes after play or feeding. It doesn’t hurt to create a spreadsheet or list of when your puppy successfully relieves himself outdoors and when he tends to have accidents inside.

2. Invest in proper clean-up materials
When your puppy makes a mess, don’t make a fuss. Just clean it up right away. By cleaning their accident right away and using the proper spray, you can help prevent future accidents! 

Not all cleansing sprays are created equal! When purchasing supplies for your new puppy, look for an enzyme-based cleanser with odor remover. Enzymes don’t just mask the odor, they break up uric acid crystals and destroy the odor causing bacteria. In short, you do not want your puppy to smell any trace of their mess and think it is okay to continue to relieve themselves there. 

We are big fans of all Nature’s Miracle stain and odor removing products. We have a bottle of their hard surface spray as well as their oxy pet stain and odor remover for all surfaces. 

3. Create boundaries indoors
When you bring a puppy home, he will be curious and want to explore. I do not recommend giving your puppy free reign of the house right away. That is a recipe for disaster. We made this huge mistake with Navy and it took us months to correct. Limit your new puppy to a section of the house and over time allow them to explore more. Duke is limited to his crate in our bedroom and play time in our gated off kitchen area. 

We are big fans of crate training in our home. Pet-training professionals believe crate training is the most effective way to potty train your puppy. Puppies generally don’t like to sleep near where they relieve themselves so they may whine or cry when they need to be let out. But remember, the crate should be your puppy’s safe space. It should never be used as a form of punishment.

4. Decide whether or not you will use puppy pads
Training your dog to potty outside is ideal, however this is not an option for all living situations and potty pads provide an alternative. Puppy pads are great for a lot of reasons; if you do not have a yard of your own or you are physically unable to make frequent trips outside, potty pads may be an option for you.

I have mixed feelings about puppy pads which is why we chose not to use them. We brought Navy home when we lived in an older, fully carpeted, high-rise apartment building. Zach and I quickly realized we could not walk her outside as often as she needed to relieve herself without an accident indoors. We knew we wanted her to learn to relieve herself on the ground. Ultimately, Zach built a grass sod potty pad for her to relieve herself on our balcony which truly helped us in Navy’s potty training journey.

5. Praise your puppy for relieving themselves outside

When you first bring your puppy home they will not have any idea that they are supposed to go potty outside. It is your job to show them that going outside is a good thing! I recommend purchasing a treat pouch or lining your pockets with treats and praising your puppy each time they relieve themselves outdoors. Give your pup some credit, they will catch on that relieving themselves outdoors means more treats and accidents inside do not result in treats. 

6. Remain calm and acknowledge accidents will happen
I know you’ll want to, but try your best not to yell when your puppy has an accident. Puppy training is very frustrating, I know, but studies show that yelling at your dog or rubbing their nose in their waste does more harm than good. When an accident does happen the only thing you can do is clean it up and take your puppy outside immediately.

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Remember that all dogs are different and there is no one-size-fits-all to puppy training. Patience and persistence are key to potty training. Also, the time it takes to fully potty train your puppy will vary. But by remembering these six points and staying consistent, your puppy should learn in no time! 

How long did it take you to potty train your puppy? What worked best for you?

Did you like this post? Read one of our other Puppy 101 blog posts!