How to Potty Train a Puppy
So you have a new puppy. Congratulations! One of the common questions I get asked is how to potty train them, so here I’m putting the potty training guide I’ve used and found effective over the last 25+ years.
As with anything, there are exceptions to these rules. Overall, the developmental points stand.
The first thing to remember is that at 2-3 months, your puppy can’t always (can’t usually) tell when he has to pee; he’s not sure what it feels like to have a full bladder, yet.
The second thing to remember is that she can’t fully empty her bladder. That takes the awareness that you need to bear down to empty your bladder, which she probably won’t start doing until the end of the 3-month mark.
Translating Dog Puppy Potty Schedule:
1. The second they wake, we go out to potty. We stay out there for 5-10 minutes playing so they have a chance to pee multiple times.
2. We go inside, they have breakfast, and we go outside again pretty much immediately to potty. We stay out there until they pee and poop.
3. As long as they’re up, I take them out to potty every 15-20 minutes, and I also keep a close eye on them inside. If they start sniffing and circling, they probably need to pee and we go out to go potty. If they start playing hard, we go out to go potty. (It speeds things up.)
4. After an hour or two, they go in their crate for a 3-ish hour nap. When they get up, we go out to pee.
5. In the afternoon and evening I take them out to pee every 20-30 minutes. (I start at 20 with 2 month olds, and 30 with three month olds.) I still take them out additionally if they play hard or sniff in circles.
As long as they’re not in their crate, I repeat this 20-30 minute schedule, increasing the length of time between potty breaks every week or so. At around 4 months things get easier, because they start understanding how it feels to have to pee, and start emptying their bladders fully.
When I have a puppy, I’m so strict about this schedule that I actually set a timer every time we come in, so that I don’t get distracted and give the puppy a chance to pee in the house. Only during crated naps do I stop the routine and get some things done! I give young puppies 2-3 naps a day, each lasting for at least 1 hour, and as long as the puppy remains asleep (often 3-4 hours). Puppies at this age can sleep up to 20 hours out of every 24! There’s a lot of growing happening in their brains and bodies, and they need sleep to do it.
Hang in there, new parents. It’ll get better!
Jenna
