Q&A for How to Potty Train a Puppy

Pups start to get an awareness of a full bladder at around 8 weeks of age. Before that, they have no ability to control when or where they pee. However, awareness is the first step on a long journey, so, by all means, start potty training but don't expect too much.

Consistency is crucial. This may mean taking time off work to be there to take the pup outside every 20-30 minutes when they are awake. Crate training will also help the 'penny drop' as it teaches the pup to hold on until taken outside. Then, be sure to stay with the pup in the yard so you are there to reinforce how clever they are when they do go in the right place.

Choose an appropriate toilet spot and take the pup there after a meal when they are more likely to need to go. Ignore the pup, so they don't get distracted, and wait for them to squat. Then praise the pup and say their cue words, such as 'Toilet'. Keep taking them to the toilet spot every 20-30 minutes when they're awake.

Winter throws in an added level of difficulty when the weather is bad. I would suggest choosing a toilet spot close to the house that's sheltered from the wind, rain, and snow. At least bad weather will help focus the pup's mind on the business at hand!

At times. However, establishing a routine for taking your puppy outside throughout the day will help.

It's not so much the dog doesn't listen, more that he doesn't understand what you want him to do. Go back to basics and don't punish him when he toilets indoors. Double your vigilance and take every opportunity to put him outside to toilet. The crucial thing is to be present when he does toilet in the correct place, so that you can reward him. This makes him keener to repeat the performance to get another treat. Conversely, if you have been telling him off for indoor accidents he may already feel inhibited about going to the toilet in your presence, including when he goes outdoors. This is one reason why it's important not to punish for inappropriate toileting.

Be persistent! Make sure the puppy doesn't get the opportunity to pee and poop by using a leash indoors or confining him to a crate when you're out. Depending on the puppies age, pop him outside every 20 - 30 minutes, so there's a greater chance of him toileting outside (by accident at first.) In addition, get rid of any scent markers he's left by peeing or pooping indoors, as these will draw him back to the same spot. This means cleaning the area daily, for 2- 3 weeks after he last pooped there to fully get rid of any lingering odor that the dog can detect.

It might seem unnecessary, but during the beginning of potty training, it can be very helpful to keep your puppy on a leash as much as possible, including when you're inside. Doing so lets you control where they are able to go to the bathroom and when.

Getting a puppy completely potty trained may take up to 4-6 months. However, it depends on the puppy and how much time you have to devote to the training process each day. If you’re able to consistently take the puppy out throughout the day, you may be able to get it done in a few weeks.

When you have to leave the puppy alone, you’ll need to confine it to a crate. This will prevent the puppy from peeing and pooping all over your home, and will also help teach it control, since it won’t want to soil the crate. However, young puppies need frequent bathroom breaks, so you’ll also need to ask a friend or pet-sitter to stop by and let the puppy out throughout the day until it’s old enough to go for longer stretches without needing to use the bathroom.

It’s best not to punish the puppy for making a mistake. Instead, focus on praising appropriate bathroom behavior. If you catch your puppy in the act, interrupt it by saying “No!” in a firm voice or clapping your hands loudly, then take the puppy outside to finish going to the bathroom. Never swat your puppy, yell at it, or try to rub its nose in the mess.

If the pup is very young (8 to 10 weeks), it is expected that your dog will 'go potty' through the night. It will simply not have the bladder control at this age to last through the night, so if you hear it whine once during the night, let it out to go toilet. Don't fuss the dog when this happens, otherwise it will learn that whining leads to attention, and can create separation anxiety. When there are nights where it lasts through, praise thoroughly in the morning and let the pup out to go toilet. Positive reinforcement and age should sort this issue out for you.

Stay outside longer. Just because your dog "goes" does not mean he or she is "done." Wait to go back inside until after your dog has gone both 1's and 2's if you notice this is a recurring issue.

You don't. Punishing your dog after the fact will not help train the dog, as dogs do not possess the same capacity for logic as humans do. Take both dogs outside and see which one of them relieves him/herself. The one that doesn't has likely already done so, and is likely your culprit. Consider remediation training for that dog and see if it solves the problem.

A 1 month old puppy should still be with his or her mom at this point, and should not be let outside in cold temperatures. Use newspaper or non-clay litter such as wood chips to absorb the puppy piddle.

A dog is sometimes curious and if they see a toilet bowl, they think it is a big water bowl and they sometimes decide to drink from it. Avoid this by closing the bathroom door or baby proofing the toilet if you need to. If you spend a lot of time in the bathroom, then your dog just wants to spend time where you are, to be with you.

Puppies have small organs and can't hold their pee for hours like a grown dog. Set up a potty schedule for the puppy and stick to it. A puppy needs to get up at the same time each day, eat at the same time each day and potty at the same time each day. All puppies will have accidents the first week after you take it home, but when you put it on a schedule, the accidents should stop. If you praise the puppy and give it a small treat each time it does something right, it will catch on quickly. Your puppy only wants to please you.

There isn't much you can do: Just clean it up and keep a closer eye on your dog. Dogs don't possess the same logic as humans, so punishing him after the fact will not have the desired effect. Keep the dog on a leash, in a play pen, or in a crate if you can't give him full attention. Also, watch for warning signs like whining, pacing, standing or looking at the door, etc. The dog may be telling you he has to go, you just may not be picking up on his signals.

You may be expecting him to hold it in for too long. Consider taking more frequent visits outside. Alternatively, the cage may be too large. If more frequent outside trips do not solve the problem, consider making the cage smaller to encourage the dog to keep the area clean. Always watch the dog for signs that he has to go out; ignoring a whining, fidgeting puppy is a sure-fire way to end up with an accident indoors.

Puppy potty training requires lots of patience, and sometimes lots of time, but be persistent. Rewarding is helpful, especially if you want your pup to learn that she's doing the right thing in the right place. Perhaps she needs some time to relax and realize that when with you outdoors, she is equally as safe as indoors.

Yes, when he eats and drinks will influence when he relieves himself. For example, give him breakfast early in the morning after you let him out so he will go outside during the day. Give dinner after sundown so he can go out one last time before bed. If he is young then be patient, he may not be disciplined enough yet. Consider giving him a third smaller meal during the day while he has access to the outdoors as a bathroom.

Without more information, it's not possible to be certain why your dog is doing this. However, dogs normally defecate in a certain area, and he probably now associates the mat with that action alone. To train your dog to urinate on the mat, you can scent it. To do this, wipe a spill with a tissue and press it into the corner of the mat. Your dog will recognise his own scent and hopefully will associate urinating with the mat. If possible, it is better to do this scenting with an outdoor space, to completely 'potty-train' your dog and skip out the pad stage.

If you mean the dog door, then use a bell as one way to train your dog to go outside on its own. The bell will be rung by you when you open the door to signal it is time to go use the bathroom. Over time, your dog may use the bell itself to call you to open the door for it. This will take a while and it is one way to do it before introducing the dog door.

This is usually due to inconsistency in the training and sometimes dogs have to be retrained in order to really understand what they need to do. Do not get frustrated and give up but be patient until your dog can go to the bathroom on its own. An uncommon reason is that the dog has associated something scary or bad with the outside and is uncomfortable going there; this may require your investigation and perhaps moving things or blocking fence holes/views of the dog from outside to make the dog feel safer.

It is normal, especially after you have fed a couple of hours prior. Observe how the poop or pee looks afterwards. If it is discolored or the texture isn't normal, then the diet may be causing problems or there may be health problems cropping up, and if so, go to a vet immediately.

Get an enzyme cleaner from a local pet store. Clean the spots your puppy has used with this. Even if you do not smell it, the puppy can. A black light will help you find the spots that need to be cleaned. Make a schedule and take your puppy out every 30 minutes. Mark down if/when they go to the bathroom. After a week or so you can see when they normally go and take them out at these times. Puppies also need to go to the bathroom after they wake up, after they eat and after they play.

The easiest way to teach a dog a new command is to wait till the dog offers the action you want. Then offer it a reward and say the word. So, if you want your dog to lay down on command, when you see the dog lay down say 'down' and offer it a yummy treat.

You shouldn't be toilet training your puppy until seven or eight weeks at least. Before then, you can use things like puppy pads to avoid messes.

Change the pee pad when the puppy pees.

You can buy bells that you can hang on the backdoor ("PoochieBells" is a popular brand). Train your dog to make them ring when he wants to go outside.