
For new puppy parents, potty training can be a true test of patience. Accidents can be frequent, overwhelming, and seemingly out of nowhere.
Many folks commonly mistake accidents as malicious, spiteful, jealous, or angry behavior on the puppy’s part.
This is not the case. Dogs are very emotionally complex, but a dog relieving themselves is only that; a dog relieving themselves.
While mature adult male and female dogs can engage in urine marking, little puppies do not engage in that particular “grown up” activity.
Most potty accidents simply occur because the pup was not taken out frequently enough, was allowed too much space in the house, or the owner missed the puppy’s “I gotta go” signals.
Here are 4 do’s and don’ts for a smoother potty training experience.
Do give your puppy a potty break every hour.

Most people greatly underestimate how often a puppy should be taken out, assuming that like them, every few hours should suffice. This is not the case.
To build good potty habits, it’s best practice to take your puppy out every hour, so they have the opportunity to relieve themselves.
Do yourself a favor and get an egg timer or set a timer on your phone to help remind you.
They may not go every time you take them out and that’s ok.
When you take your puppy out at a high frequency, you greatly decrease the number of potential accidents in the house.
At bedtime, withhold food and water from your puppy about 1-2 hours before bedtime. Depending on your puppy’s age you may need to take them out for a midnight potty break and will need to get them out to potty early in the morning.
After food and water have been withheld, the general rule is that a puppy should be able to “hold it” an hour for every month they are old.
Example: a 4 month old puppy should be able to “hold it” about 4 hours. Asking a puppy to “hold it” for any longer, is an unreasonable expectation and each individual puppy is different.
Don’t underestimate how tiny a puppy bladder really is.
While exact size may vary among different breeds and individuals, a growing puppy’s bladder is not capable of holding very much. Puppy bowels are equally unpracticed in the art of “holding it”, so when they gotta go, they gotta go NOW.
As your puppy grows, you will be able to reduce the frequency of potty breaks. However, all dogs are individuals and some pups, particularly small & toy breed pups, may take longer to potty train, so be patient.
It is well within the normal range for a puppy to have accidents up to around 1-1.5 years or so old.
Do reward your puppy for going potty outside.

To build good potty habits, give your pup a tasty food reward and praise them every time they successfully relieve themselves outside. This will help your puppy understand that potty outside = tasty treat is coming my way.
By positively reinforcing this behavior, you greatly increase the probability that your puppy will continue to use nature as his bathroom and not your rug.
Don’t yell at your puppy for potty accidents.
It can be tempting to shout and scold a puppy after stepping in a puddle of pee but resist this impulse and take a deep breath.
Yelling at a dog for something they did hours ago, has absolutely no meaning for them. They do not have the cognitive ability to connect your shouting to the potty accident.
You will appear unhinged, and your pup will take notice that you aren’t exactly a stable leader. Shouting at, or striking your dog only creates fear and instability within the relationship and does not teach them the appropriate behavior.
Note: It is ok to moderately raise your voice, clap, or make a noise that interrupts your puppy if you catch them in the act.
If this happens, interrupt the puppy, scoop them up and take them outside as quickly as possible.
However, if you have a quiet, shy, timid, or “soft” puppy who is noise sensitive, this is not an option for you. If you startle a “soft” puppy, they may become scared to relieve themselves in front of you. Instead, let them finish their business, then take them outside.
Do limit your puppy’s space in the home.

One of the best ways to promote good potty habits is to limit your puppy’s space in the house. Use baby gates, exercise pens, or close doors to keep your puppy in a smaller area, preferably within your line of sight.
Keeping your puppy near you prevents them from sneaking off to relieve themselves and allows you to notice the tell-tale potty signals of sniffing in quick circles or abruptly stopping play to slip off behind the couch.
Every dog has their own individual “I’m about to relieve myself” signals, so pay attention to your pup and learn their signals. The minute you see one of these signals, scoop them up and run them outside!
Don’t let your puppy have free range in the home.
Healthy dogs are hardwired to keep their den clean. Apart from dogs brought up in unsanitary puppy mill like conditions, normal, healthy, dogs do not intentionally defecate where they eat, sleep, and play.
When a tiny puppy is allowed free range of a house, they can easily label the areas that they frequently hang out in, such as the living room or bedroom, as their “den”, thusly rendering all other areas of the house acceptable potty zones.
Your puppy has no idea this “wrong” and unwanted behavior. They are simply acting in a way that makes sense to their canine brain.
By limiting your puppy’s space in the home, you prevent the development of bad potty habits, such as sneaking down to the basement to relieve themselves.
As your puppy grows into an adult, they will come to view the entire house as a den and nature as their bathroom.
Do plan for accidents.

Potty accidents are an inevitable reality, because life happens. However, when we plan and prepare for the inevitable, we greatly reduce our personal stress level.
Reduce stress by having potty pads and cleaning supplies at the ready throughout your home.
Be sure to use a pet safe enzyme cleaner to help remove odors & prevent your puppy from habitually relieving themselves in that area.
Disposable potty pads are widely available at pet stores, super stores, or online.
For a more environmentally conscious option, consider purchasing washable puppy pads, or hospital pads that are created for this purpose.
You can also purchase a fake or live turf pad to help encourage your puppy to defecate on grass surfaces.
Using these aids will not interfere or hinder your puppy’s potty-training progress, they are simply a training tool to help mitigate stress during this stage in your puppy’s life.
In fact, it can be very advantageous to teach your pup to use potty pads or turf as an alternative bathroom. In the future you may travel with your puppy and only have turf or potty pads as an option.
Additionally, there can be weather conditions that prevent your puppy from going outside and potty pads or turf can come in handy.
Don’t give up.
At times, potty training can seem like an endless, uphill battle. There are moments when you think your pup finally “gets it”, then you round the corner to step in, yet another, puddle of pee.
In these moments, remind yourself that your puppy has no idea piddling on the rug is “wrong”. The rug just happened to be the surface beneath her when she had to go.
Don’t beat yourself up either! Accidents happen and that’s ok. Trust the process and stay calm.
When we are calm and cool headed, we can show up better for our puppy and ourselves.
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