Jul 24, 20203 min read

Potty Training Your Puppy

Updated: Aug 22, 2023

Here are 8 steps to potty training your puppy! We know it works because this is how we train our puppies here at Wilson Acres.

1. Crate Train

We are a strong supporters of crate training for many reasons.

~The puppy gets an automatic sense of security.

~There are not "messes" left all around your house from either chewing or pooping/peeing.

~They start to learn that that is their area, their home and they are less likely to poop in it. Once they figure that out.

Buy a crate that will be big enough for when they are full grown but put a divider in to allow just a enough space for your pup to turn around in. The more room you allow, the bigger the chance that they will just think the back half is their private potty.

We usually give them a pee pad, or old "dog towel" and a chew toy to stop boredom.

2. Place crate in your room.

This may be the hardest part right here. Trust me! Putting the crate in your room or near it...will help solve two issues. One with you and one with your new puppy.

It will give him/her comfort knowing you are in the same room. Which means less whining. Yay!! There's nothing quite like a puppy whine at 2:00 am.

This will also give you the opportunity to be close to the puppy/crate so when the whining does begin, you will hear it faster, take them outside quicker, and inevitably stop so many messes from being cleaned up.

This may take weeks or months...You will soon have your room back and a well trained pup!

3. Remove feed/water bowls from kennel/crate.

This is a simple step. Remove bowls of food or water to stop him/her from drinking or eating all night; which will stop their need to potty as much.

This will also allow you to have less of a mess when accidents do happen. A bowl covered in poop or pee is way worse than a blank surface.

4. Take them outside regularly.

It may seems like a lot but when we first start training we go outside every 20-30 minutes. Doing this will get the puppy use to going to it's "pee place".

As time goes on, you will be able to tell how often they really need to go out. They may pee every other trip outside.

5. Give them words of affirmation.

After they go potty tell them "good girl", "good boy", give them a scratch and a belly rub. Make sure they know they did a good job and went where they were suppose to.

When it is potty time..Do not play with them, pet them, or talk to them(except for a "time to go potty"). If you give them attention ahead of time they may not go; as well as being rewarded for not even going yet.

6. Don't yell or spank.

You may be tired of cleaning up the mess, but they are babies at this point. They do not know yet that this is a bad action. By the time you find the mess, they have probably already forgotten. They are doing what nature tells them and it's up to you to teach them and stay on a regular program of potty time so they can learn. When there is an accident inside just simply take them outside.

7. Exercise!

Before it is time to go to bed or their crate for the night, play with your puppy! Play fetch, run with them, or get out a toy. The more you play with your pup, the more exhausted they will be and may help contribute to sleeping longer intervals throughout the night.

8. Time

If at all possible take a break from work for a week to get use to the new puppy and for him/her to get use to their new home and their new eating/potty schedule.

Change is hard for everyone. Sleep deprivation will begin to affect you and you may get to a point of this is not working, but it is. Right when you are ready to give up, or buy a new set of ear plugs, all of a sudden the messes stop. This is a great feeling!