Potty Training Help
- Jaime Devereaux CPDT-KA
- Dec 9, 2016
- 2 min read

Potty Training a puppy can be a very stressful situation, but it doesn't have to be! Here's some tips to get you through the process as painlessly as possible.
The rule of thumb is that a puppy can hold their bladder one hour for their age in months. So, a two month old puppy can hold its bladder for approximately two hours, but there's always some give or take depending on the dog. Small breed puppies have very tiny bladders, so should be let out more frequently.
Keep your puppy on a set routine; feed them and walk them at the same time every day. Any small change in routine and the puppy can have an accident, through no fault of their own. Don't leave water sitting out for them, as its going to be very hard to monitor their water intake. Instead, offer the puppy unlimited water every hour and a half. After two minutes, take them outside to go to potty. If they have an accident within the two minutes, decrease the amount you wait to take them out the next time. Most puppies pee in multiple spots to completely empty their bladder, so give them enough outside time to go. If they don't use the bathroom, bring them back inside and put them in their crate. Wait 5 minutes and try it again with repeating the process if they still dont eliminate.
Invest in a crate! They are excellent potty training tools, in addition to keeping your puppy in a safe spot when you cant watch them. Make sure to buy a crate with a divider; if the crate is too big, the puppy may go potty on one side of the crate as not to soil themselves. You can adjust the divider as your puppy grows, but for the time being they should have just enough room to lay down comfortably and stand up.
Always watch your puppy to ensure they have actually gone to the bathroom before you bring them back inside. If you have a fenced in yard, id recommend still putting on a leash so they equate it with potty time. Puppies get distracted easily; i've seen many times where a puppy starts sniffing the ground looking for a spot to go on, and then boom! A bug flies by and the puppy forgot what they were going to do, and then has an accident inside. Always make sure you watch them potty!
Reward them for going where you want them to go! As soon as they are done doing their business outside, immediately praise them and reward with a yummy treat! Treats and praise need to be given immediately so the puppy knows exactly what they did to earn it!
So, what happens if your adorable little monster has an accident inside? Nothing. Just promise yourself to watch them a little better next time! If you catch your puppy mid potty, gently pick them up (they should stop eliminating) and immediately take them outside to finish.
Potty Training a puppy is all about consistency. Follow these tips for the fastest way to get your puppy on a schedule.
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