How to toilet train a puppy

One of the things that often worries new puppy owners the most is toilet training. The good news is that puppies learn the basics of toilet training from their mother and continuing that is easy. Here’s how it’s done.

Toilet training your new puppy

If you watch any litter of pups – even as young as four weeks old – you’ll see that mum has already taught them to leave the bed or sleeping area when they need to toilet.

So how do you make sure you get it right when you bring your puppy home? Simple – just follow the rules mum has already taught and build on them.

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Tips for toilet training your puppy

Puppies who have been responsibly bred, born and reared in a home environment will already have been taught by their mother not to dirty their sleeping area. So the secret of good toilet training is to limit the area the puppy has to sleep in at night – and keep an eye on them at all times during the day.

While they should be spending their early nights close to you, if they have access to a whole room at night, it’s very easy for them to sneak off into a corner while you are asleep and use that as a toilet area, while still keeping their bed clean.

Crate training your pup is a useful method to simplify toilet training at night as it is way to restrict their sleeping area while still letting you get a good night’s sleep. Your pup will not want to soil the crate, and so will do their best to hold on and go outside the bed as mum taught them.

It isn’t fair to expect them to hold on for long however – and remember that an eight-week old puppy is not physically developed enough to hold on all the way through the night. If and when they wake up and need the toilet, you have to be prepared to take them outside to their toilet area.

This needs you to be close by – so a crate, if you use one, should be set up next to your bed.

If you don’t like the idea of a crate, you can set up a puppy pen. But don’t make it so big that they can sleep at one end and use the other end as the bathroom!

Always be aware that a young pup cannot hang on for very long (and the smaller the breed, the longer that will take) – and nor should you expect them to. You have to play your part – and it’s a big part! Here are your rules:

Don’t give them their last feed too late in the evening. This way the amount of poo will be limited.
Take them out as late as possible for their last toilet visit – 11.30pm or later.
Get up in the middle of the night – perhaps 3am – and take them out again. That might sound painful, but it won’t last two long. Patience is key with a new puppy.
Get up early in the morning (6am ish) and take them out straight away.
No matter what the time of the day or night, go with your puppy – don’t just open the door! You need to be able to reward every toilet success immediately with a treat.

Your sleep is going to be a bit interrupted for a couple of weeks… That is part of puppy ownership. But you do lessen the chance of your puppy making a mistake. The fewer mistakes the pup makes, and the more successes you can reward, the more successful their toilet training will be. And the quicker you’ll have a restful night.

During the day, keep your puppy close to you so you can watch them. You can use a crate, a puppy pen, or even a houseline (a puppy training line) tied to your belt. Or just watch them like a hawk!

If you choose to use a crate during the day, that should be while you are there. It can be useful to make sure your puppy gets enough sleep or when you are doing something that means you can’t give them 100% of your attention. However keep crate time to a minimum.

They can be invaluable training aids, but they’re not an alternative to you spending time with your puppy, or a way for you to leave them alone.

How can I tell if my puppy needs to go to the toilet?

It’s usually easy to tell when the pup needs to toilet. They tend to turn in circles, sniffing – or look for a corner. Plus you’ll also get used to the special tell-tale signs in your own pup.

There are also obvious times when your puppy is going to need to go out. These are just after they wake up, after they’ve been playing, and after they eat or drink.

It’s up to you to understand when your puppy needs to go to the toilet, take them there, and reward them for getting it right… It is most certainly NOT up to them to ask you to go out – especially in the first few months. Don’t expect too much!

This is something new owners often don’t appreciate, and so they make things harder for their puppies and themselves.

At these times, take your puppy outside – and be prepared to wait. Puppies are very easily distracted by sights, smells, movements… and anything else. No matter how desperate they are, other things can be more interesting – and they may only remember that they needed to go when they get back in!

Get into good toilet habits

If you catch your puppy getting ready to go in the house, pick them up, take them outside, and let them carry on in peace – then reward them.

NEVER punish your pup for any mistakes. These hiccups are not your pup’s fault. They don’t understand what it is you expect of them quite yet. Give your pup plenty of praise when they get it right, and ignore them when they slip up.

Make life as simple as possible for your pup. They’re only a baby, and need to feel that their new life as a family dog is fun – not fraught with potential failure.

You can create a special toilet cue word. When your puppy settles down to business, quietly say whatever you’ve decided your special toilet cue word is so that they link the behaviour with the word. And when they’ve finished, always reward them with a treat. They need to know that you’re totally delighted with them. This cue word can be useful in the future if you take your puppy visiting and need them to toilet in different locations.

Be aware that from most puppies, toileting at home is one thing but toileting in a strange place is totally different and some dogs will take quite some time to get to grips with this. You will likely find that even once you start walking your puppy outside, they are unsure of toileting away from home. Always take them to your home toilet area before you go for a walk and when you come back – just in case they need to go but didn’t feel they could do it in the great outdoors.

Toilet training is the first serious thing you teach your pup. And the more they trust you and succeed in this, the more you’re building your relationship for the future.

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About the Author

Carolyn is an accredited behaviourist and trainer with over 20 years experience working with dogs and other companion animals. She has written books, over 800 published articles and trains owners and professionals alike, both nationally and internationally. She is currently the Chair of the UK Dog Behaviour and Training Charter. Carolyn is also an experienced broadcaster and presenter, has appeared in five TV series’ and countless radio shows. Her passion is for helping owners build a strong and positive relationship with the companion animals who share their lives, and fully develop the potential of the bond between them.