How To Housetrain ANY Puppy Or Dog | The Ultimate Housetraining Guide & Schedule

Welcome to puppy parenthood! For many new owners, housetraining is the first big hurdle in teaching their new dogs to live in a human world. If you’ve recently welcomed a new puppy into your home, you’re likely experiencing the challenges of housetraining firsthand. Don’t fret! We’re here to provide you with all the guidance and support you need to be successful.

In this article, we’ll delve into the nitty gritty of housetraining your puppy, offering practical tips, expert advice, and providing everything you could possibly need to help you and your pup navigate this important milestone with ease. So get your patience ready, and let’s learn how to housetrain any puppy or dog.

Housetraining

Housetraining is simply teaching dogs or puppies to relieve themselves in appropriate locations, whether outside or in a designated area indoors. What makes housetraining difficult is that the act of going to the bathroom is inherently self-reinforcing. This means that the relief they feel from emptying their bladder or bowels serves as its own reward, making it challenging to redirect their behavior solely through external motivation.

Treatment

The protocol for housetraining is simple, but not necessarily easy. It boils down to setting your puppy up for success by controlling all relevant factors that impact their bathroom habits until you have successfully established a desirable pattern of behavior (ie. going to the bathroom outside). This involves controlling variables like food and water intake, scheduling bathroom breaks, managing the environment to prevent accidents, reinforcing desirable behavior, and addressing any accidents promptly and effectively.

Food & Water Schedule

Establishing a structured schedule is the key to successful housetraining. By regulating your puppy’s intake of food and water, you gain control over their output, making accidents less likely and predicting when they’ll need to go.

Food

Understanding your puppy’s digestive system is crucial for effective housetraining. Generally, it takes about 8-10 hours for food to fully digest and pass through your puppy’s system. As they grow older and build muscle, your puppy’s ability to hold their bowels will improve, along with their motivation and natural instinct to keep their living space clean.

When it comes to meal frequency, professionals will have different recommendations for the number of times per day your puppy should be fed so it’s best to consult with your personal veterinarian, but it will likely be 2-3 times per day. Space meals out for morning, lunch (if applicable), and evening. Anticipate that your puppy will likely need to relieve themselves about 8 hours after eating.

Ensure breakfast is fed after your puppy’s first bathroom outing of the day. If feeding three meals per day, provide the second meal around midday (11:00am – 2:00pm). If feeding twice daily, skip the midday meal.

If your puppy is waking up during the night to defecate or is having fecal accidents, feed their final meal as close to bedtime as possible. This will help them last the full 8-10 hours of overnight sleep without needing to relieve themselves. Before bedtime, provide your puppy plenty of opportunity to have a final bowel movement.

Although food takes quite a bit of time to digest, it’s important to remember that eating will still stimulate a puppy to defecate. So expect them to need a bathroom break shortly after finishing their meal.

Water

As a general rule of thumb, young puppies should be able to hold their bladders 1 hour longer than they are months old. For example, an 8-week-old (2-months-old) puppy should be able to last around 3 hours between bathroom breaks with the proper water schedule. However, it’s important to remember that every puppy is an individual and these numbers may differ based on size, breed, and individual history.

To establish a drinking routine, schedule to offer your puppy water every two hours while you’re home and awake. Aligning your puppy’s water intake with their bathroom schedule can simplify this process. Take your puppy outside every two hours, provide them access to water, and accompany them to their designated bathroom area for a 10-15 minute break.

During the initial phase of housetraining, it’s beneficial to provide water exclusively outdoors until your puppy has gone a full month without any accidents. This approach serves several purposes:

1. Drinking water stimulates the bladder, increasing the likelihood that your puppy will urinate shortly after.
2. Keeping the water outside allows you to manage and monitor your puppy’s water intake more closely.
3. Keeping the water outside will encourage your puppy to start signaling when they need to go out by increasing the opportunity and motivation early on. If/when the dog asks to go outside, use it as an opportunity to take them to the potty location.

When you take your puppy outside, allow them to drink prior to elimination (unless it’s urgent). Let your puppy remain outdoors (under observation) for 10-15 minutes during bathroom breaks, and leave access to water available during the entire time window. Water should be taken up at the end of the time limit.

To minimize the risk of accidents, access to water should be cut off two hours before your puppy is left alone for extended periods of time (any more than 2 hours) or overnight. For example, if you leave your home at 8:00am and won’t be home before 12:00pm, puppy should not get water past 6:00am. In very young puppies, a family member, friend, dog walker, neighbor, etc. might need to temporarily let them out during the workday.

Your puppy should be capable of holding their bladder for the entire two-hour period. If accidents occur consistently within this window, consider the volume of water they drank. Most puppies have a tendency to overdrink, and if your puppy guzzles down water, they likely will need to eliminate within 30 minutes to 2 hours. In these cases, only limit their water intake when you won’t be home within 2 hours. Ethically,  it’s important to ensure that your puppy has access to water for the majority of the day. If the volume of water was typical and accidents persist, a urinalysis may be necessary to rule out underlying issues.

Watch & Confine

As previously mentioned, the act of relieving themselves indoors is inherently reinforcing for puppies. Therefore, it’s crucial to catch your puppy in the act every time they have an accident.
One of the most common mistakes new puppy owners make is misunderstanding the concept of freedom. Freedom must be earned, and puppies aren’t easy. They require constant vigilance and supervision to prevent them getting into trouble and to allow you to intervene when they do. Implementing the watch and confine strategy is key to managing this successfully.

Watch

‘Watch’ is the first step in setting your puppy up for housetraining success. This involves simply keeping your puppy under constant supervision at all times they are not confined. Make this easy by having your puppy wear a leash at all times indoors. Secure the leash by tying it to a stationary object near you such as a coffee table, bed frame, refrigerator, nearby door, etc. This is made simple by feeding the clip of the leash through the handle before clipping it to your puppy.

In the beginning, refrain from putting anything absorbent in the area, but appropriate toys should be readily available. If you encounter issues with your puppy chewing on the leash, consider using a cable or a thin chain leash to deter this behavior (also incorporate the leash in your inappropriate chewing exercises found here).

As your puppy matures and earns more freedom from fewer accidents (two weeks accident-free), you can gradually transition from tethering the leash to allowing it to be dragged behind them. This provides a sense of freedom while still maintaining some level of control over your puppy. Once your puppy goes 30 full days without any accidents, the leash can be removed altogether.

Confine

Any time you cannot closely monitor your puppy, or let’s face it…need a break, your puppy should be confined to a crate, exercise pen, or bathroom. The crate should be just large enough for your puppy to stand up, turn around, and lay down. Dividers can be used to adjust the space to meet these requirements.

Do not put anything absorbent in the crate unless your puppy stays accident-free inside and doesn’t chew on any provided items like a bed or blanket. This applies to confining your puppy in a pen or bathroom as well. If you do offer something absorbent, it’s important to closely inspect or even smell the item to be sure it’s clear of any traces of urine. Lastly, provide your puppy with 5-6 appropriate chew toys in their confinement area for stimulation.

Bathroom Routine

From the time you bring your puppy home they should be led, not carried, to the grass or designated bathroom area through the same door each time. Once they’re in the area, ignore your puppy and instead slowly pace the area, avoiding eye contact with them. Watch your puppy out of the corner of your eye so that you know when they go. Avoid any commands like “go potty” or the similar.

If your yard is completely fenced, take the leash off before coaxing your puppy to the grass. If it’s not fully fenced, you are unable to coax your puppy, or your puppy won’t stay near the area, utilize a retractable leash or long line. The less tension on the line, the more likely your puppy will go.

Rewarding

Once your puppy has finished their business, wait until they take one step away (to ensure they don’t get distracted) and shower them with abundant praise and reward by offering 5 of the best treats you have (think chicken or hot dogs), one at a time. Reserve these extra special treats exclusively for successful eliminations outside.

If your puppy eliminates within the first few minutes, stay outside for the full 10-15 minutes regardless. Reward your puppy each time they go. They might only go once, but they should be given the opportunity to eliminate until there is a consistent and predictable schedule.

If after the 10-15 minutes your puppy still has not eliminated, bring them back inside and place them in their crate for 15-30 minutes before taking them back outside to try again. Repeat this process until your puppy is successful.

Accidents

For the quickest path to a housetrained puppy, it’s imperative that you catch your puppy in the act if they eliminate in the house. This should be easy given your diligent work keeping a close eye on your puppy in the watch and confine portion of training. Look for clear signs that your puppy is about to relieve themselves such as excessive and sporadic sniffing (as if searching for food dropped on the floor), circling, or squatting and immediately bring them to the bathroom area. Remember…When in doubt, take them out!

If you do catch your puppy in the act of eliminating indoors, a verbal reprimand should be used to interrupt and stop the accident in progress. Use a verbal reprimand, such as a firm “EHEH!” to get their attention and halt the behavior. The tone should be firm enough for the puppy to stop, but not so harsh that it causes fear or hiding. Clapping can also be helpful if your pup is unresponsive to the verbal alone.

It’s important to understand this is not an emotional response to your puppy’s misbehavior but a calculated response just to get the behavior to stop. Don’t hold a grudge. Your puppy’s still learning. If you get frustrated, look at every accident as a lesson waiting to be learned.
After interrupting the accident, swiftly grab your puppy’s leash and lead them outside to the designated area. If your puppy finishes in the desired area, lavish them with praise and treats as if they had done it right the first time.

Overnight Control

Puppies often are capable of holding their urine and feces overnight from a very young age. By the age of 12 weeks, if not younger, they should be holding it for a full 8 hours overnight. If your puppy cries to go out, take them to their bathroom area (without water access) and give them the opportunity to relieve themselves. Once they’ve been out and all their needs have been met you can ignore any crying or whining at night, as that is likely more for attention than the need to go out.

Troubleshooting

Crate Soiling

If your puppy is soiling the crate overnight, implement the housetraining protocol and create or ensure the following adjustments.

• Flag any potential medical concerns by consulting with your veterinarian.
• Feed your puppy off the floor of the crate to discourage elimination where they eat.
• Opt for a small, plastic crate that discourages them from soiling it.
• Avoid placing any absorbent materials in the crate.
• Maintain a strict food and water schedule, and diligently log each instance of your puppy’s elimination to track progress and identify patterns (the included calendar makes this easy).

If it is still occurring, and you have ruled out any medical issues with your vet, contact a professional behaviorist for help.

Overnight Crying in the Crate

If your puppy is crying in the crate in the middle of the night, try relocating the crate closer to your bed as a first step. In severe cases, it might be necessary to keep the crate on the nightstand or even in the bed itself for the first few nights. As your puppy becomes more accustomed to their surroundings and settles into a routine, you can gradually transition the crate to your preferred location.

When the puppy cries, offer some mild comfort by placing your fingers inside the crate. If the whining persists, take them out to see if they need to use the bathroom. If the puppy does not eliminate, try using methods like extinction, refrain from reinforcing (ie. ignoring) the crying, or if necessary, gently reprimanding the behavior verbally the following night. The key is to encourage positive behavior while ensuring your puppy’s needs are met in a supportive manner.

If your puppy eliminates quickly and goes back to sleep, consider two adjustments: 1) modify their food and water schedules, and 2) addressing any potential medical concerns. If these have both been evaluated, begin teaching your puppy to stay in the crate for longer periods of time by doing the following:

1. Determine the time your puppy wakes up during the night, then set an alarm for 15 minutes earlier. Take them outside to eliminate, then return them to the crate for the remainder of the night.
2. If your puppy is successful for three consecutive nights, adjust the alarm to go off 15 minutes later. Take them outside for a bathroom break and return them to their crate.
3. Repeat this process, gradually extending the time between bathroom trips in 15-minute increments until your puppy can comfortably spend an 8-hour stretch in the crate.

This gradual approach helps your puppy learn to hold their bladder for longer periods while ensuring they’re comfortable and secure in their crate.

Excessive Elimination

Depending on age, it is normal for a puppy to urinate about 8 times per day and defecate about 3 times per day. Excessive elimination could indicate various underlying health issues, including parasites (excessive defecating) or an infection (excessive urination) and/or improper food or water schedule. It is not uncommon for puppies to have had clear fecal exams and still have a parasite. In some cases, multiple rounds of antibiotics may be required in order to fully treat a bladder related infection. Parasites and infections can happen easily with puppies and are often missed in veterinary clinics.

Here are examples of commonly overlooked symptoms:

• Urinates multiple times per outing (also check water intake).
• Urinates, then comes back inside and urinates again within short time spans (e.g., within 30 minutes; also check water intake).
• Can’t reliably hold urine for more than 2 hours even with proper food and water schedule.
• Restricting water to the point of measuring volume by the 1⁄4 cup.
• Urinates in front of owners even when consistent, firm verbal reprimand follows.
• Cannot hold urine even with an established water schedule.
• Urinates on strange items like their bed or couch when previously not a problem.
• Urinates or defecates in the crate.
• Diarrhea
• Defecates abnormal amounts (i.e., more than 3 times per day) even with scheduled meals.
• “Scoots” bottom/anal glands along the ground.”

Avoiding the Bathroom Area

For puppies that avoid the bathroom area, start by assessing the area. Early in life, puppies develop a substrate preference for what the bathroom area feels like under foot. Check for any changes in substrate such as snow, rocks, any non-grass area, or one that is heavily soiled. Additionally, check for long grass as many puppies find the feeling of grass on their belly discomforting.

In some cases, adjustments to the area will need to be made such as lawn mowed more frequently, snow shoveled, area cleaned more frequently. In cases where the substrate preference needs to be changed (turf, mulch, no grass access, etc.), more effort will need to be made to start the dog soiling on the new surface. This will require leash walking to the area and extreme confinement to force the puppy to eliminate in the desired area. Continue this until eliminating in the area has been established for 7-10 days.

Eliminating in Inappropriate Outdoor Areas

For dogs who tend to take their bathroom breaks in less-than-ideal spots like the porch or patio, guiding them to the proper area is key. A leash can be a handy tool for this job. If they still resist going where they should while on leash, try using a long line to gently guide them and keep them in the desired area while allowing them more freedom. Once they’ve successfully used the designated spot for their business for about a week, it’s time to start giving them more independence. Gradually phase out your direct involvement by removing the long line and simply walking toward the potty area. Look for signs that your pup is catching on, like heading in the right direction on their own. You can give them gentle prompts, like directing your gaze or subtly pointing your body toward the spot, to encourage them to take the lead in going where they need to go.

Puppies Living in Apartments or Condominiums

Housebreaking in apartments or condominiums presents its own set of challenges. If you’re able and willing to commit to outdoor bathroom breaks, that’s the ideal long-term solution. For young puppies, especially in the initial weeks, it may be necessary to carry them through the building until you reach outdoors. As your pup grows and gains better bladder control, they can gradually transition to walking on leash through the building to reach their outdoor bathroom spot.

Potty Pad and Turf Training

For those who live in a high rise, are physically unable or unwilling to take their dog outdoors for the bathroom, or as a last resort, a potty pad or turf on a balcony or in the home may be utilized. However, be aware that these tactics will make housetraining overall more difficult. There should be one pad location (or grass pad) that is kept ideally outdoors. If a patio is not available, utilize the nearest bathroom.

For dogs or puppies that avoid or have difficulty using the pad, use an exercise pen or block the dog into the space such that they cannot access any other surface. When the dog does go on the pad, praise and reinforce with a high value treat.

Alone for Extended Periods of Time

If you have no choice but to leave your puppy alone for long periods of time, consider one or multiple of the following options:

• Have a trusted individual come let your puppy out for you
• Hire a puppy sitter
• Consider day boarding
• Take your puppy with you
• Install a dog door
• Setup Dr. Ian Dunbar’s long term confinement area (video below)

Dog Door Training

A dog door may be helpful or necessary if your puppy has a non-treatable medical condition where urinating frequently cannot be stopped, you are away for extended periods of time, your puppy prefers to be inside, or your puppy does not have any behavior problems left alone in the yard.

With the flap and door removed from the opening, go outside and coax your puppy through. Feed them a treat once they move through the door. Repeat 3-5 times. Place the flap back onto the opening. Repeat the above steps.

If your puppy is struggling to move through the door, lift the flap to reduce effort for them. Once the dog is moving through the dog door with it fully assembled, fade the treats out. Continue fading yourself out of the use of the doggie door. Allow your puppy in or out when using the dog door and avoid them moving through the actual door.

Once your puppy is using the dog door readily, run the same housebreaking protocol as usual except for going outside. Do not allow the dog through the door and instead require the dog to use the dog door.

If you plan to give your puppy indoor/outdoor access while you’re not home, use an exercise pen in an area inside the house with access to the dog door. Leave a bed and toys within the space. The area can slowly be transitioned into a larger space.

Forced Elimination

In extreme cases where it is difficult to catch your puppy in the act of eliminating indoors, such as “sneaking off” into areas they don’t spend as much time , or if they have not been caught after running the housebreaking protocol for several weeks, forced elimination exercises may be considered. This involves “forcing” or creating circumstances where the dog is compelled to eliminate indoors, allowing the opportunity for correcting the behavior.

HOWEVER, it’s crucial to note that this approach is a last resort and should only be undertaken under the close guidance of a behavior specialist. Punishing elimination is a delicate matter that if improperly executed can actually make the problem worse. Therefore, professional intervention is crucial.

Implement forced elimination with the following steps:

Choose a day when you have ample time and can stay home for several hours uninterrupted. Keep a vigilant eye on your dog during this time. Allow them to have access to water and an unrestricted area, then keep them indoors while you stay nearby, appearing to do other tasks but maintaining a close eye.

When you observe your dog beginning to eliminate in front of you, use a firm correction. In some cases, a noise deterrent like a penny can may be appropriate, but it’s best to confirm this with a behaviorist to ensure it’s appropriate for your dog’s age, temperament, and the specific situation.
If at any point your puppy signals a need to go outside, immediately let them out and reinforce them for eliminating outdoors. If your puppy will only urinate or defecate on carpeted surfaces, purchase an inexpensive rug to replicate the scenario described above. This allows you to address the behavior in a controlled environment while minimizing damage to your home’s carpeting.

To Summarize…

In the realm of puppy parenthood, housetraining stands as the initial barrier to transitioning into a harmonious coexistence between human and canine. Now that you’ve been equipped with the essential tools and knowledge to navigate this pivotal stage with confidence, remember, patience and consistency are the cornerstone principles for this process. Celebrate every milestone achieved and persevere through setbacks, knowing that each experience strengthens the communication between you and your best friend.