How to teach a puppy to go to the toilet in the right place

The new puppy you bring home is sure to delight the whole family, but a new pet in the house also poses many challenges. One of the first and biggest challenges you may face is teaching your dog to potty train in the right place. Some puppies learn fairly quickly, but others have a hard time learning it. During dog training, you must always be patient, calm, and consistent. If you are positive and follow these guidelines, potty training your puppy should be no big deal.

Table of Contents

Understand the basics

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Introduce the puppy to his new home, to you and his family, and to his new role. Similar to when you go to a new place or join a new group, your dog can be very curious, excited, scared, or excited. Now is the best time to build a good and friendly relationship between you and your dog. For new home puppies learning to trust and respect people, it’s important that you set what you expect of your dog and stay the same.

Only let the puppy go where it is allowed. At first, don’t let your new pet home freely roam and explore, especially if you don’t want them to live in those places. For example, if you don’t want your dog to go up the stairs and into the bedroom, you should close the door to the room and not allow the dog to explore.

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Understand the behavior and needs of your dog breed. Find out the characteristics, special needs or behaviors of the breed you are raising. For example, if your puppy is a tiny chihuahua, he will need to urinate more often because of his small bladder; Occasionally problems will still happen, even if the dog is well trained.

Almost every dog breed is very intelligent, but they don’t think like humans. Problems often arise when you expect them to understand simple voice commands or tell you when they need to poop or pee. For that, you will have to understand how they communicate with you and the signs they show and recognize in you.

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Keep an eye on the dog. When potty training your puppy, it’s best to leave the dog in an area where you can keep an eye on it at all times. So you can immediately recognize the signs that the dog needs to go to the toilet and promptly prevent the problem. Possible signs that a puppy has a need to go to the bathroom is that they start walking around, scratching, and sniffing. ^{[1] X Trusted Source American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Go to source}

Some of the signs that you need to look out for in dogs are whining, walking around, sniffing, barking or any other change in behavior. Take your dog outside as soon as you notice one of these signs.

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Prevent crashes. When you catch your dog urinating or defecating in the house, make a sudden noise, such as clapping your hands and say “no”, then quickly walk the dog outside. ^{[2] X Trusted Source American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Go to source}

You have to startle the dog, but don’t frighten him. The goal here is to get the dog to immediately notice and know that you do not approve of him pooping in the house. If you want to be consistent, use the same word and/or sound every time.
You may not get results if your dog is having a bowel movement, as most puppies can’t stop pooping midway. However, you should still do this as part of your training.
Never punish a puppy for incidents. Puppies often don’t know they’re doing something wrong. Don’t force your puppy to smell or keep reprimanding him for his actions. They won’t remember and may fear you. ^{[3] X Trusted Source American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Go to source}
Using punishment to prevent a puppy from going to the bathroom in the house can be confusing and even make the situation worse. Your dog only understands that you get angry when he goes to the bathroom and will hide from you when he needs to, and will most likely get dirty in hard-to-clean places.

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Choose a place for the puppy to go to the toilet. It’s best to choose an area outside your home and take your dog there whenever he needs to. Consider places where other dogs don’t hang out and are easy to clean up. ^{[4] X Research Sources}

Your dog will remember the smell of urine and begin to refer to that area as “the restroom.”
Choose a place that can be reached quickly and easily. You will have to go there often during training.
Before your puppy is vaccinated with the third round of vaccines, you should avoid places where other dogs frequent or have just left, such as the park. You should also talk to your veterinarian about this.
When you let your dog out, it’s best to use a leash to teach your dog to potty in specific places. That way you can also more easily keep an eye on it and know when it’s done. ^{[5] X Research Sources}

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Select a specific sound or voice command. Every time you take your dog outside to its toilet, say “go” or choose another command to teach it to go to the right place. ^{[6] X Research Sources}

The dog will begin to recognize commands and understand what you want him to do. This will help the dog know where and when he has to urinate or defecate.
Use this command only when you want your dog to go potty to avoid confusion.

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Praise the dog when it does the right thing. Always praise your dog every time he goes to the bathroom in a happy voice so he knows he’s pleased you. ^{[7] X Research Sources}

When praised regularly, your dog has a source of mental encouragement to continue to do his duty.

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Turn toilet time into a relaxing and pleasant event your dog looks forward to. To encourage your dog to wait patiently for your permission to go potty, you must first get him interested in this.

Going out for a walk and “relieved” should be a pleasant experience that every dog enjoys.
Do not interrupt when the dog is going to the toilet in the right place. You need to let the dog relax, let loose and “release”.
You can also give the dog a small reward afterwards to encourage it. ^{[8] X Trusted Source American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Go to source} However, this can be distracting for some dogs.

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Clean up immediately when the problem occurs. When your dog accidentally gets dirty in your home, it’s important that you clean it up quickly. This will help prevent the dog from continuing to use the place as a restroom.

Use an ammonia-free enzymatic cleaner. You will eliminate the smell and make the dog less attracted to the area. ^{[9] X Trusted Source American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Go to source}
Urine that has a strong ammonia smell will attract dogs to smell it and also leave their “marks”. So, some toilet training pads that spray ammonia can encourage the puppy to go there.
You can also use white vinegar to get rid of the ammonia smell.

Look out for the puppy

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Limit the area your dog can be in. It will be easier to keep an eye on your dog when you only show the dog in a certain area of the house. You can do this by closing the door or using a baby barrier. ^{[10] X Research Source}

When you keep your dog in a smaller space, you can see at all times to know when the dog needs to go to the bathroom.
The enclosure needs to be large enough for your dog to play, but also small enough for you to see him at all times. A small room or a corner in the room is ideal.
Remember to choose an area with quick and easy exits. The room with the door leading directly to the outside is best.
Choosing a place that is easy to clean is also a consideration. Incidents are most likely to occur during the early stages of training.

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Tie the puppy with a short leash. You need to leash your dog even inside the house so you can move around more freely while keeping an eye on the dog. ^{[11] X Research Source}

When leash your dog, you can go from room to room and take the dog with you. That way you will always keep an eye on it.
Having your dog on a leash also means you can get your dog out faster when needed.

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Use a dog kennel when you are not able to watch. When you’re away or can’t keep an eye on your dog, a kennel can be an effective way to potty train your dog. Puppies will learn to see the crib as their “home” and won’t want to dirty their home. ^{[12] X Research Source}

The crate should be large enough for the dog to stand up, lie down, and turn his head. If the crib is too large, the dog may use one corner as a “toilet” and another for sleeping. ^{[13] X Research Source}
If the crib is large but the dog is small, you can divide the inside of the kennel to create adequate space.
You can give your dog a treat or toy to keep your dog happy in the kennel. ^{[14] X Research Source}
Limit the dog’s time in the kennel to no more than four hours in a row. If your dog is young, the time in the kennel should be much shorter. The bladders of puppies under 12 weeks of age are very small and they often do not have the ability to control urination well. ^{[15] X Research Source}
In general, puppies can hold their urine for an hour per month of age before they reach adulthood. ^{[16] X Research Source} So, if your puppy is only a month old, you shouldn’t leave him in the kennel for more than an hour.
When taking your dog out of the kennel, you should take him out immediately. Before the puppy knows the right place to go to the toilet, it will be easier to watch and train if you keep the dog in an area. This also helps prevent dogs from getting dirty. ^{[17] X Research Source}

Creating a habit

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Do it consistently. Consistency is one of the keys to potty training a dog. When taking your dog outside, it’s best to go through the same door every time. You should also always walk your dog to the right spot and use the same voice commands to help him associate the area with appropriate action.

Make it a routine to walk your dog outside. Do this first thing in the morning and after your dog’s every meal. Take the dog outside every time you get home or take it out of the kennel. Let your dog out after playing or drinking, after a nap, and right before bedtime. ^{[18] X Research Sources}
If your puppy is too young and in the early stages of training, you can also try letting him out every 20 minutes when possible. This way you can avoid the incident and have more opportunities to praise your dog for going in the right place. ^{[19] X Research Source}
Regular walks can also encourage the dog to defecate properly.

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Find out how often your dog needs to go to the bathroom. Pay close attention to the number of times your dog needs to urinate. This will help you know your dog’s habits and guess when he needs to go outside. ^{[20] X Research Source}

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Set your dog’s time outside around its mealtime. Regular meals can help your dog get into the habit of going to the toilet regularly. ^{[21] X Trusted Source American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Go to the source} Puppies often need to go to the bathroom right after eating.

Taking your dog outside after each meal will help reinforce his idea of where to go to the bathroom and also help keep the house from getting dirty.

Advice

In the early stages, the practice of defecation may not be well recognized. This is even more true for very young puppies. At this stage, you may catch your dog “acting” in an unauthorized place. In such situations, whether your dog poops or pees, you need to act consistently.
You can use puppy toilet training pads placed in the house. This product often has a scent that encourages dogs to pee in it. This is also a supportive way to potty train your puppy, and this may also be necessary depending on your situation. However, this approach can also cause some problems that make the training time longer and more difficult. Using a pad can confuse the puppy that he is going to the bathroom in the house.
As mentioned above, some people recommend using a litter box for puppies, but if you use this product, your dog may think it is allowed to go to the toilet in the house. Don’t use puppy pads!
Let’s say you often praise your dog for correct behavior during training, then suddenly it causes problems. Don’t praise the dog right away. Instead, take your dog outside and wait for it to go to the bathroom. When you’re done, walk the dog into another room in the house while cleaning up the dirt. You should then show your displeasure with the dog, but only for a few minutes. Make sure both you and your puppy are happy with the training.

Warning

Puppies can be in danger if you leave them unattended.
Many health problems can interfere with potty training. Dogs with urinary tract infections will urinate frequently with little urine output and are difficult to control. You may also notice them licking the genital area. If there is a change in the dog’s stool, the cause may be gastrointestinal disease. Some common causes in puppies are intestinal parasites, eating a strange food, or a sudden change in diet. If you need to change your dog’s food, you should do it gradually over 5-7 days. If you suspect any of these problems, you should consult your veterinarian. ^{[22] X Trusted Source American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Go to source}
Behavioral issues can also affect the success of potty training. Urine marking is a normal behavior of dogs, in which the animal will raise its paw and urinate on an area or object. Puppies with separation anxiety syndrome may walk around the house when you leave them alone. Some puppies get nervous or panicky when their owners are away. Others leak urine when excited or excited. This causes them to urinate involuntarily during certain activities. If teaching your dog to pee doesn’t work, discuss these possibilities with your veterinarian or dog trainer. ^{[23] X Trusted Source American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Go to source}

Steps

Understand the basics

Look out for the puppy

Creating a habit

Advice

Warning

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