Potty Training can feel like a monster of a project, so we’re creating this series to cover the process in parts. This is written directed at puppies but it works with older dogs too. It’s almost never too late to potty train your dog, regardless of age or size.

Uh-oh. What is that smell?

These are the tools you’ll need for quick success:

1. Potty Treats These aren’t just any treat, these are magic treats! We are aiming to motivate here, and that puppy needs a reason to want to go outside. Since the idea of pleasing you doesn’t come until later (you may have noticed everything is a joke to a puppy), food is the fastest way to get most dogs headed to the door. Our secret weapon: Easy Cheese and/or Natural Peanut Butter! You only potty train once and there isn’t much a dog won’t do for Easy Cheese. If you are using them for something else, stop and reserve those special treats just for post-potty bliss. There are plenty of other options you can use for chew toys, kongs, etc. If you have a picky dog, use both treats, switching from one to the other every 3rd or 4th time to keep it interesting. Timing is everything, so make sure you are treating immediately after your puppy is done going and stay close to them. *Important! Don’t use too much! Peanuts and cheese can both constipate your pup, so keep it to a taste. A Great Dane puppy gets about a nickel-sized dollop, so scale it down accordingly. They don’t need a peanut butter mustache to know they have done a good job.

2. A Potty Word Tell them what you want, but keep in mind you will be saying this a lot. Popular choices are: ‘Go Potty’ and ‘Hurry Up.’ Of course there are always the standards: Tee-tee, poo-poo, #1 and #2 (all of which still make us giggle despite our efforts to act maturely). Some people get creative with their potty commands. One of our clients prefers the term, “bombs away,” while another simply calls it, “tinkle time.”
Anyway, use your potty word in an excited tone when in the back yard and waiting for the ‘magic’ to happen. Praise with it too, saying something like, “Good boy! Good potty!” You can also use it at your door on the way out, which brings us to our next item on the list.

3. Potty Bells Hang small, light-weight bells from door that your dog exits through to go potty. Ring them before going out and say your potty word in a happy tone. Your dog will learn to associate the bell noise with going out and the potty word. Sometimes this takes weeks, sometimes months; but if our cats can do it without any coaching, so too will your dog. Using bells gives your dog an easy method to communicate with you and helps prevent demanding barking and door scratching,.
You can buy potty bells online (search for poochie bells to get an array of options), or make them with a little ribbon and some bells from the craft store. We like to add a little mesh pouch to the top of ours to hold a few treats just to speed the process along. We’ll sneak a few treats in there when the pup isn’t looking and wait for them to sniff them out. As soon as they jump up to get the treats, the bells make noise and we run for the door. The puppy is praised, the door is opened, the puppy goes out, and after a few times the puppy starts to realize that the bell noise means go outside. VIOLA! Communication is born!

4. A Potty Place Pick a good spot for #1 and #2 – your dog will want to do them each separately. If using your backyard, pick a corner or the side of the house and keep it scooped up on a regular basis. A few piles here and there are OK to remind your pooch what that spot is for, but land mine city will make them want to avoid the place all together. Teaching them to go in specific spots not only prevents your back yard from becoming a big toilet, your dog will recognize what you are waiting for much faster this way and develop some clean habits of their own.

5. Leash and Collar How do you expect to take them to the potty place and give them the magic treat without having them on a leash? Puppies romp, roll, and play whenever they’re awake. They don’t have time to focus, so if you expect to get them out and treated on time, then you better have them connected to you. Even if your puppy remembers they need to go outside to go potty, chances are good that half way out there they will become distracted by a leaf, a feather, or the kryptonite of all dogs: the dreaded squirrel. They may forget entirely why they were out there to begin with. Even if your puppy goes, odds are good that they will become distracted mid-potty! As soon as they finish, they are off to the next interesting smell! If not on leash, you will likely be treating your dog after a refreshing chase around the back yard yelling: “Stop! Come here! No, no!” To which your puppy will think: “I almost like the chase more than the treat. Let’s do that again!” Trust us: stick to the leash.

6. A Den Space Otherwise known as a kennel, this can be the traditional crate (plastic or metal box with a door) or a small, confined, and puppy-proofed space ideally on tile floor. Their den is more than just where they sleep and stay when you are gone, it is the space where they learn bladder control. Thankfully dogs are clean animals, which means a healthy puppy that is at least 12 weeks will know that pottying in their bed is smelly and gross. This is usually something they pick up from their mothers and litter mates. This creates the desire to hold it until they can get out, hence giving you the opportunity to put them in the right place at the right time to go. So you are teaching them bladder control, a potty schedule, and preventing accidents all at the same time!
How long can your puppy hold it? To estimate add +1 hour for every month of age. So if your puppy is 3 months old (approximately 12 weeks) they can hold it for about 4 hours max during the day. If you are going to be gone longer, leave your dog in a den space that is large enough to house a potty pad so that they can go if they need to. Otherwise the den space only needs to be large enough for them to turn around and lay down. Think: snuggly cave bed.

7. Time and Patience Puppies are babies, and older dogs’ minds operate similarly to that of a 4-year-old child. While different dogs learn at different rates, it is not fair or reasonable to expect a puppy to potty train in a matter of days. For many it takes weeks and even months to truly understand. The more dedicated and consistent that you are, the faster your dog will train. Going into it expecting anything different will only disappoint you, aggravate your puppy, and disrupt the delicate bond that is forming between you and your dog. Be patient, be present, and prepare. Avoid common mistakes: never spank or yell too harshly at your dog for accidents. You’ll only scare them and create an unstable dog who is too shy to go potty in front of you. A simple “uh-uh, bad dog” will usually do the trick.
Watch them like you would a toddler, catch them if they have an accident, and consider it an opportunity to teach them where they should be going: Watch, Catch, Teach. If you can’t be home in time to let them out, call a friend, neighbor, family member, or pet sitter to come do it for you. Set time aside to potty train your puppy and give it all of your effort up front. Sure, you may be up early in the mornings and out freezing your butt off or sweating while you wait for your dog to go, but it’s a few weeks or months of your life – a drop in the bucket compared to the 10-20 years of potty-trained bliss you will be spending with your furry friend once the work is done.

Future Potty Training blogs to come will cover: exceptions to the rules, creating a schedule, potty triggers, common problems, and tricks of the trade. Happy pottying, or should we say: BOMBS AWAY!