How to toilet train a puppy: a simple guide

Toilet training takes time and patience. Young puppies have tiny bladders and don’t have full control yet, so accidents will happen. Some puppies learn in a few days, and others take much longer. Stay calm and keep going.

How often to go outside

• In the early days, take your puppy out about every hour while they’re awake.
• Also go out first thing in the morning, straight after every nap, straight after every meal, and after play.
• Watch for signs they need to go, like sniffing the ground or turning in circles. Take them out straight away.
• A rough guide: a puppy can hold on for about one hour for each month of age, give or take an hour. An 8-week-old may only last about 2 hours.

Teach a toilet word

1. Take your puppy to the same toilet spot each time.
2. As they start to go, say the word you will always use, like “go wee”.
3. The moment they finish, praise them and give a tasty treat. The reward should come within a second or two, so they link it to going in the right place.

At night

• Take your puppy out right before bed.
• Set an alarm for quiet toilet trips. Keep them calm and boring, then straight back to bed.
• Some vets suggest limiting water in the last 2 hours before bed. Don’t let your puppy go thirsty, especially when it’s hot.
• Many puppies need a night trip for the first few months. Some need one until about 5 months old.

When accidents happen

• Never punish, shout or rub your puppy’s nose in it. Punishment makes puppies scared, and they may start hiding when they need to go.
• If you catch them in the act, calmly interrupt and take them outside to finish.
• If you find it later, just clean it up without any fuss.
• Use an enzyme cleaner. Avoid ammonia-based cleaners. To a puppy they can smell like wee, which draws them back to the same spot.
• Then take your puppy out more often, and celebrate every success outside.

Puppy pads

Puppy pads can help at the start. As your puppy gets better control and learns the toilet word, move the pad closer to the door, then outside, and then phase it out.

When to ring the vet

• Your puppy cries or strains when trying to wee or poo.
• There’s blood in their wee or poo.
• They have diarrhoea that isn’t better within 24 hours, or they also seem unwell.
• A puppy who was doing well suddenly starts having lots of accidents.