How to Potty Train A Puppy
Potty Training Through Confinement: Setting Your Puppy Up for Success
Create a “den” by putting a crate or bed within a confinement area
When you can’t supervise your puppy, keeping them in a safe confinement area—like a playpen—is essential for successful potty training. Think of this area as a “puppy can do no wrong” zone, where potty accidents are expected and manageable during the learning process.
Because puppies naturally avoid soiling where they sleep, the ideal setup includes a crate or dog bed placed inside a configurable playpen. Use pee pads to create a clearly defined “legal” potty spot within the pen.
The crate or bed serves as a cozy den for resting and sleeping, while the surrounding playpen gives your puppy just enough freedom to explore and move around safely without getting into trouble.
For easy cleanup, place the playpen over a washable fabric potty pad or cover the entire floor of the confinement area with large disposable pee pads in case your puppy has an accident.
You can create confinement areas using exercise pens that either stand alone or attach to a crate. Walk-through baby gates can also be used to convert small rooms like bathrooms or hallways into temporary puppy zones.
Perfect For Indoor AND Outdoor Potty Training
This setup works beautifully whether you're indoor or outdoor potty training your puppy.
For indoor potty training, pet parents can gradually reduce the number of pee pads after about one to two weeks. Watch where your puppy consistently chooses to go potty—once you’ve identified that spot, begin removing the other pads one by one until only the preferred pad remains. This helps reinforce the idea of a designated potty area.
For outdoor potty training, it’s perfectly fine if your puppy uses the pee pads in their playpen during the learning phase—remember, this is their “puppy can do no wrong” zone. However, it’s important to follow a consistent potty schedule and take your puppy outside frequently to build the habit of going potty outdoors.
In both cases, success depends on getting your puppy to the right place at the right time. Repetition builds the habit, while consistency and clear expectations are essential for developing reliable potty habits—whether the bathroom is inside or outside.
Freedom Is Earned: The Role of Supervision and Scheduling in Housebreaking
Only let a puppy roam free AFTER it has pottied in the designated potty area
Housebreaking a puppy starts with a consistent routine that balances two key elements: (1) structured downtime in a crate or pen, and (2) close supervision anytime your puppy is allowed to roam freely in the house.
Importantly, your puppy should only be granted freedom after they’ve gone potty in the right spot.
Why? Because when the opportunity to explore freely is offered as a reward for going potty where you want them to, your puppy becomes more motivated to "go" quickly and in the right place. Over time, they learn that going potty outdoors—or on the designated pee pad—results in a highly desirable outcome: the freedom to play and roam.
Freedom is one of the most powerful rewards you can offer your puppy, just as motivating as a tasty treat. That’s why it should become a cornerstone of your housebreaking strategy.
Which brings us to…
The Ultimate Potty Training Hack: Use a Leash to Teach Potty Comes First
One of the most effective—and often overlooked—strategies for potty training success is using a leash to keep your puppy focused until they go potty, before giving them access to freedom in the house or yard (or even before starting a walk).
While this method requires a little extra patience at first, it pays off quickly. Your puppy learns that going potty is the key that unlocks their favorite rewards: roaming, playing, or going for a walk.
The process is simple:
For outdoor potty training: Clip on the leash, take your puppy to their potty spot, and stand still. Give them the full length of the leash to sniff and circle, but don’t let them wander off until they’ve done their business. Once they potty, reward them by letting them off-leash for playtime in the yard or beginning your walk.
For indoor/pee pad training: Put the leash on your puppy while they’re in the playpen. Wait calmly until they go on the pad. Only then do you remove them from the pen for playtime or cuddles.
Over time, your puppy will start to understand the routine: potty first, then freedom. In fact, you may even notice your puppy rushing to potty as soon as they see you coming—because they know it’s their ticket to getting out of the pen and joining you.
Limit the time a puppy roams free
Prevention is worth an ounce of cure. That's why it's a good idea to stick to a limited "roaming-free" schedule, meaning that you will only let your puppy roam free for about 20 to 30 minutes before putting them back in their playpen, aka ”puppy can do no wrong" zone.
When it comes to housebreaking, prevention is everything. That’s why it’s important to keep your puppy on a limited “free-roaming” schedule. Allow your pup to explore the house for just 20 to 30 minutes at a time before returning them to their confinement area—their “puppy can do no wrong” zone.
Not only does this help prevent accidents, but it also gives you a much-needed break to focus on other tasks without worrying about what your puppy might be getting into.
Just as importantly, building in routine downtime in a crate or playpen plays a vital role in preventing separation anxiety. By learning to rest or entertain themselves in a safe, calm space without constant access to you, puppies become more independent and better equipped to handle alone time as they mature.
Creating this balance between freedom and structured downtime helps your puppy grow into a confident, well-adjusted dog.
RELATED POST: How to Prevent Separation Anxiety in Dogs
Successfully Housetraining a Puppy Requires Constant Supervision
Knowing when a puppy might have to go potty is half the battle
When it comes to house-training, timing is everything. Knowing when your puppy is likely to need a potty break—and getting them to the right spot in time—is half the battle. Repeatedly catching your puppy just before they need to go helps them form strong habits and associate the right location with potty time.
Here are the most common times your puppy will need to go:
Within 5–15 minutes of waking up, if not immediately: Puppies usually need to relieve themselves immediately after waking, whether from a nap or overnight sleep.
Within 5–30 minutes after eating, plus one hour later: Puppies often pee right after eating and may poop 15–30 minutes later. Sometimes, a puppy will need an additional bathroom break an hour after they eat, as well.
After a nap: Even short naps can trigger the need to go.
After any playtime or stimulation: Whether it's playing with toys, wrestling with another dog, or meeting a new guest, activity often stirs the bladder or bowels.
When overly excited or anxious: Intense excitement or anxiety (like greeting visitors or hearing fireworks for the first time) can cause a puppy to lose bladder control.
Before bedtime: Always offer a final potty break before putting your puppy down for the night.
In the middle of the night: Many young puppies (especially 8 to 12 weeks old) will need a bathroom break between midnight and 3 AM.
Important Note: Young puppies don’t have full bladder control yet. Between 8 to 12 weeks of age, they may need to go as frequently as every 20–30 minutes, especially during waking hours. Keep this in mind and supervise accordingly to prevent accidents.
What to do if a puppy has a potty accident
Even with the best supervision, potty accidents can happen—especially with young puppies. The key is to respond calmly and consistently to help them learn the right behavior.
If your puppy starts to potty in the wrong spot while roaming free:
Interrupt gently but immediately. Say “Oops!” in a neutral, non-scolding tone, and pick your puppy up right away.
Take them directly to their designated potty spot—whether that’s outside or a pee pad inside—and give them a chance to finish.
If they don’t finish but you suspect they still need to go, place them in their crate or confinement area for a short break (about 3-5 minutes), then take them to the potty spot again.
This approach prevents your puppy from finishing their business in the wrong place, teaches them where the “right” spot is, and gives you peace of mind. By briefly returning them to their crate, you also ensure they don’t sneak off and have another accident while you’re momentarily distracted.
Remember: Accidents are a learning opportunity—not a failure. Stay patient, consistent, and encouraging, and your puppy will learn faster and with more confidence.
Accidents are part of the learning process, and punishment has no place in potty training. If you scold or punish your puppy for doing something as natural as going to the bathroom, they won’t learn where to go—they’ll just learn it’s not safe to go in front of you.
The result? A puppy that starts sneaking off to potty in hidden corners, behind furniture, or when you’re not looking. This behavior is often misunderstood as “stubbornness,” when it’s really just a sign that your puppy is afraid to go potty in your presence.
Instead of punishing accidents, take them as a signal that your training plan needs adjusting. A potty accident means:
Your puppy had too much unsupervised freedom.
You may have missed a cue or skipped a needed potty break.
Your puppy still needs more guidance and consistency.
It’s your job—as the human with the bigger brain—to lead the learning process with patience, structure, and compassion.
No exceptions. Potty training success is built on trust, not fear.
RELATED POST: How To Train A Puppy NOT to Do Something
How to tell your puppy needs to go potty
Reading your puppy’s body language is key to preventing accidents and getting them to the right spot in time. Here are the most common signs that your puppy is looking for a place to go:
Sniffing and wandering away
If your puppy dips their nose to the ground and starts drifting away from the action, they’re likely searching for a potty spot.
Spinning in circles
Repetitive circling in one place is a strong indicator that your pup is preparing to go.The “zoomies”
A sudden burst of frantic energy—racing around like crazy—can sometimes precede a potty event.Subtle back hunching
A slight rounding or arching of the back often means your puppy is about to squat and go.
Whenever you spot these signs, escort your puppy to their designated potty area immediately. Don’t expect them to find it on their own—young puppies often take 6 to 12 weeks to consistently recognize where the “toilet” is.
Your timely response reinforces good habits and helps your puppy build a reliable potty routine.
Reward your puppy for a job well done!
Never underestimate the power of positive reinforcement when it comes to potty training. Rewarding your puppy right after they potty in the correct spot is one of the most effective ways to help them understand what you want.
Keep high-value treats on hand (in your pocket or on a shelf nearby) and be ready to celebrate their success. Whether your puppy goes on a pee pad or outside, offering two or more small treats immediately after they finish can leave a strong impression and reinforce the behavior you want to see again.
This simple act of rewarding success:
Strengthens the association between pottying in the right place and good things happening
Speeds up learning
Keeps your puppy motivated and engaged
Remember: Potty training takes time. But with consistency, patience, and a pocket full of treats, your puppy will start to connect the dots and learn exactly where they’re supposed to go.
RELATED POST: How To Train A Puppy NOT To Bite
About the Author
Alexandra Bassett is a certified professional dog trainer (CPDT-KA) and the owner of Dog Savvy Los Angeles.
She has over 25 years of experience working with dogs and specializes in positive, game-based methods of puppy training and treating puppies with separation anxiety.
If you need help potty training your puppy, you can book a virtual training session with Alexandra by clicking the link below.
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