Lesson 1: 5 Simple Steps to House Training Your Puppy

Successful house training consists of five simple steps that are repeated until your puppy is not having accidents in the house, asks to go outside when it needs to potty, and goes as soon as you take her out.

Here are the five steps. You are going to take these steps every time you take your puppy out unless it's the middle of the night, in which case you will always do Step 4 B, put your pup back in the crate.

Step 1 - Confine Your Pup. Your pup is confined to its crate or expen 24/7 when you are not actively watching and supervising it.

Step 2 - Respond Quickly. You respond immediately when your pup needs to go potty.

Step 3 - Ask, Leash, Treats. Ask your pup whatever your cue is for "Do you want to go outside?" Then put the pup on leash, grab treats, and take your pup out the same door to the potty area every time.

Step 4 - Did Your Pup Go?

A) Yes --> Reward your pup. If your pup potties while outside, give it a treat, lots of praise, and some free time with you, outside or inside, if you can. If it is the middle of the night, reward your pup with a treat and take it back to the crate.
B) No --> Put your pup back in the crate or expen. However, if your pup does not potty within 10-15 minutes, put it back in the crate or expen when you bring it back inside.. no matter what!

Step 5 - Then Back to the Room Again. After free time in the house but before your pup asks to go outside, you put it back in the crate or expen so you can extend the amount of time between trips outside.

Let's go into detail on each of these steps.

Step 1 - Confinement is the BEST Way!

The easiest and most successful way to house train a puppy is using confinement in a small space, such as a crate or expen, when you aren't directly supervising your pup. This method builds on your puppy’s desire to have clean sleeping and eating areas (but not necessarily play areas). Because of this natural tendency, puppies will try to hold their urine and feces until they can move away from the immediate area. We then very gradually teach our pups that all indoor spaces are part of their sleeping and eating areas. There are other ways to house train your pup but we will use this method.

Confine your puppy to its “room,” all the time (as in 24/7), if you are not actively and directly watching. Your puppy’s “room” is a place in the active, living area of your house that is small enough that you are absolutely confident that it will make every effort to let you know it needs to go outside before soiling his area.

• The best choice of room is an ex-pen that can be easily moved and set up anywhere.
• A crate can be used as his “room” for short periods during the day but never more than 4 hours total (not necessarily consecutive). It can also be used for 8-9 hours at night while your puppy is sleeping.
• You can also tether your pup to you. Use a 4 or 6-foot leash to keep your pup with you. You can loop the handle over your wrist, tie it to a belt loop, or just stuff it in your pocket. This gives the pup a limited amount of space and allows you to know what the pup is doing at all times.
• Bathrooms might be the right size but they often encourage inappropriate chewing—on cabinets, woodwork, doors, and more—so we do not recommend using them.
• There are no kitchens, not even a tiny kitchen in a studio city apartment, that are small enough for potty training. Do NOT use your kitchen!
• Bigger is NOT better. Keep your puppy’s room small! Toy dogs need 4 square feet. Medium-breed puppies need 6 square feet. Large- and giant-breed pups should have no more than 8 square feet. If your puppy potties in its "room," make it smaller because your pup is telling you that it has too much room (or you did not respond to the request to go outside in time)!
• Your pup should have access to clean water throughout the day until an hour before bedtime.
• Your pup's "room" is also in a location where someone can hear and respond quickly when the pup asks to go out.
• Keep your pup's collar on and the leash and treats nearby.

Step 2 - Respond Quickly

Take your pup outside when it gives some signs, even subtle indications, that it needs to go to the bathroom. Puppies may differ but all give some indication the majority of the time that they need to pee or poop. Some of the things your puppy may do if it has to go out include:

• circling
• acting anxious
• sniffing
• disappearing into another room
• going to the door
• whining
• scratching at the crate or pen
• being restless
• looking anxious
• suddenly breaking off from play
• suddenly getting distracted
• barking but before it gets into a barking jag—Bark! Bark! Bark!—so you are not inadvertently teaching your pup to be noisy, obnoxious, and demanding. If your pup starts barking, do take it outside but vow to get there sooner next time.

Baby puppies, up until 4 months old, don't have a lot of time between the moment they realize they need to go outside and the urine starts flowing so move as quickly as you can. Seven- and eight-week-old pups may have only 30 seconds or a minute so try to pick them up as soon as you realize they need to go. Puppies will do all they can to not pee on you so getting them in your arms quickly can buy you a little time.

It's often helpful to have everything organized near the door or the pup's "room," especially in bad weather. Having your coat, umbrella, and boots ready to go will help you get the pup out in time while keeping you comfortable.

Step 3 - Ask, Leash, Treats

Respond to your pup's “requests” to go outside by taking it outside quickly and the right way.

1. Ask. As you are moving towards your pup, ask "Do you need to go outside?” This sets the stage for important communication once your pup is house trained.
2. Leash. ALWAYS put your pup on leash before or as you go out to the potty area, even when you are carrying it and in places that are physically safe for it to be off leash! One note, it's often helpful to carry your pup for the first weeks of house training since many can't walk far enough without peeing.
3. Treats. Grab your pup's treats on your way out the door so you are ready to reward.

Now let your pup focus on the business at hand. As hard as it is, do not coo and cuddle along the way. Say only one thing when you get to the potty area, your potty command, such as “Hurry up,” “Business,” “Get busy,” “Go pee,” etc. Repeat it when your pup gets distracted and right before you think it is about to go. Do not play with, pet or chatter at your pup until it has pottied. This one step drastically reduces the number of false alarms when a puppy asks to go out just because he wants to play and does not actually have to potty.

Try to stay in the potty area but move slowly around so your pup can sniff. Some pups need to find the right place to go but by staying in the same place, you are telling your pup that this is not walk-time. If your pup gets distracted, which it might because it's a puppy, say the potty command again.

Step 4 - Did Your Pup Go?

This may seem like an obvious question but it's important that you know whether or not your puppy pottied. To answer it, you must be able to see your pup well and be paying attention. You will likely need to go outside with your puppy and you might need a flashlight. Don't be looking at or talking on your phone. Male pups don't lift their leg until they are teenagers so you'll be looking for both boys and girls to squat, the boys less than the girls. Thus, it can be hard to see if very small pups have gone so watch closely.

A) Yes! Reward!

• When your pup pees or poops, mark that success with a "Yes!" or click and reward with a treat and praise. Time your "Yes!" so that your pup is finishing up. If you say it too quickly, your pup may stop mid-stream to get the cookie.
• Give your pup a little more time after it goes the first time, just in case it needs to go again. Some pups need to pee twice in a row. Try not to rush.
• Once you are confident your pup is done, it can have some freedom, if you have time (and it's not the middle of the night). Be sure to supervise, whether the pup is inside or out. You can do some training, play, hang out together or even go for a walk.
• Once you bring your pup inside, be sure to watch for signs that it needs to go again.

B) No, Back In Its Room

If you take your pup outside and it does NOT pee or poop within 10-15 minutes, put it back in its “room.” Your pup has not yet earned freedom in the house because it didn't potty. If you skip this step and give your pup playtime after it indicates it needs to go outside, you will not be able to discern when he is telling you he has to pee versus he just wants to go outside to play.

Then set a timer for 15 minutes for young puppies, under 4 months, or 30 minutes for older puppies and dogs. When the timer goes off, go back to Step 2 and take your pup out correctly. Repeat Steps 1-4 until your pup potties when you take it out.

If you have tried repeatedly but your pup hasn't pottied and you need to leave the house, leave your pup in its crate or in an ex-pen with a potty box.

Step 5 - Then Back to the Room Again

After your pup has had free time with you in the house, put him back in him “room.” Many house-training programs advocate for taking your pup on a fixed time schedule but we do not because that method does not develop a stronger bladder or teach your pup to ask to go outside. Instead, you are responsible for getting your pup out on time. We want to to put that responsibility on your pup instead.

If the puppy falls asleep or plays quietly by itself, leave it be. Wait for it to ask to go outside again or signs that it needs to potty and then start all over again at Step 2.