How to toilet train a puppy: 5 steps to success

New dog owners often feel a little apprehensive about toilet training, but we’ve got lots of practical advice on how to toilet train a puppy or an older dog.

We’ll walk you through the process in five easy steps, give you advice on night-time toilet training and give you an idea of how long the whole thing should take. We’ve also got special tips if you live in an apartment and don’t have easy access to outside space.

Step 1: Spot the signs your puppy needs to go to the toilet

It pays to be vigilant to the signs your furry friend might need to go to the toilet. Every dog is different but here are some common signs to look out for:

• Sniffing the ground: Intensive sniffing the floor or constantly in certain areas.
• Circling & pacing: Walking in circles or pacing up and down.
• Squatting: Beginning to lower the back half of their body.
• General restlessness and fidgeting: Lots of movement and noise can be a sign your puppy needs the toilet.
• Barking or whining: Loud noises aimed at getting your attention.
• Door Habits: Standing or sitting beside the door, and maybe scratching at it too.
• Sudden Activity Change: Puppies often need the toilet after a high-energy play session or soon after waking up.

Puppies typically need the toilet 10-30 minutes after drinking water or eating a meal, after intense playing, and first thing in the morning or just following a nap. 

Once you know how to anticipate your puppy’s needs, you can now learn how to handle them. Create a designated area outside for your puppy to use as their toilet area, and take them to it when you see signs that they may need to go. Remain patient with them, and offer praise as soon as they’re done.

The better you get to know your puppy, the more you’ll know exactly how they behave when they need to urinate or defecate, and you'll find toilet training your puppy much easier!

Step 2: Best places to train your puppy to go to the toilet

• A consistent garden spot: Find a quiet corner in your garden, away from distractions, for your dog to use as their go-to spot.
• Different lengths of grass: Some dogs have different preferences regarding their toilet needs, and it’s worth finding out what your puppy prefers.
• Near the entrance to your house: This can be a convenient way to have your puppy do its business at the start or end of walks and a great way to allow it to get used to certain noises and sights while using the toilet.
• Puppy pads: These can be great for toilet-training your puppy inside your home and are also useful when weather limits going outside.
• Safe “out and about” spots: Areas of greenery such as grass verges and beside trees are preferable to pavement or areas with large foot traffic.

The right place is different for different puppies and owners, and the most important thing is to be consistent with whichever spot you choose, and to follow these key tips for success:

• Watch the signs: Anticipate your puppy’s needs by monitoring their behaviour. This will allow you to respond quickly and effectively.
• Use the lead: Keep your puppy attached to the lead so they cannot go anywhere that is out of bounds.
• Clean immediately after: Ensure the area is clean after use for hygiene and health purposes.
• Routine: Create a consistent daily routine you and your puppy can follow to make both of your lives easier!
• Be Patient: Toilet training is a learning process, and these things can take time, so be patient, and results will follow.
• Regular breaks: Offering your dog regular chances to go to the toilet in the desired place outdoors should reduce the number of accidents indoors.
• Stay positive: Scolding or punishing your puppy for getting it wrong won’t work, and may even make them afraid of you or their designated area.

Be sure to keep a close eye on your dog at all times in the early stages of toilet training.

Which spaces are best for puppies to use as toilet areas?

Before you start training your furry friend, it’s important you decide where their designated toileting area is going to be. This will obviously be affected by lots of different factors, such as whether you live in a house or an apartment and whether you have a garden. 

It’s also worth bearing in mind that lots of dogs have strong preferences in terms of what kind of surface they prefer to go to the toilet on. These include paper, cement, gravel, puppy pads, grass and carpet (hmm!). This is usually just down to what your puppy or dog is used to, and, over time, they can be retrained if necessary. It’s important you’re aware of any preferences when you start out though so do ask your rescue centre or breeder about this.

As well as thinking about where your puppy is going to go to the toilet, it’s worth thinking about the places where you don’t want them to go.

A lot of these will be obvious, of course, (hello, your new sofa!) but it’s also worth mentioning that a crate can be a useful tool when puppy toilet training as dogs don’t tend to like to make a mess where they sleep. We’ve got lots of advice on crate training your puppy.

Step 3: Create a routine for taking your puppy to the toilet

The bedrock of any training regime is consistency. Toilet training a puppy is no exception to this and, while your dog is building up their bladder control, it pays to get into a routine that gives them lots of opportunities to go to the toilet appropriately. With this in mind, it’s a good idea to take your dog to their toileting area:

• When they wake up, whether that’s first thing in the morning or after any daytime naps
• After eating and drinking
• After a period of activity, such as a play session
• Before they go to bed, last thing at night.

The most important thing is to create a consistent daily routine for you and your puppy at the beginning of your puppy journey. 

It can be a good idea to teach your puppy a cue word they associate with going to the toilet. This can be anything from ‘quickly’ to ‘wee wees’. Just make sure you’re consistent and that everyone in the family is using the same cue word.

It can sometimes be a good idea to carry your puppy to their designated area, to allow them to get used to it without doing their business on the way. It ensures they reach their spot quickly and safely, and works well in establishing a routine.

The last point on the list raises the subject of nighttime puppy toilet training which prompts the all-important question:

Should I wake up my puppy to pee at night?

Puppies’ bladders aren’t big enough to last all night long. Some owners stay up late to take them for a wee and then set an early alarm. Others take their puppy for a night wee. If you do the latter, make sure your puppy doesn’t think 4 am is playtime!

For puppies aged under 10-12 weeks, you should gently wake them once per night, as they can typically only hold their bladder for 2-4 hours at that age. At 4 months, most puppies can sleep through the night, though a scheduled 3-4 hour break can prevent accidents.

When you first start housetraining your dog, you might see them starting to go to the toilet in the wrong place a few times. When this happens, you need to quickly and calmly get your dog to their toileting area without scolding them.

Keeping your routine consistent is the best way to ensure your puppy uses the toilet before going to sleep where possible.

Best tips for nighttime potty training

The most important thing to remember is that potty training a puppy, during the day or night, takes time, consistency, and patience. That said, here are a few tips that might make nighttime training that much easier:

• Limit food intake: Remove food bowls a few hours before bed (2-3) to ensure your puppy doesn’t go in the night.
• Last call: Make sure to take your puppy out to do their business at the very end of the day. Avoid talking or playing with them at this time so they learn it’s toilet time rather than play time.
• Crate training: Dogs try not to soil their sleeping area, so having them sleep in a crate will force them to move when they need to go, and if the crate is near your room, you’ll hear them stirring.

Step 4: Master your puppy’s toilet routine

Toilet training isn’t always easy! Puppy toilet training takes a lot of patience and consistency; If you utilise these skills, your puppy will soon be fully housetrained. 

The first thing to remember is that when your furry friend goes to the toilet in the right place, you’ll want to reward that behaviour with lots of positive reinforcement. This means dishing out lots of praise (without startling them) and tasty treats as a reward.

PEDIGREE™ Tasty Mini Puppy Treats  are great for rewarding your puppy in a healthy way. Just make sure you’ve giving them the appropriate amount of snacks for their weight and breed.

Step 5: Be patient and consistent with toilet training

When you’re toilet training your puppy it’s important you’re patient and consistent. Each dog is an individual who will ‘get it’ in their own time, but if you follow the advice above, you can be confident of success. In the meantime, here are a few ballpark guidelines:

What age should a puppy be toilet trained?

It’s difficult to say what age a puppy should be toilet trained as every dog is different. It also depends on how well they are trained.

If you follow all the appropriate steps and are clear, patient and consistent, you can reasonably expect your puppy to be housetrained by around six months of age, or even earlier.

What’s the fastest way to toilet train a puppy?

When it comes to how to toilet train a puppy, there’s no magic formula for quick success. Housetraining requires patience, commitment and consistency.

As puppies develop and change at a fast rate, so do their toilet needs:

• 8 Weeks: At this age, puppies are so small they have very little control of their bladders. Every puppy is different, and some may even need to toilet every 30-60 minutes. They will often also require 1-2 toilet trips in the night, and it’s important you go with them every time to ensure they go.
• 3 Months: As they age, puppies gain some control over their needs, and at 3 months of age will need the toilet every 1-2 hours.
• 4 Months: This is when things get a little easier for you, as your puppy will likely need the toilet every 2-4 hours, and may now have learnt to signal to you when it needs to go.
• All ages: Using cue words, designated spots, supervision, a consistent routine, and patience are all essential for all young puppies on their toilet training journey.

When should I begin toilet training a puppy?

You can start toilet training your puppy as soon as you get them home. However, keep in mind that puppies have very small bladders and can’t be expected to ‘hold it’ for long periods of time or throughout the night.

How long does it take to toilet train a puppy?

If done correctly, toilet training can be mastered within a month or two, although every dog is a unique individual so the exact amount of time will vary.

A toilet training puppy should never be told off or punished in any way. Not only will reprimanding them not have any positive effect, but it could even make your dog frightened of going to the toilet or of you.

What to do if there is an accident?

We all take a while to get the hang of new things and accidents are an inevitable part of toilet training (but should be minimal if you are following the steps above).

As already mentioned, it’s important you never scold or punish your furry friend, instead staying calm and cleaning up without any fuss.

This clean-up is best done with an enzymatic cleaner or a dilution of 1:9 biological washing powder and warm water. Household disinfectants aren’t recommended as these often contain ammonia which can encourage your furry friend to go to the toilet in the same area again.

Think about puppy pads

Pee pad training a puppy requires consistency, frequent supervision, and positive reinforcement. Place pads in a designated, accessible area, and take your puppy there immediately after eating, sleeping, or playing. Reward success with treats and praise, avoid punishing accidents, and use enzyme cleaners to remove scents

Key steps to success: 

• Use a confined space: Take your puppy to the pad every 1-2 hours, esp after meals and naps
• Manage accidents: If a mistake happens, do not shout; simply clean it up with an enzymatic cleaner to remove the scent, which prevents them from returning to the same spot.
• Keep it Clean: Change pads regularly, as puppies may avoid dirty pads.
• Transitioning Outside: Gradually move the pad closer to the door, and eventually outside, to transition from indoor to outdoor training
• Scent Mapping: Leave a tiny bit of stool or a dab of urine on a new pad to help the puppy understand its purpose.
• Use a Holder: Utilize a tray or holder to keep the pad in place and prevent sliding.
• Consistent Verbal Cue: Use a phrase like 'go toilet' every time you bring them to the pad.

How to toilet train a puppy when you live in an apartment

If you live in an apartment without any quick access to outside space, you might feel particularly nervous about puppy toilet training.

However, the good news is there are things out there to make your life – and your puppy’s life – easier. Pee pads are great because they’re so easy to move around and dispose of. 

One important thing to remember is the 10-10-10 rule. This entails 10 minutes outside for a toilet break, followed by 10 minutes of supervised play (away from toilet areas), and then 10 minutes of rest and observation inside.

In terms of your approach to toilet training, you should follow all the same principles regardless of your living situation.

Common mistakes to avoid in puppy toilet training

Now that we’ve shown you how best to toilet-train your puppy, here are a few things to avoid:

• Inconsistent routine: An irregular schedule will leave your puppy confused as to when to toilet, which may cause more accidents.
• Missing signs: You must learn to anticipate your puppy’s needs in order to get them to the toilet area before it’s too late.
• Punishment: It is wrong to punish your puppy for any mistakes they make, as this can deter them from training or from you in general.
• Failing to supervise: Keeping an eye on your dog when they do their business is key to ensuring they have actually done it.
• No reward: Positive reinforcement is the best way to train a puppy, and missing out rewards will delay the learning process.
• Choice of cleaning products: Some cleaning products have smells that mimic urine, which can confuse your dog and even prompt them to urinate in the wrong place. Use enzymatic cleaners instead.

Is it harder to toilet train an adult dog?

If you adopt an older dog, they’ll probably be housetrained. However, a new home can make your dog ‘forget’ their toilet training. Sometimes, you don’t know a dog’s full story and they can have medical or behavioural problems that are brought to the fore by a house move.

If you are toilet training an adult dog, follow the advice you would for a puppy. The process may take a little longer (young brains being quicker to learn) but is very achievable. 

If you’ve been puppy toilet training for a while and are having problems, it’s a good idea to chat to your vet or a qualified animal behaviourist. You can also get more advice in our article about tackling problems.

What affects how long it takes to toilet train a puppy?

Toilet training is not an easy process, and cannot be rushed. Patience is key, as there are many reasons why it may take longer for one puppy to learn than another.

Besides the things we’ve mentioned in this article, like the importance of proper training and routine, it may also come down to the following factors:

• Age: As puppies develop, they gain more control of their faculties, and so a younger puppy that needs the toilet very often may be more difficult to train than a dog that needs to go less often.
• Breed: Smaller dog breeds tend to take longer to train, as their size means they have tiny bladders and process food faster. This means more frequent toilet breaks.
• Development: Each puppy will develop at its own individual pace, so it’s important to stay patient!

Why does my puppy pee inside after being outside?

There are many reasons why your puppy might use the toilet inside even after being taken into the garden or outside to do their business. These include:

• Incomplete emptying: Your puppy may have gone to the toilet but failed to finish doing their business.
• Distractions and excitement:Perhaps your puppy failed to urinate or defecate as a result of distractions or the excitement of being outdoors.
• Too short outside time: Sometimes it takes time for puppies to go, especially if they are in a new or unfamiliar environment.
• Incomplete house training: If your puppy doesn’t know entirely what they should be doing, then it’s natural that they’ll make mistakes.
• Bad weather: This can dissuade your puppy from urinating or defecating.

Don’t worry, though, as this behaviour can be trained away with a few changes. Try these tips to stop their unwanted behaviour:

• Wait longer outside: Give your canine companion more time to do their thing.
• Keep them calm: Stress or anxiety over certain distractions can make your dog feel unable to go, so it’s important to make them feel safe and calm.
• Immediate supervision inside: Keep an eye on your puppy after coming indoors, to make sure they’ve completely emptied.
• Limit indoor access: Don’t let your puppy indoors for some time after going out with them to prompt them to toilet. If they still don’t, though, try again in 15 minutes or so.
• Clean accidents safely: Keep your puppy’s designated area nice and clean for them.
• Rule out medical issues: Watch out for any abnormal toilet behaviour like going too much or too little, and take your puppy to a vet if you notice anything concerning.

How to toilet train a puppy - FAQ

How long does it realistically take to toilet train a puppy?

Toilet training a puppy typically takes between 4 and 6 months, though varies based on breed size, age, and individual development.

How to toilet train a puppy quickly?

Toilet training is a process that cannot be rushed. The best and quickest way to toilet train a puppy is by being patient, offering a consistent daily routine, and supervising them whenever they are taken to their designated toilet area.

What's the hardest dog to toilet train?

Smaller breeds are harder to toilet train as a result of their more frequent need to use the toilet. This includes breeds like Pomeranians and Jack Russell Terriers.

At what age should a puppy be toilet trained?

Toilet training should begin at the 8-12 week mark in terms of age, but you can begin as soon as you bring your pup home! Most puppies who begin at this time are successfully toilet-trained by the age of 5-6 months.