Bringing home a new puppy is exciting, but not without challenge or frustration. Learning how to house train a puppy fast can help to curb some of these frustrations, but it’s important to remember that no two dogs are going to be exactly the same. While your last puppy may have taken to being housebroken quickly and without issue, you may find that your new dog is a little slower to pick up these necessary skills. Regardless of how long it takes, it’s possible to successfully house train any new puppy and to do so quickly for their breed and personality.
Your House Training Timeline
It can be helpful for new puppy parents to have a timeline when it comes to housebreaking. While this isn’t something that may be strictly adhered to, it is a reference you can use to ensure you’re following along a successful process and you’re on the right track. According to the American Kennel Club, or the AKC, your timeline should look a little something like this:
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Upon waking – The first thing you should do with your puppy each day is give them the opportunity to go outside and relieve themselves. As soon as your alarm goes off in the morning, get up, go to your puppy’s crate, and (even if they’re sound asleep) wake them to go outside. For smaller puppies, you may want to carry them out to the door and outside, so they don’t have an accident along the way. This is often the most successful and quickest potty stop for puppies of any age, and the perfect opportunity for you to shower them in positive reinforcement.
- After they finish each meal – After your morning potty break, you’re likely to feed your puppy a bit of breakfast. After they’ve eaten, it’s time for the second outside trip of the day. Wait about 5 to 10 minutes after they’ve completed their meal and accompany them outside to do their “business”. If they successfully eliminate, don’t forget to shower them in praise!
It's not just solid meals you want to be diligent about. After your puppy has a bout of play, they’re likely to take to their water bowl. After each time your new pup takes a “big” drink, be prepared to let them out within the next few minutes.
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After playtime – Whether your dog takes to their water bowl or not, few things make your puppy need to use the bathroom quite like a hearty play session. After having a game of fetch, a training session, or a spurt of running around, take your puppy outside and see if they need to relieve themselves.
- After naps – What is the first thing you do when you wake up? Likely, it’s make a trip to the bathroom, and your puppy is no different! After a good nap, scoop up your puppy as they’re just waking up and be prepared to let them outside.
With these regular stops integrated into your daily routine, you’re giving yourself a solid house training foundation. Learning how to house train a puppy fast involves not just training your puppy, but you as well, and restructuring your schedule to fit in these regular potty pauses is beneficial to you both. They don’t need to become a permanent addition to your daily to-do list, but you should plan to keep this new schedule for the next several months until your puppy approaches adulthood.
What Happens When Accidents Occur?
While accidents are frustrating, they’re also a natural part of the house training process. In most cases, the accident will be more your fault than the puppy’s, which is why it’s so important to keep this frustration in check and avoid yelling at or getting angry with your pup. After an accident, observe the entire situation, decide how you could avoid the same mistakes in the future, and use this as a learning experience.
After an accident, it’s crucial to learn how to clean up any messes effectively. Dogs have noses that are between 10,000 and 100,000 more sensitive than human noses, so even if you can’t smell any sign of a previous accident, chances are your dog can. If your dog smells their waste in an area, this may incorrectly tell them that this is an appropriate elimination spot, causing you greater issue during your house training journey. When cleaning up accidents, use an effective enzyme cleaner made for pet messes.
Tips For Greater House Training Success
A few tips can help learning how to house train a puppy fast much easier. A few helpful tips from the American Kennel Club are:
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A crate is one of your most useful tools – When investing in house training tools, one of the first you should add to your kit is a sturdy and comfortable crate. Your puppy has an innate instinct to not mess where they eat or sleep, and a crate serves as the perfect location for both. With a crate, you have a space where you can keep your puppy between potty trips, where you know they’ll tell you when they need to relieve themselves. If your puppy doesn’t “potty” after playtime or a meal, simply have them spend some time in their crate, wait a few moments or until they whine, and try again until they finally go. With a crate, you can avoid messy and frustrating accidents around the home.
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Puppy pads can be tricky but helpful – Puppy pads can be a slippery slope for pet parents who want to train their puppies to eliminate outside, but they can be helpful in certain situations. For pet parents who cannot make it home during the day to let their puppies out of the crate, having a puppy pad in the back of the crate can help puppies to relieve themselves if they need without making a mess.
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Training treats – Training treats are perfect for giving immediate positive reinforcement when your dog eliminates appropriately. These should be healthy, low-calorie, small, and easy to hold in a pocket or a treat holder. Immediately after your dog eliminates outside in the appropriate area, get excited and hand over a treat!
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Control your puppy’s mealtimes – While free-feeding is easy and straight forward, it can be a nightmare for learning how to house train a puppy fast. Planned meals equal planned outside trips, so you can better prepare you and your puppy for success. Feed your dog well-portioned and healthy meals throughout the day, and keep a close eye on your dog during and after their mealtimes.
- Observe your dog’s behaviors – Most dogs have certain “tells” that can let pet parents know what your puppy needs, what they’re feeling, and what they’re about to do. It does take time to learn your puppy’s body language as each pup will have their own habits and behaviors unique to themselves. Take time to observe your puppy while they eat, during play, and as they’re exploring their environment. Chances are, your puppy has a few “tells” that they’re about to need to take a trip outside.
Crate Training For Better House Training
A crate trained puppy is an easier to house train puppy, but both take patience and effort on your behalf. Before house training your puppy, take some time to crate train your puppy first.
First find a sturdy, reliable, and safe crate for your puppy to grow up with. It should be escape proof, cozy, and relaxing to serve as a den for your pup as they grow and get used to their new environment.
Once you have your crate, take a little time to get your puppy used to it. Have the crate sitting in a communal space in your home, like a living room, where your puppy will be around it often throughout the day. Allow them to sniff the crate, interact with it, and explore it at their leisure. Once they’re used to the crate, you can begin to entice them to go inside.
One easy way to entice your puppy to enter their crate is by having your mealtimes held inside. You can place their food and water bowl in the crate, invite them inside, and encourage them to eat. This associates the crate as a comfort space and a positive space where they may receive a reward.
After they’ve grown used to spending time inside the crate, you can see how they do with closed door crate time. This means having your puppy enter the crate, and closing the door behind them, while you remain in the room and within sight as they get used to their “den”. For some puppies, they take to this straight away, while others may need a little more time. Start small with just a couple of minutes and work your way up to 20-30 minutes before stepping out of the room for alone crate time. In short order, your puppy will look to their crate as their bed, their safe space, their den, and their area to decompress for life.
House Training Success Is Around The Corner
While you’re in the thick of learning how to house train a puppy fast, it might seem like “fast” is a cruel joke. It’s important to stay patient, stay consistent, and stick with your new rules and routine. Before you know it, your puppy will have fewer accidents, they’ll tell you when they need to go, and you’ll have successfully crossed this bridge together. With the right tips and tools, house training your new puppy can be easy.
Cover photo by: Helena Lopes