Jan. 1, 2026

More Potty Training Tips

Show Notes

People call me to discuss puppy training, and their entire focus is on potty training. This happens a lot. The goal of this episode is to shift new puppy owners' focus to the bigger picture of raising a puppy beyond potty training and crate training.

A dog trainer can only provide tips on potty training, crate training, play biting, and other issues because we don’t live with the dog. Most of the unwanted behavior stems from the environment and from the owners' lack of leadership.

The bigger picture includes:

Setting rules and boundaries,
Creating a structured schedule
Obedience training
Leash training
Socialization

It’s impossible to potty train a puppy without all of these elements of raising a puppy. Work on everything at once, and you will spend very little time on potty training. Two things in particular help with potty training: 1) when a puppy can stay in one place, and 2) when your puppy is tired.

The main thing you need to do for effective potty training is to control the puppies' space inside the house and NEVER take your eyes off of them unless they are in a crate just big enough for them to lie down.

Above all, get rid of pee pads.

PRO TIP: Monitor their water intake by giving them 1 ounce per pound of body weight. If your puppy weighs 10 lbs, give them 10 oz of water throughout the day. That means about 2 ounces of water five times a day. After they take a drink, they will need to go potty 2-3 times within the next hour.