Over the past few years, I’ve lost count of the number of emails I get about potty training puppies. But today, I want to address one of the most common questions I’ve had to date, which is… “How to toilet train a puppy in 7 days?”
Now, nobody wants to deal with a puppy who’s constantly turning the carpet a darker shade of yellow.
But unfortunately, accidents will happen. Which is why it can often feel like a sprint to the finish line to make sure your sweet pup is potty trained in the shortest time possible.
You’ve probably lost count of the amount of time you’ve been down on your hands and knees scrubbing at the carpets, mopping up mess, and dealing with the ever-increasing stink of urine that’s slowly starting to take over your home.
I speak from personal experience when I say that nobody deserves to go through this frustration. So it’s essential to try and get your puppy on the right track before they start to mature.
Fortunately, the situation is manageable, and it can be relatively straightforward to get your puppy on the path to potty training perfection with the right plan of action.
To get your pup off to a flying start, I’d first recommend checking out the free Potty Training Made Easy Course from Dan Abdelnoor over at The Online Dog Trainer. (see video below)
During the course, Dan reveals what to do, but more importantly, what NOT to do when to make sure your pup’s potty training success kicks off with a bang.
So watch the videos, implement the training Dan recommends, and you’ll see a quick improvement in your pup’s toileting habits sooner than you think…
Here’s the link to take a look: Click Here To Check Out Potty Training Made Easy And Discover How To Quickly Get Your Puppy Fully Potty Train In The Shortest Time Possible… Even If You’ve Tried & Failed Before!
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Best Age To Toilet Train Your Puppy
Now, normally I’d suggest you start toilet training your puppy as soon as they’re 8 weeks old.
There’s no reason why you should wait any longer than you need to before getting stuck in as early as possible
But here’s the thing…
Puppies between under 12 weeks old simply don’t have the required bladder control to get them fully toilet trained in such a short time frame.
So while I still recommend you start at this age, it’s just not gonna happen in 7 days.
But here’s the good news.
Once your puppy hits the tender age of 12 weeks, the chances of a 7-day turnaround increase significantly.
Now, I’m in no way suggesting that if you have an 8-week old puppy you should merely sit around and wait until they’re the appropriate age to be toilet trained in 7 days.
Far from it.
I’m just saying it’s going to take a little longer than you’d like.
How To Toilet Train A Puppy In 7 Days
So below I’m going to take you through the complete checklist of everything you must-do if you want to have an accident-free puppy by this time next week.
Each and every step is absolutely essential to establishing a solid routine that works for both you and your puppy.
Step #1 – Location, Location, Location
So firstly, you need to decide the exact location you want your puppy to do his business and more importantly…
…stick with it.
Since time is of the essence here, the last thing you want to do is confuse the little guy by constantly changing things up.
Now, I’d personally recommend taking your puppy outside to do his business as this makes cleaning up soo much easier.
Not to mention the fact that you’ll spend far less time down on your hands and knees dealing with messy carpet stains.
However, I realize that this isn’t for everyone, weather conditions and other factors can often come into play which makes indoor toilet training an ideal solution.
So if you do go the indoor route, I recommend setting up a designated area possible gated off from the rest of the home for your puppy to do his business.
Both potty pads a litter tray of great options for indoor toilet training so pick whichever suits best and go from there.
Preferably, you should set your indoor potty area somewhere with an easily cleanable surface.
You could opt for a carpeted area, but accidents are soo much harder to clean up and in my opinion, not worth the extra hassle.
Quick Tip! When using potty pads, leave a previous potty pad containing a slight odor in the same location you want your puppy to eliminate.
This creates a sense of familiarization and will quickly help your puppy associate that very spot with the toilet.
Step #2 – Setting A Schedule
Setting up a regular routine will work wonders for quickly toilet training your pup.
Now, other than the obvious times you’ll need to take your puppy to do his thing such as…
- First thing in the morning
- Right before bedtime
- 10-20 minutes after every meal
You should also make an effort to take your puppy to his regular toileting spot at regular intervals throughout the day.
This isn’t always easy as it’s hard to predict just when your puppy will want to do his business.
But as a rule of thumb, an 8-week old should be taken to his toileting location every 60 minutes, while a 12-16 week old should do the same every 2 hours.
It’s also important to remember that every puppy is different and the times above are in no way set in stone.
So if your puppy shows no signs of needing the toilet (see below) at each interval, simply increase the time between each until you find something that works.
Quick Tip! At night time you should set an alarm at regular intervals to take your puppy outside or to his regular toileting spot.
I recommend starting at 2-hour intervals and slowly increasing the intervals as time goes by.
FREE Potty Training Course: Click Here To Check Out Potty Training Made Easy And Discover How To Quickly Get Your Puppy Fully Potty Train In The Shortest Time Possible… Even If You’ve Tried & Failed Before!
Step #3 – Signs Your Puppy Needs To Go
So how do you know when your puppy has got to go?
Well, other than him taking a squat and doing the deed right in front you, it can be surprisingly difficult to actually tell when your puppy needs to go.
But a few telltale signs you should look out for are…
- Pacing around
- Sniffing the floor
- Scratching at the walls or doors
- A genuinely panicked expression on your puppy’s face
- Mild barking or whining
- Taking a squat (assuming the position)
If you notice any of these signs then it may be a clear indication that your puppy needs the toilet.
And although you should try your absolute best to stick to a schedule, accidents can often have setback your training progress.
This isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
Accidents happen and it’s all part of the learning process.
But given the 7-day deadline you’re trying to achieve, any setbacks are ultimately going to increase the time it takes to fully potty train your puppy.
Quick Tip! If you catch your puppy either during or just before they eliminate in the incorrect place. Perform a single short sharp clap to gain his attention.
In many cases, this will startle your puppy just enough for him to stop midstream or deter him from eliminating just long enough for you to take him to regular toileting spot.
Step #4 – Do Your Best To Avoid Accidents
As previously stated, accidents are all part of the toilet training process.
However, the problem is that even one accident can often create feelings of negativity within your puppy.
They can become anxious, scared and even fearful of the toilet training process.
This can cause them to become very uneasy and often nervous about toileting in front of you or anyone for that matter.
What usually happens next is they start to seek out secluding spots out of the way of prying eyes to do their business, resulting in more accidents and even more setbacks.
The solution…
Keep a very watchful eye on your pup at all times.
If this isn’t always possible then limit there free roam of the house to a particular spot until they get the hang of toileting in the correct area.
Quick Tip! Puppies have very sensitive noses and can detect previous accident spots well after they have been cleaned up.
This can cause them to associate that particular area as their regular toileting spot.
To combat this, use an enzymatic spray cleaner to clean up any accidents should they happen as this will leave an odorless, undetectable smell that even your puppy can’t sniff out.
Step #5 – Don’t Punish Your Puppy
Now I know most of you wouldn’t dream of scolding your little bundle of fluff.
However, there are still a select few people who feel that punishing a young pup is the best way to teach them right from wrong.
Well, I’ve got news buster.
Punishing your puppy is the WORST possible thing you can do when it comes to any form of training.
Sure, you may eventually get them to do as you say.
But your puppy will only abide because he is both anxious and fearful of anything that you say or do.
Is this really the type of relationship you want to build with your pup?
So instead of punishing your puppy for any incorrect behavior, why not reward them for any positive behavior they demonstrate.
Positive reinforcement has been proven time and time again to be the best form of training.
It doesn’t matter if your pup is 8 weeks or 8 months the principles are still the same.
Positive reinforcement creates positive behavior that will last your pooch a lifetime.
Step #6 – Crate Training Can Help
Maybe you’re a fan of crate training and maybe your not.
But it’ hard to deny the toilet training benefits it provides to even the youngest of puppies.
Why?
Because puppies (and dogs for that matter) don’t soil where they sleep.
This is great news as your essentially killing two birds with one stone.
Not only are you providing your puppy with a safe and secure sleeping environment where he can feel relaxed and calm.
But you’re also teaching him to control his natural urge to simply assume the position whenever he sees fit.
Now, since this post focuses more on toilet training and less on crate training I’ll just leave you with this Definitive Guide To Crate Training A New Puppy.
Make sure you take a look when you get a spare 5 minutes as it goes into plenty more detail on how to get your puppy fully crated in the shortest time possible.
FREE Course – Potty Training Made Easy: Click Here To Check Out Potty Training Made Easy And Discover How To Quickly Get Your Puppy Fully Potty Train In The Shortest Time Possible… Even If You’ve Tried & Failed Before!
Step #7 – Teaching Bladder Control
So to recap you’ve…
- Established a location for your puppy to do his business.
- Developed a solid routine.
- Learn the signs that your puppy needs to go.
- Realized the importance of avoiding accidents.
- Accepted that you should NEVER punish your puppy.
- Considered the benefits of crate training.
So now you’re up to speed it’s time to take things up a gear by teaching your puppy a little bladder control.
So how do we do this exactly?
Well, next time you see your puppy exhibits any signs of needing to go (see above), simply make him wait it out a few more minutes than you usually would.
The first time this happens, make your puppy wait it out for another 2 minutes before taking him to the correct spot to eliminate.
If successful, you can then go ahead and continue to increase the time another few minutes until he’s finally able to hold his water for anywhere from 20-30 minutes longer.
Naturally, you should keep a close eye and do your best to avoid any accidents.
Should this happen though, simply use the clapping technique discussed above and take him to the correct spot to relieve himself.
Final Thoughts
The techniques outlined above are just the start of developing a solid toilet training routine.
It is possible to toilet train your puppy in 7 days but only once they’ve reached the appropriate age (8-12 weeks) to hold their bladder longer than that of a new puppy.
But remember, the sooner you introduce your puppy to the toilet training process the better, so don’t hold it off simply because they’re under 8 weeks old.
But above all, it’s important to be both patient and consistent with your puppy.
If you do this then I GUARANTEE that you’ll have a fully toilet trained puppy in no time at all.
And before I sign off, don’t forget to check out the short video below on how to set yourself (and your pup) up for potty training success.
Trust me, it’s going to help you build a solid foundation to both quickly and effectively potty train your puppy in record time.
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Do you have any thoughts on how to toilet train a puppy in 7 days? Let me know in the comments below…
