7 Tips for Puppy Indoor Potty Training

Indoor puppy training is one of the first challenges that any new dog owner has to go through after welcoming a fur baby into their home. Those first few days are messy, a bit stressful yet so memorable!

Even though we eventually transitioned to outdoor potty, we started out with indoor potty training given he was still missing one vaccination shot when we brought him home and couldn’t take him outside.

Here are a couple of things we learned from that experience (we’re still learning – it’s a journey!)

If possible, take leave from work so that you can dedicate 100% of your attention to your puppy

Bringing a puppy home is a life-changing experience and it deserves your full attention and dedication. Those first few days mean a lot in terms of adaptation, rule setting and support. If you can’t take time off, make sure you get someone to help on your behalf.

Direct your puppy to the designated potty area at least every hour

You won’t be able to predict your puppy behaviour but you will want to minimize the chances of an accident. It might sound excessive, however, if you stick to this you will accelerate the learning experience for your puppy, I promise!

Place the toilet in a quiet area

Just like humans, dogs prefer some quiet & privacy when doing their business. Ensure your designated potty area has less foot traffic and noise and can give your dog some sense of comfort.

Pick a verbal cue

From day one, I suggest you pick your cue word for potty. In our case, we went for “Go Potty” and kept it consistent since then. A verbal cue will help your dog understand your intentions.

Celebrate every win!

Whenever your puppy goes potty in the right spot (or even close enough), make sure you praise him a lot! Celebrating every win will help focus on the positive and keep the spirits up.

Do not penalize

On the flip side, if your puppy has accidents (there will definitely be accidents), do not penalize him/her as that could cause more harm than good. Every time there’s an accident it’s likely your fault, not the puppy!

Use his/her own pee as a reminder

Every time your puppy pees in the right spot, leave a small trace behind so that he/she remembers to go back to the same spot next time. Our pet shop recommended a commercial spray, but we found out it is way better (and free!) to use their pee for this purpose. It works!