My Sidekick and Me: Potty Training Your Puppy

By Lisa Desatnik, CPDT-KA, FFCP, FDM, CPBC

Potty training a puppy can feel very tedious at times. I get it. Adjusting your life to ensure excellent management and teaching can be a lot. And what about those times when you think you are doing everything right, but moments after coming inside, after emptying his bladder, you see your puppy still needs to go?  

As frustrating as this can be, know that your puppy was not being ‘bad’ on purpose. There are a number of potential causes for this behavior. 

Maybe your little friend has a urinary tract infection or other physiological issue. These are possible symptoms – frequent urination, dribbling urine, blood in the urine, straining or crying out while urinating, frequent licks to the genital area. If you notice any of these symptoms, please visit your veterinarian.

It could be that your puppy was so busy having fun outside that he didn’t fully empty his bladder. This means you, as your puppy’s teacher, haven’t provided good enough information for your little student. Remember, you are teaching your puppy that the fun stuff happens AFTER going potty. 

Maybe your puppy drank more water after coming inside and got involved in some active play.
What goes in, must come out, and the more active a puppy is, the faster his bodily functions will work. 

Here are a few considerations if this is happening to you. 

Firstly, contact your vet if anything does not seem right to you. Ruling out possible medical reasons is the first step.

Management is such a crucial part of housetraining. When I visit a family who is having problems with housetraining, it is not uncommon to see a lack of management. Remember, a young puppy does not yet have bladder control. Setting things up in your home to prevent practice of indoor accidents helps to build the habit of only going potty on the grass substrate. 

It could be that you are not taking your puppy out often enough. Remember, you want your new friend to have LOTS of opportunities to go potty where you want him to go and NO opportunities for going where you do not want him to go. Over time, it just becomes what your puppy knows. 

You may want to stay outside longer with your puppy, especially in the morning. Give your puppy the chance to empty its bladder more than once. If your puppy urinates quickly and then wants to run off and play, keep him on leash. 

If your puppy has an accident in your house, do not punish him. Instead, clean it up with an enzymatic cleaner and then ask yourself what you can do in the future to prevent that behavior from being repeated. 

Lisa Desatnik, CPDT-KA, FFCP, FDM, CPBC, with So Much PETential was voted 2024 Cincinnati’s Best Community Choice Award winner in pet training. She is a certified dog trainer, a certified Family Dog Mediator, and the first trainer in Hamilton County to earn Fear Free certification. She is also a licensed Family Paws Parent Educator. She is committed to using and teaching the most positive, science-based approaches to changing behavior. For more information, visit SoMuchPETential.com.