Potty Training Your Doodle

Your doodle puppy needs potty training, just the way any baby does. After all, you don’t want to be constantly cleaning up their messes and praying it doesn’t ruin your carpet. While accidents may still happen, starting to properly potty train your doodle early on will not only make it easier, it will save your home and your carpets.

Supplies Needed for Potty Training

There are a couple supplies that could make your job potty training easier. 

Our puppies are trained starting at 4 weeks old to use a litter box full of alphalpha pellets. They are safe to ingest and smell like grass which will be helpful as they transition into going potty outside. We strongly recommend this route as opposed to puppy pads which ironically teach your doodle to go potty in places that are soft…just like your carpet. 

Cleaning supplies are a must for potty training your doodle puppy. No matter how sweet and obedient your doodle is or how fast they pick things up, there will be accidents. Having a good carpet and tile cleaner and plenty or rags or paper towels is a must to keep your floors clean and unstained. When accidents do happen, make sure you clean it up quickly so it doesn’t have a chance to settle into your floors. You should also make sure you use a cleaner that will deodorize the spot as well so your doodle is less likely to seek that spot out for another accident.

Check out our pet supplies page for our favorite pet stain remover.

Create a Schedule

When potty training your doodle, one of the most effective things you can do is create a schedule for them. Creating and keeping a consistent schedule of going outside to potty is a great way to get them accustomed to relieving themselves outside. Puppies have very small bladders, so keep that in mind when you are planning the schedule. As a rule, your doodle puppy can control their bladder for roughly an hour corresponding to their age in months, up to about 9 hours, so plan to take your 2 month old puppy outside every two hours.

Depending on your doodle puppy and your schedule, you should customize your puppy’s potty training schedule, but there are some times that should be a part of every potty training schedule. These include first thing in the morning and last thing before bed, after eating or drinking, and whenever they become excited.

In addition to taking your doodle puppy outside on a schedule, you should make sure to keep a fairly close eye on your doodle puppy while you are still potty training. Carefully observing your doodle puppy will help you notice when they are sniffing or circling an area before having an accident inside.

Choose a Spot Outside

Once you’ve set your schedule, you should focus on where you want your puppy to be potty trained. Choose a spot in your yard that you want to be the designated area. Every time you take your doodle puppy outside for potty training, take them to that area and keep them there. Not only will this keep everything in one place, but the scent from previous potty breaks will prompt them to go again. Many pet owners prefer to keep their doodle puppy on a leash at first to keep them in the designated area. 

You can even choose a word to train your doodle puppy to relieve themselves. Just make sure you choose a word that you only use during potty breaks! Start by saying that command while they are relieving themselves and they will begin to associate the two. After your doodle puppy has pottied, make sure you praise them. Many puppy owners have also found giving pets and cuddles as a good reward as well.

Keep It Positive

Even with the best behaved and smartest doodle puppy, potty training takes time and you may be frustrated at different times. This is totally normal! Potty training takes time, even when you want it to go fast, and accidents happen. It is important to make sure you keep this a positive experience for your doodle puppy though. In addition to praising your doodle puppy when they do potty outside, you should avoid yelling at or shaming your puppy when they have an accident inside. If you catch your puppy in the middle of an accident, immediately take them to their potty spot outside. If you only find the accident afterwards, just clean it up. Shaming your puppy or pushing their face into the accident is never a good thing. This will end up scaring your doodle puppy and it will set them back.

Helpful Tips & Tricks

Potty training your doodle puppy is an important step for them and for you. Setting a schedule and creating a designated potty spot are the most important things you can do, but there are a few additional things you can try to make the process easier.

• Crate when you are out: If you have crate-trained your doodle puppy, you can crate them when you leave them at home. This will reduce the number of accidents that happen. Just make sure you don’t leave them in there for too long!
• Pick up water: A few hours before bedtime, pick up your doodle puppy’s water bowl. This will reduce the likelihood of needing a bathroom potty break.
• Properly exercise your puppy: Getting enough exercise is important for your puppy’s health, but it will also help them digest their food properly.