One thing you must remember is that every dog is different. Some learn rapidly, while others may take a while to master fundamental ideas (such as when and where to pee). So, the answer to the question, “How long does it take to potty train a puppy?” is just an average idea based on our experience.
“On average, it takes around 4-12 weeks to potty train a puppy & up to 4 months for him to be completely (100%) housetrained. But it may take a bit longer while you get used to your new dog and his potty pattern and timetable. There are several factors that hugely impact the time it takes to potty train a puppy.”
While 4-12 weeks or three months is enough to potty train a puppy. It is what we’ve seen with our dogs; there are additional factors while potty training that could lengthen or lessen the amount of time it takes you to have your pup accident-free.
Factors that affect, how long does it take to potty train a puppy?
Here are several factors that have a huge impact on how long does it take.
1- Your personal experience
If you’ve potty trained a dog in the past, then it is easier this time.
Remember, every puppy is different; your current dog may take longer than your last pup but still your experience will make a huge difference because you are more likely to know what to do in certain kinds of situations.
2- Your learning
It also takes time for canine parents to learn when their puppy has to go pee. The sooner you will understand your puppy’s cues and potty schedule, the lesser time it will take to potty train him.
Moreover, if you have tried to learn before starting to train, you are more likely to do it more smoothly.
3- Determination
Patience, Consistency, and persistence – are three foundations that are vital when training your puppy.
Stick to these foundations and expect your puppy to be potty trained in the minimum time range.
4- Breed
Size is a predictor that can be used. Smaller breeds, for example, have tiny bladders and very high metabolisms, necessitating more frequent excursions outside.
It is usually said that female puppies and large dog breeds are easier to train, but there must be exceptions.
Check out this list of hardest and easiest dog breeds to potty train
5- From where you’ve got your puppy
Another factor to consider is the environment in which your puppy has previously lived. You may need to assist your puppy in breaking old behaviors to develop more desired ones in the future.
The origin and history of the puppy, are essential factors to consider. Puppies are often chosen from one of these sources: Quality breeders, animal shelters, pet shops, rescue organizations, or puppy mills.
Due to this, you must keep in mind that this is also something to consider if your puppy has had any prior experience with potty training.
Usually, it will be easier to potty train puppies who are raised by quality breeders because they are being trained and encountered good habits from day 1. They spend a good amount of time with well-trained dogs.
(How to potty train a puppy mill dog/puppy)
6- Puppy bladder development
The development of a puppy’s bladder is a slow process that takes time.
If your canine companion is taking longer than expected to master the art of potty training, you may need to arrange an appointment with your veterinarian to discuss your options. It’s conceivable that your puppy is suffering from a urinary tract infection (UTI) or another health problem that is hindering his progress toward becoming a fully potty-trained dog.
7- When you’ve begun the training:
At what age you’ve started to potty train your puppy, has a huge impact on the time taken to complete the process.
The earlier you’ll start, the easier it will be but the longer it will take.
Potty training an 8-weeks-old puppy is great for developing good habits but it will take a lot longer to train this young puppy as compared to older puppies.
(potty training an 8 week old puppy – how to do it?)
8- Consistent Routine:
Setting up a consistent routine is a great way to reduce the time it will take to potty train a puppy.
Be consistent with the meal timings, bed timings, and play timings. Take your puppy to the potty spot consistently at the same time (following cues is also crucial). It will help a lot to speed up the process of this training.
9- How many people are trying to train the puppy:
It is a great idea to seek some help from other people who have a bond with the puppy or at least who have some experience with potty training puppies.
But more people trying to train a puppy can actually do more harm than good. Because every person might follow a different schedule or different commands.
If you are trying to get some help, make sure to have a detailed conversation about how you are training, what schedule and commands you are following. So that your puppy doesn’t get confused.
Confusing the puppy may increase the time it takes to potty train him.
10- If you have a potty trained dog at home:
It’s a great advantage if you already have a potty-trained dog at home.
Just like kids learn faster if they meet other kids slightly older than them. Similarly, with dogs, the same thing happens.
If you already have a dog who is fully potty trained, it’s more likely that the new pupp will follow him to do so and the training will be easier for you.
Beware! they may start urine marking too.
Just like I mentioned earlier that if you’ve got your puppy from quality breeders, he may have spent more time with trained dogs and they will give you an easier time as compared to a puppy who is raised in a poor environment.
11- How much time do you spend with your puppy
The amount of time you spend with your puppy reduces the time it takes to potty train him. Because of the simple fact that you will be able to understand him better.
When you will spend a good amount of time with him, you are most likely to catch the cues your puppy shows before going to the potty.
Following his cues to lead him to the potty spot will reduce the time it will take to train him.
12-How many mistakes you are making while potty training your pupp:
Make sure to learn before you start to train. Avoid making mistakes so your puppy could also stop making them.
Here’s the list of top mistakes, any puppy owner might make while potty training him.
Please share your potty training experience with us if you have one with your pup. We have an adorable Maltese at home. It took approximately six weeks for our Maltese puppy to learn how to go potty on his own.
It was about 14 weeks that we recognized he had not been in an accident in quite some time. We adopted him when he was eight weeks old. He is not completely potty trained at this point, but it’s close.
Six weeks may seem like a short period of time, but we were constantly wondering when our puppy would “get it.” It became exhausting to take him out 12 or 13 times a day, but it was worth it in the end.
