A Guide to Potty Training a Puppy

Introduction

One of the questions we at Stray Dogs Center hear most often from foster families and adopters is: "How do I potty train my new puppy?" Bringing a new dog home is exciting, but it can also come with challenges, especially for first-time puppy owners.

We are incredibly grateful for the ongoing support of Ginger’s Way dog training team, who have been generously sharing their professional, force-free guidance with our rescue community. Through weekly video call sessions, their behaviorists have helped many of our fosters and adopters navigate early training and settle dogs successfully into their new homes.

To make this valuable information available to even more people, Ginger's Way has kindly agreed to contribute a series of guides covering some of the most common topics that dog owners in the UAE need help with when welcoming a new puppy. We are delighted to share the first of these guides below.

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Potty training a puppy: A guide by Ginger's Way

Understanding Potty Training

Potty training is all about creating a routine and a schedule. We want to focus on teaching our dogs that if they wait for a certain time we will go outside with them (or to a designated area) and they will get a little treat for successful toileting. Potty training is both teaching our dogs where to do it (notice I said where to do and not where NOT to do) and also training the bladder to hold more volume.

Why We Don't Recommend Pee Pads

We at Ginger’s Way don’t like to advise you to use pee pads. Pee pads can be quite confusing for the dog. They are an absorbent surface, very similar to our carpets and rugs. We encourage you to rather use a patch of fake grass or real grass and to place it on your balcony or an area in your home where the dog doesn’t have 24/7 access to. Remember, we want them to learn how to hold it, not to go pee all the time.

Example Potty Schedule for a 6 Months Old Puppy

6am – Wake up Potty Break (give treat)

8am – Potty Break (give treat)

10am – Potty Break (give treat)

12pm – Potty Break (give treat)

2pm – Potty Break (give treat)

4pm – Potty Break (give treat)

5pm – Zoomies potty break (don’t give treat)

6pm – Potty Break (give treat)

8pm – Potty Break (give treat)

9pm – Friends come over, puppy gets excited potty break (don’t give treat)

10pm – Bedtime Potty Break (give treat)

2am – Puppy gets restless at night (don’t give treat)

Taking our dogs out nine times, a day is a lot! So how do we progress this? When you reach two consecutive weeks without any accidents, you can add 1 hour of your break time. A two-hourly schedule will change to three-hourly and so on until you can reach the 6-hour intervals.

When Puppies May Need Extra Potty Breaks

Especially for young puppies, there are four main exceptions to the schedule.

Exception 1 – Over excited

Exception 2 – Drinking a lot of water

Exception 3 – Very active (especially during zoomie time)

Exception 4 – Restless at night

During these exceptions you can take the dog to the pee area more often, but you won’t be rewarding the toileting with a treat. As your dog will learn how to hold, these exceptions will stop making your dog have accidents.

What to Do When Accidents Happen

But what happens when there is an accident inside the house? What to do? Nothing 😊 Clean it up, and that is it. Spray and wipe the area with enzyme cleaner or vinegar after cleaning to remove the scent. This will reduce the likelihood of the dog using the same spot again. Dogs don’t know that doing it inside the house is a bad thing, and dogs don’t learn what to do when we say “NO”. If we shout at or punish our dog when catching them in the act, they can actually develop a fear of toileting in front of us. We then end up with a much bigger problem, where the dog waits for us to leave before peeing or pooping. Some dogs might even try to hide the evidence by eating it.

So, if your dog pees or poops inside the house, clean it properly and see it as a learning opportunity. Try to determine why it happened and how you can help your dog to prevent any future accidents.

Managing Your Puppy's Freedom Indoors

Just like a toddler, when they are not being supervised, a non-potty-trained dog shouldn’t have free range of the house. Move slowly; less freedom now will offer your dog free range of the home for the rest of their life.

Be Patient and Kind

Potty training is a slow progress and each dog is different. So be kind 😊

– Ginger's Way –

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Closing words

Every puppy learns at a different pace, and occasional accidents are a normal part of the process. Consistency, patience, and positive reinforcement will help your puppy understand where and when to toilet.

Remember that rescue puppies may need extra time to adjust to a new environment and routine. Changes in excitement levels, visitors, feeding schedules, or daily activity can temporarily affect potty training progress.

The key is to focus on setting your puppy up for success. Create a predictable routine, supervise closely, reward successful toileting, and avoid punishment for accidents. Over time, these small daily habits build lifelong good behaviour.

Need More Puppy Training Support?

We are incredibly grateful to Ginger's Way for sharing their expertise with our foster families and adopters. Through their online sessions and practical guidance, they have helped many dogs settle successfully into their new homes.

Keep an eye on our blog for more puppy training and dog care guides from Ginger's Way, covering common topics that new puppy owners in the UAE often need support with.

Is there a topic you'd like us to cover? Leave a comment below and let us know what you need help with. We'll do our best to include it in a future guide from Ginger's Way 🐾❤️