How do I potty train a puppy in a flat?
Updated By PetymFacts checked against official sources on
Quick answer
Pick one toilet spot, outdoors or on a balcony, and take your puppy there when it wakes, after every meal, after play, before bed, and every 45 minutes to two hours in between. Use a cue word, reward the moment it finishes, and clean accidents with a biological washing powder solution. Never punish an accident.
In a flat, the lift and stairs add delay, so carry a young puppy down and go out early rather than late. Most puppies learn within weeks, but full bladder control takes until about 12 months, so expect the odd accident.
What are the steps to potty train a puppy?
The method the RSPCA, PDSA and Humane World describe, adapted to a flat.
1. Choose one spot
A patch of ground near your building once your vet says walks are safe, or a fixed corner of the balcony before then. Humane World recommends a consistent bathroom spot. Humane World for Animals
2. Go at the key times
The RSPCA lists when the puppy wakes, after every meal, after play or excitement, before bed, before you leave it and when you come back. RSPCA (England and Wales)
3. Go often in between
Every 45 minutes to an hour depending on age, says the RSPCA; PDSA gives every 2 to 3 hours during the day. Start often and stretch the gap as your puppy succeeds. RSPCA (England and Wales)
4. Use a cue word
Say a word such as 'toilet' or 'hurry up' as the puppy goes, so it links the word with the act. A lead keeps it focused. PDSA
5. Reward at once
Praise and a high-value treat the moment it finishes, right there, not when you get back inside. PDSA
6. Supervise or confine
When you cannot watch, use a crate or a small gated area such as part of a bathroom. Puppies avoid soiling where they sleep. Humane World for Animals
What does a potty training day look like?
Petym’s working from the official rules, no government publishes a total.
Petym's sample day for a puppy of about three months, built from the sources on this page. Adjust to your puppy.
On waking
Straight out or to the balcony spot, before anything else. PDSA says first thing in the morning. PDSA
After breakfast
Out again within 10 to 15 minutes: VCA notes puppies generally need to go within that time after eating. VCA Animal Hospitals
After play or a nap
Out again. Excitement and waking both trigger the need to go. RSPCA (England and Wales)
Through the day
A trip every hour or two, longer as the puppy grows. Humane World says a puppy may hold its bladder about one hour for every month of age. Humane World for Animals
Before bed
A last trip, then a quiet bed in a crate or pen near you. RSPCA (England and Wales)
At night
A young puppy may need one trip. Keep it calm, dark and boring, then straight back to bed. PDSA
Should I use the balcony, pads or go downstairs?
Each works. The fewer changes you make later, the faster training goes.
After vaccines
Downstairs, from the start
Fastest route to a dog that toilets outside, once your vet says the puppy can walk on the ground. Carry a young puppy in the lift so it does not go on the way. PDSA
Bridge
A balcony spot, then outside
A tray of grass or soil, or a sod box, in a fixed corner bridges the vaccine wait. Move it towards the door, then outside, when walks start. Humane World for Animals
Use with care
Pee pads indoors
Useful if you must leave a puppy alone, but Humane World notes indoor toileting can make outdoor house training take longer. Humane World for Animals
What speeds up potty training, and what slows it down?
Do
- Watch for the signs: fidgeting, sniffing around and circling before squatting, especially after naps, meals or time alone. RSPCA (England and Wales)
- Feed at set times so toilet times are predictable. VCA Animal Hospitals
- Clean accidents with a warm solution of biological washing powder, then rinse, to remove the smell. RSPCA (England and Wales)
- Use a crate big enough to stand and turn around in, and never as punishment. Humane World for Animals
- Pick up after your puppy in the society's common areas, as AWBI's guidelines ask. Animal Welfare Board of India
Don’t
- Punish an accident, even as it happens. The RSPCA says a puppy may learn it is only safe to toilet when you are not around. RSPCA (England and Wales)
- Rub its nose in it. Humane World says scolding only makes puppies fearful and slows progress. Humane World for Animals
- Crate a puppy under 6 months for more than three or four hours at a time. Humane World for Animals
- Use strong-smelling or ammonia-like cleaners that leave a urine-like smell behind. International Cat Care
How long does it take to potty train a puppy?
Usually a few weeks for the basics, says the Merck Veterinary Manual, with patience and consistency. Expect setbacks during illness, in a new place or after a change of routine.
Full control takes longer. The RSPCA says dogs do not have full bladder capacity until they are about 12 months old, so a six-month-old can still have accidents if it is left too long. If accidents start suddenly in a dog that was trained, or come with straining, frequent small wees or blood, see your vet: medical problems can look like a training problem.
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Questions owners ask
How long can a puppy hold its pee?
- Humane World says a puppy may be able to hold its bladder for about one hour for every month of age, so a three-month-old may need to go every three hours. The RSPCA adds that dogs do not have full bladder capacity until about 12 months. Plan trips around that, and more often after meals and play.
Should I use pee pads for my puppy in an apartment?
- They are a useful bridge if you must leave a young puppy alone or before vaccines are complete. Humane World notes that indoor toileting can make outdoor house training take longer, so if you use pads, keep them in one place and move towards outdoor toileting as soon as you can.
Why does my puppy pee right after coming back inside?
- Usually because the outing was too short or too exciting to finish. Stay out a little longer at the toilet spot, stay boring until it goes, then reward and play. Watch for sniffing and circling indoors, and go straight back out.
What should I clean puppy pee with?
- The RSPCA suggests a warm solution of biological washing powder, rinsed with water, to remove the smell so the puppy is not drawn back to the same spot. Avoid ammonia-based cleaners, which can smell like urine to a dog.
My puppy was house trained and is now having accidents. Why?
- A change of routine, a new home or stress can cause setbacks, but so can illness. If accidents start suddenly, or come with straining, frequent small wees, blood or drinking more, see your vet before you go back to basics with training.
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Sources
Each source was opened and read on the date shown. How Petym checks its sources
- RSPCA (England and Wales): How to toilet train your puppy or dog (opens in a new tab)
- PDSA: Toilet training your puppy (opens in a new tab)
- Humane World for Animals: How to potty train a puppy: essential housebreaking tips (opens in a new tab)
- VCA Animal Hospitals: Feeding times and frequency for your dog (opens in a new tab)
- Humane World for Animals: Crate training 101 (opens in a new tab)
- Animal Welfare Board of India: Guidelines on pet and street dogs, their care-givers, and residents' welfare and apartment owners' associations (26 February 2015) (opens in a new tab)