Potty training
Predictable schedules, active supervision, and immediate rewards — the three levers that actually move the needle.
Other training topics
Potty training: common questions
- How long does potty training take?
- Most puppies are largely reliable within four to six weeks of consistent scheduling, though occasional accidents continue until around six months as bladder control matures. Adult dogs learning a new home routine usually adjust within one to two weeks when the schedule is predictable.
- How often should I take a puppy outside?
- Roughly every hour while awake, plus immediately after waking, eating, drinking, and play. A rough guide for holding time is the puppy's age in months plus one, in hours, overnight. Frequent trips create more chances to reward the right choice outdoors.
- Why is my house-trained dog suddenly having accidents?
- Sudden regression in a previously reliable dog is a veterinary question first. Urinary tract infections, incontinence, and cognitive decline in older dogs all present this way. Once medical causes are ruled out, look for a schedule change, a new stressor in the home, or an area that was never fully cleaned with an enzymatic cleaner.
Training works better when it fits your dog's mind
Dognition's science-based assessment reveals how your dog actually thinks across five cognitive dimensions — so you can pick the tips that will land, and skip the ones that won't.