Potty training a dachshund puppy may seem like a daunting task but with the right approach, you can potty train your new puppy in a very short time. If you would like to find out how we potty trained our doxie puppy in just 2 weeks then make sure to read this article. It will provide you with lots of helpful tips and tricks on how to potty train your dachshund puppy easily and fast!
Don’t forget to watch our potty training video and download our concise guide of Dachshund potty training tips and tricks. You can find them both at the bottom of this article.
How To Potty Train Your Dachshund Puppy Easily And Fast – Table Of Content:
1. Golden Rules Of Potty Training
- Rule #1: Be consistent with your potty training approach
- Rule #2: Be patient with your puppy
- Rule #3: Be proactive and take your puppy out regularly
- Rule #4: Do not punish your puppy for accidents
- Rule #5: Avoid using wee pads if possible
2. What To Do When Taking Your Puppy Out For Potty
- Learn to read the signs
- Be organised and have everything you need at hand
- Going out for potty step by step
- Don’t rush your puppy
- Use playpen to avoid accidents around the house
3. Potty Training Your Dachshund Puppy In Bad Weather
4. Potty Training Your Dachshund Puppy At Night
5. How Long Does It Take To Potty Train A Dachshund Puppy
How To Potty Train Your Dachshund Puppy Easily And Fast – Golden Rules Of Potty Training
It is essential that you start potty training the minute you bring your puppy home from their breeder. Small puppies have no bladder control and therefore it is up to you to ensure you take your puppy to the toilet regularly. The below golden rules are key to success when potty training your puppy and it is important you follow them if you want to achieve quick results.
Rule #1: Be consistent with your potty training approach
Having a consistent approach to potty training your puppy is super important. Make a decision on how you want to approach the training before you even bring your puppy home. And make sure you and all family members follow the same steps every time you take your puppy out. This will help your puppy learn to associate certain behaviors and habits with toileting outdoors.
What should you consider when deciding on your approach?
- do you want to use a bell by the door and teach your puppy use the bell to let you know they need to go?
- what phrase will you use when letting your puppy out if any – e.g. ‘potty time’, ‘let’s go outside’, ‘let’s go potty’ etc.
- what verbal cues will you use when your puppy is toileting – e.g. ‘wee’, ‘poo’, ‘do your business’, ‘hurry up’ etc.
- how will you reward your puppy – e.g. with treats or will you just use praise or a toy
- where would you like your puppy to toilet – pick a spot in your garden where you would like your puppy to go
- anything else you would like to incorporate into the routine?
Why to use a set phrase when letting your puppy out for potty?
Using a set phrase when letting your puppy out helps them to associate it with going potty outdoors. If you are consistent with this step then your puppy will eventually learn what to expect when you use the phrase. They will understand what is about to happen and when they are older they will even go to the door and wait there for you.
Why to use verbal cues when your puppy is toileting?
It is possible to teach your puppy to go potty on command and using verbal cue helps you do that. You should start using the verbal cues on day one and use them as your puppy is doing their business. They will learn to connect the cue to the action and when they are a bit older you can ask your puppy to toilet on command by using the cue. We find this especially helpful when taking our puppy out before bedtime or before a long car journey.
Rule #2: Be patient with your puppy
It is important to remember that potty training is a process and does not happen overnight. Showing your puppy patience during this process is crucial. Your puppy needs to learn that going potty in the correct spot is the right thing to do. If you become inpatient and frustrated, your puppy may become scared or confused, which will have a negative impact on the training itself.
Your puppy will be very young and it will take them time to learn and develop these new skills. Be understanding and consistent when potty training to help them understand what is expected of them.
Rule #3: Be proactive and take your puppy out regularly
Taking your dachshund puppy out regularly when potty training is important for reinforcing good habits and for creating potty training opportunities. The more often you take your puppy out for potty, the more opportunities you create for them to toilet outdoors, which then gives you more opportunities to reward them. This form of positive reinforcement helps your puppy understand when and where it is appropriate to toilet. Scheduling regular trips outside will also help your puppy build up their bladder control.
Set up a potty training shedule and take your puppy out for a potty break:
- immediately after waking up in the morning or after each nap
- about 5 -10 minutes after each meal
- about 5 -10 minutes after each playtime, exercise or training session
- and every 30 minutes or so in between these times
- before your family members arrive home from school or work
- before any visitors arrive
- before bedtime
Although you will be taking your puppy out regularly and every 30 minutes or so, keep in mind that they will not go every single time. At 9 weeks old, our puppy used to wee about every 2 hours and had a bowel movement about every 4 hours.
This is perfectly normal and just remember that regular potty breaks are important for creating learning opportunities for your puppy. So stick to the schedule even if your puppy doesn’t toilet every time you take them out.
As your puppy gets older, you can extend the regular intervals as shown below:
- 8 to 11 weeks: every 30 minutes
- 12 to 14 weeks: every hour
- 15 to 16 weeks: every 2 hours
- 17 to 18 weeks: every 3 to 4 hours
Visit Our Dachshund Puppy’s First Week At Home to learn what our puppy’s daily schedule looked like at the end of her first week with us.
Rule #4: Do not punish your puppy for accidents
When potty training your puppy, be sure to use reward based training techniques instead of punishing your puppy. Positive reinforcement is proven to be the most effective way to train your puppy. If your puppy has an accident, do not shout or harm your puppy. Simply clean it up without reprimand, since punishing your puppy will only make the process of potty training more confusing and difficult.
If you see your puppy toileting indoors, do not react and wait for them to finish their business and then take them out straight away. This will help them realise they were meant to go outside. To clean up the mess, it is essential to use an enzyme cleaner to remove the urine or stool scent so your puppy doesn’t go to toilet in the same spot.
There are many cleaners you can chose from but we would recommend using a product that is safe to use around your children and your puppy. Such as this one on Amazon US or Amazon UK.
Rule #5: Avoid using wee pads if possible
We understand your circumstances may not allow for this but try to avoid using wee pads if possible. Using wee pads can disrupt the training process as it can confuse your puppy. They may think it’s OK to toilet on any soft furnishings that resemble the wee pads. Furthermore, using wee pads indoors is teaching your puppy it is acceptable to toilet indoors. This will prolong the training and may lead to continued accidents around your house.
If you have no choice but to use wee pads, try replacing them with an alternative that will mimic natural surfaces found outdoors. This can be some artifical grass, dog litter or paving stones layed inside a plastic tray. Place these by your door, on your balcony or inside your porch and train your puppy this is the only spot they are allowed to toilet.
You can, of course, use wee pads inside your puppy’s playpen in case your puppy has any accidents in there. But do not train your puppy to toilet on the wee pads.
How To Potty Train Your Dachshund Puppy Easily And Fast – What To Do When Taking Your Puppy Out For Potty
Learn to read the signs
Although you will be following a regular potty training schedule, there will be occasions when your puppy will give you signs they need a potty break. By observing your puppy’s behavior, you can get a better understanding of the clues so you can watch out for them.
Signs that your puppy needs a potty break:
- your puppy is sniffing the floor
- your puppy is circling near you
- your puppy is whining, crying or barking
- your puppy is sitting near the door you use to get outdoors for a potty break
- your puppy is scratching at the door, you or floor
- your puppy is looking nervous or unsettled
- your puppy is shuffling their bottom across the floor
- your puppy is moving around the area where they had an accident previously
Be organised and have everything you need at hand
When it’s time to take your puppy out for a potty break, you will need to have certain items at hand so you don’t have to search for them around your house. Try to be organised and have everything you need ready on day one. It’s super helpful to keep all the below items by the garden door so you don’t keep your puppy waiting. If you keep your puppy waiting for too long, they may have an accident before you even manage to take them out.
Items to have at hand by your door:
- collar
- lead
- treats
- poo bags
- umbrella
- coat
- outdoor shoes
- bell
- towel for cleaning paws
Going out for potty step by step
So how do you implement what you have learned so far? Follow the below steps for best results with your potty training process.
Step 1: Take your puppy to the door and put a collar and a lead on them. You want to keep your puppy on a lead when potty training so you can stop them from exploring and running around the garden.Your puppy needs to understand it’s time to do their business and not to play.
Step 2: Ring the door bell in front of them (optional) and use the set phrase such as ‘Let’s go potty’ before opening the door
Step 3: Take your puppy to the designated toileting spot
Step 4: Once your puppy is used to your verbal cues, use the cues to encourage them to go on command, e.g. ‘wee’, ‘poo’
Step 5: Use the same verbal cues as your puppy is doing their business so they learn to associate the verbal cues with the action
Step 6: Reward your puppy with lots of excitement, praise and a treat just as they are finishing their business – this timing is crucial! If you wait too long your puppy will not remember what they are being rewarded for in a few seconds.
Don’t rush your puppy
After your puppy has done their business, do not rush them back indoors. Spend a few more minutes outdoors to give them an opportunity to finish their potty break. Young puppies sometimes don’t empty their bladders on first go and may need another small wee shortly after. They may also need to empty their bowels. And to do this they may need a little run around the garden to get things moving. 🙂
Use playpen to avoid accidents around the house
If your puppy doesn’t go potty outside, wait for another 5 to 10 minutes and then try again. Place your puppy in a playpen or a crate in the meantime to stop them from roaming around the house and having accidents indoors. Too much freedom gives your puppy an opportunity to look for ‘secret’ potty spots so if you are not keen on using a playpen or a crate then you must watch your puppy at all times.
How To Potty Train Your Dachshund Puppy Easily And Fast – Potty Training Your Dachshund Puppy In Bad Weather
Dachshunds can be a very stubborn breed that is known to hate wet and cold weather. So it may be a good idea to consider getting your puppy in spring or summer when the weather is warmer. Trust us when we say that this will make your potty training much easier.
Your puppy may refuse to go outside in rain or when it’s cold. Or if they do go outside they may run back indoors immediately despite of needing to go potty. This often results in accidents indoors even when it comes to fully potty trained adult dogs.
The trick here is to learn to be more stubborn than your puppy and this is where your patience will be tested. We highly recommend you get dressed warm, take your umbrella and go outside with your puppy. Wait for them to do their business (it may take a while) and only then let them back inside. Most puppies will whine or bark by the door but you must be patient and wait for the crucial moment when your puppy gives up and goes for potty. It also helps if you keep your puppy warm or dry by putting their coat on or by holding an umbrella above them.
If you stay consistent and patient your efforts will pay off in the long run. As your puppy will soon learn that it is just easier and faster to go for potty straight away.
How To Potty Train Your Dachshund Puppy Easily And Fast – Potty Training Your Dachshund At Night
Avoid feeding your puppy and giving them too much water 2 to 3 hours before their bedtime. And make sure to take them for a potty break just before you put them down to sleep. When puppies are very young they will need potty breaks during the night but never wake your puppy up. Wait for them to start stirring or whining in their crate to let you know they need to go.
Your dachshund puppy will probably wake up several times a night the first couple of weeks but that doesn’t mean they will need to go potty every single time. They will need to go potty about once or twice a night until they are about 11 weeks old. So if your puppy wakes up at night, keep them in the crate and try comforting them first.
Your puppy’s natural instinct is not to soil where they sleep so if they can’t settle then they probably need to go out to do their business. Our doxie puppy went out for potty about every 4 hours at night when she was 9 to 11 weeks old.
How often will your puppy need to go potty at night:
- 8 to 11 weeks: once or twice during the night
- 12 to 14 weeks: your puppy should sleep through the night without the need for a potty break but may need potty early in the morning
- 15 to 16 weeks: as above
- 17 to 18 weeks: your puppy should sleep through the night without the need for a potty break
When you take your puppy out at night, follow the same potty training routine as you would during the day. However, try to keep your puppy calm, don’t talk to them apart from giving them a verbal cue and praise for doing their business. Keep the lights down if possible and put them straight into their crate after so they can go back to sleep immediately.
How To Potty Train Your Dachshund Puppy Easily And Fast – How Long Does It Take To Potty Train A Dachshund Puppy
Potty training a dachshund puppy is no small feat, but with patience and consistency, you can have a puppy that is potty trained in a very short time. However, it is important to remember that every puppy is different and the timeline may vary. If you follow our tips and tricks and avoid using wee pads then you can expect your puppy to be potty trained in as little as 2 weeks. In majority of cases puppies should be fully potty trained by the age of 6 months.
Once your puppy has been accident free for about a month, you can relax the potty training to certain extend. Give them a chance to show you if they can manage toileting on their own but continue to reward your puppy evey time they go potty.
It is very common for puppies to experience potty training regression between the age of 4 to 12 months. So do not panic if your puppy starts having accidents indoors despite of the fact they are fully potty trained. Their brain is still developing and processing lots of information so they may temporarily forget some of the skills they have learned.
If you do experience the potty training regression, it’s important to go back to square one and start a consistent potty routine again together with the positive reinforcement until you have passed the regression stage. This will set your puppy for success and will help them build a long term habit of toileting outdoors.
How To Potty Train Your Dachshund Puppy Easily And Fast – Watch Us On YouTube
Our potty training video on YouTube is a comprehensive guide to potty training your dachshund puppy. We want to make sure that your potty training experience is smooth and stress free for both you and your puppy. With our video, you will have the confidence to help your puppy learn this new skill in no time. So don’t wait, watch our potty training video on YouTube now!
How To Potty Train Your Dachshund Puppy Easily And Fast – Free Printable Guide
Our resources don’t end with this article. If you are looking for a concise overview of our potty training tips and tricks, then you will want to download our free printable guide.
How To Potty Train Your Dachshund Puppy Easily And Fast – Let Us Know What You Think!
If you’re having trouble with potty training your dachshund puppy, comment below with your questions. We would love to hear from you and offer any advice we can.
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