Printable Potty Training Checklist for Dogs

Back to home Home Printable Checklists Potty training Printable Potty Training Checklist for Dogs Print this, tick the boxes for two weeks, and house training stops being a guessing game. Every item exists because it removes one chance for the dog to rehearse the wrong habit indoors. Print / Save as PDF Which potty training approach fits your dog? Three quick questions and you'll get the method, reward strategy and session shape that fit your breed and what's actually driving the behaviour. Find your approach 1 / 3 What breed is your dog? Border Collie Train the reasoning first Golden Retriever Lead with empathy and communication German Shepherd Give the dog a job and a clear structure Labrador Retriever Train impulse control as its own skill Other / mixed breed A general cognitive approach that works with any dog Potty training checklist House training is a memory task, not an obedience task. Dogs map surfaces, routes and smells fast — so the goal is to make the right location the easiest one to remember and the wrong one impossible to practise. Set up before day one Choose one outdoor toilet spot and one exit door — use them every single time Buy an enzymatic cleaner (regular cleaner leaves a scent cue that re-invites accidents) Set up a crate or pen sized so the dog can stand, turn and lie down — no extra room Put a treat pouch by the door, stocked with pea-sized high-value treats Print a potty log and stick it by the door: time out, result, accidents Agree one marker word with everyone in the house (for example "Go potty") Every day Out first thing in the morning, before anything else happens Out within 10 minutes of every meal, nap and play burst Puppies: out on a 45-minute clock while awake; adults: every 2-4 hours Say the marker word the moment elimination starts, not after Pay within 3 seconds of finishing, outdoors — never wait until you're back inside Stay outside 2-3 minutes after they finish so going out doesn't end the fun Supervise or confine 100% of indoor time — no unsupervised roaming yet Last trip out immediately before bed; pick up water 1-2 hours earlier Log every trip and every accident Week-by-week progression Week 1: fixed schedule, constant supervision, zero indoor freedom Week 2: stretch the clock by 15 minutes once you've had 3 clean days Week 3: add one new outdoor surface (grass, gravel, pavement) so the habit generalises Week 4: allow one supervised free room; add a second room only after 7 clean days Any accident: shrink the freedom back one step for 3 days Troubleshooting checks Accidents always in one room? Close it off an

d re-clean with enzymatic cleaner Accidents right after coming inside? You're paying too late — pay outdoors, instantly Overnight accidents in a house-trained dog? Book a vet check for a UTI first Dog won't go while you watch? Stand still and silent, look away, extend the wait to 5 minutes Peeing on greeting or when told off? That's appeasement — stop all punishment for accidents Read the full guide: How to potty train a dog Want this tailored to your breed? Border Collie checklist pack Golden Retriever checklist pack German Shepherd checklist pack Labrador Retriever checklist pack Other checklists Leash training Barking Recall Chewing Alone time Based on the work of Dr. Brian Hare & Vanessa Woods Every Dognition guide, assessment, and blog post is grounded in the research and methodologies of Dr. Brian Hare and Vanessa Woods at the Duke Canine Cognition Center. Their work established that "smart" isn't one number — dogs think across five distinct cognitive dimensions, and the best training matches the method to the mind. Book · 2013 The Genius of Dogs How dogs are smarter than you think — the founding text on canine cognitive science. Read more Book · 2024 Puppy Kindergarten The Duke Puppy Kindergarten study — how the first 16 weeks shape a dog for life (as covered by The New York Times). Read the NYT feature