Potty training a new Pug puppy is a tedious chore, that seems to take forever. To speed up the process, you’ll want to create a schedule that speeds up the process. So how long does it take to potty train a Pug?
How Long Does It Take To Potty Train A Pug?
Potty training a Pug can take a few weeks to several months, depending on your dog’s age, technique, and your dog’s willingness to learn. This may sound discouraging, but as long as you’re consistent with your potty training schedule, your pooch will learn the house rules.
This potty training Pugs resource was set up to pet owners get started regardless of age, where you live, or anything else.
Are you not sure how to start potty training your Pug? Learn how to potty train any dog in 7 Days or Less!
Let’s take a look at a closer look at the average time it will take for your Pug to become house trained. It’s important to remember that every dog is different, so the timelines we share will vary depending on each individual dog.
Age
Many canine professionals agree that a puppy can start being house trained when they are between the ages of 8 and 12 weeks of age. Although, a puppy will not be able to control their bladder until they are 4-6 months old (about 17 weeks).
You can start teaching your puppy their new potty training schedule right away. Just know that the younger your Pug, the more accidents they will make.
So at what age will a Pug be fully house trained? Well, the answer will vary especially, if you’ve adopted an older Pug that was not allowed to live in the house or wasn’t trained properly.
A new puppy that you picked from a litter and implemented a regular potty training routine from an early age, can be successfully potty trained in 4-6 months, if not before.
Some breeders will begin training the puppy, so they won’t make a mess where they sleep. Of course, you can’t buy a potty-trained Pug puppy, but it is possible to find a breeder who will start the training process.
An older dog that has NEVER been properly housebroken can take up to a few weeks or several months to potty train.
If you’ve adopted a Pug that is five years or older, it will be more difficult to retrain them, but with persistence, it can be done. Just know that it will require more patience on your part.
Regardless of the age of your Pug, it’s important to know that accidents are going to happen. You may be tempted to hit or punish your dog when an accident happens, but that won’t speed up the process of teaching your Pug to pee on schedule.
Puppies are like humans and need extra care and attention. Older dogs may understand the process, but depending on whether they lived outside or in a cage in their past, it can be confusing for them.
Timeline
If you really want to potty train your Pug quickly, it’s important to start implementing a schedule from day one, regardless of the age of your dog. In a 24 hour day, your Pug will need to be taken outside to go potty. Be sure to check out this potty training schedule to help you create a potty training chore timeline that will work for your family.
Here’s a timeline I’ve put together that used to work for training our puppy, hopefully, it will work for you.
| Time | Routine |
| 6:00 AM | Wake up and take your puppy outside. to relieve themselves. Feed them after they take care of business. |
| 7:00 AM | 30 minutes after breakfast you can take them out again. |
| 9:00 AM | Take them outside for a mid-morning potty break. |
| 11:00 AM | About two hours later they will need to go outside to relieve themselves again. |
| 1:00 PM | They’ll need to go out after their mid-day nap. |
| 3:00 PM | After playing all day, they’ll be ready for another potty break. |
| 5:00 PM | Take them out before you feed them. |
| 5:30 PM | 30 minutes after supper or the final meal of the day, it’s time to take them out again. |
| 7:30 PM | Puppies are most excited when the family is home, so make sure you take them outside. |
| 9:00 PM | If your puppy has been playing all evening, you can take them out again. |
| 11:00 PM | This is the last trip outside before you put them in their crate for the night. |
Techniques
Now that you have a timeline and a schedule to follow, let’s take a look at the different methods and the average timeline to expect when using them.
Crate Training
This is one of the best and quickest ways to potty train your pooch. After all, dogs won’t go where they sleep, as long as you stick to the schedule above or create your own, you can cut the potty training from months to weeks.
Just make sure that there is a divider in the crate so you only give your puppy enough room to turn around and lay down. Otherwise, they will end up sleeping in one corner and pooping in the other corner.
Related: How To Potty Train A Pug Without A Crate
Pee Pads
According to Preventative Vet, pee pads can confuse your puppy and may slow the process of getting them to eliminate outdoors. This confusing can slow the process from taking a few weeks to several months to becoming fully potty trained.
Some puppies may become accustomed to peeing indoors that they start mistaking similar items such as newspapers on the floor, square mats in your bathroom, for their pee pad. If you do use pee pads, make sure you put it in a designated space that doesn’t confuse your puppy.
Designated Area Outside
Pick a designated potty area in your yard and this is where your pup will learn to do their business. Whenever you take your pooch outside, you’ll want to take them to this exact spot.
As long as you’re taking your puppy outside every few hours (hundreds of times), it should take your puppy a few months to be properly trained.
To speed up the process, put them in the crate when they are left home alone. Just make sure you don’t leave them in the kennel too long as a young Pug can’t hold their bladder for very long.
Clicker Training
Clicker training has become extremely popular with dog owners, because it instills positive reinforcement training. Once your dog understands what the clicker means, you can use it to teach them anything, even peeing outside.
Like the other training methods, you should allow your pooch 3-5 months to become fully potty trained when using the clicker method. Some Pugs may learn more quickly than others, so make sure you’re patient.
Pug’s Temperament
Your dog’s temperament will play a huge part in how long it takes them to become fully potty trained. Pugs are known to be stubborn and if like an unruly teenager, if they don’t want to do something, they won’t do it.
It can be frustrating, especially, when you’re trying to teach them a new habit. You’ll likely be tempted to punish them, especially, when you take them out one minute and then they pee as soon as they get back inside.
However, punishment doesn’t work well with training your Pug. In fact, punishment will have the opposite effect and will just make your dog hide their pee and poop behind furniture, and other areas you can’t find easily.
If your Pug is being stubborn, you’ll want to bribe them with treats every time they use the bathroom outside.
It’s important to remember that there is no set timeframe when it comes to potty training. As a pet parent, you need to be patient and give your puppy the time they need to learn the new behavior.
You may find it harder to train Pugs, if they are dealing with certain behavioral problems.
Bottom Line
It will usually take a puppy 4-6 months to become fully potty trained. A full grown dog may take a few weeks to a few months, depending on how they were raised before you adopted them.
That being said, every dog learns at their own pace. Every breed is different and you can’t compare your Pug to a Border Collie, which is one of the smartest breeds. Pugs can be potty trained and it all starts with the technique and schedule you create.