Outdoor Potty Training Schedule

Several people have asked if there is any difference in the way you potty train a litter trained puppy to use the outdoors.  The answer is that you would use the same potty training schedule for a litter trained puppy as you would use for any 8 week old puppy.  One additional tip is to dump his soiled saw dust in the place in your yard where you want your puppy to soil so he will immediately know that this is a good potty spot.

Because your puppy is litter trained you do not have to keep to an outdoor schedule as strictly as you would with every other puppy.  I would recommend using the litter box for the first few days that your puppy is home....just to make sure he or she is confident as to where it is.  After the first several days I would begin outdoor  training, as good habits start young.  And after the puppy is a year old most families will want their puppy to use the outdoors exclusively for potty breaks.

The following training schedule for an 8 week puppy is taken from "The Art of Raising a Puppy" by the
Monks of New Skete.

General guidelines:
Feed the puppy wait 15 minutes, offer water, and then take him/her out to go potty, then spend 30 minutes to play with puppy.  Puppy soils about every 1 1/2 hrs. Always give water before taking pup out to soil.

6:30 am  Rise walk pup briefly

7:00 am  Feed & water pup
              Walk pup and take to potty spot
               Play briefly with Pup
              Pup stays in Crate

Mid morning:  Walk pup to potty spot
                     Pup stays with you 15 min
                     Pup returns to crate

12-1pm        Feed pup second meal and offer water
                    Walk pup to potty spot
                    Go back inside and stay with pup
                    Pup returns to crate

Mid afternoon:  Offer water
                        Walk pup to potty spot
                        Pup returns to crate

5:00 pm        Feed pup third meal and offer water
                    Walk pup to potty spot
                     Allow pup to play in kitchen while making dinner

7:00 pm   Walk pup briefly to potty spot
                 Offer water  (these breeders remove water at this time for an older puppy.)
                Go inside and play with pup
                Pup returns to crate

Before Bed   Walk pup to potty spot
                     Pup sleeps in crate...or tether in your bedroom

As your puppy matures you can increase the time between potty breaks.  Do not leave your puppy or adult dog in a crate for over 4 hours (as the puppy matures to an adult he will be fine in his crate all night)
The advantage of the litter trained puppy:
Since a puppy is unable to hold his immature bladder for several hours, if you must leave your pup for many hours, then you can open the puppy's crate in a puppy pen or enclosed safe area in kitchen.  Put the litter box nearby and your puppy will be able to potty in the litter when you are not home.