How Long Does It Take To Potty Train A Golden Retriever Puppy?

I just got a Golden Retriever puppy.  She is ten weeks old.  I want to learn when I can begin to potty train her and how long it might take.

Seeking information, I decided to check out what I could find this morning before work and decided I would share.

How long does it take to potty train a Golden Retriever puppy?

A Golden Retriever can be potty trained in under two weeks. However, you will be the biggest factor that brings success or failure to your puppy’s potty training.

You see, many factors determine how fast or slow the process of potty training a Golden Retriever puppy takes.  How long it takes to potty train, a Golden Retriever puppy depends on their age.  Around sixteen weeks is when their bladder is fully developed, so puppies that are thoroughly trained before that may still have accidents. 

How long it takes to potty train a Golden Retriever puppy also depends on whether they are leash and crate trained.  No dog, including a puppy, likes to sleep where they urinate. 

If the puppy is crate trained, it can aid in the process of potty training.  If crate training is not done for whatever reason, the best thing to do is confine the puppy to a specific area. 

How long it takes to potty train a Golden Retriever puppy will depend on how much time the pet parent devotes to this process.  It also depends on how often the pet parent takes them outside to go to the bathroom.  If they are only taken out occasionally, this increases the chance that they will have an accident and can delay the learning process. 

How long it takes to potty train, a Golden Retriever puppy depends on what the pet parent and puppy do while being outside.  It also depends on how the puppy is praised for their success at going potty outside and how their accidents inside the house are handled.

Potty training is a process that will vary for each puppy, just as it does for human babies.  How long the process of potty training takes will depend on many factors but can be as quick as a couple of weeks or as long as a few months.

The age at which you begin potty training a Golden Retriever puppy affects how long it takes.  The Golden Retriever puppies’ bladder isn’t fully developed until around sixteen weeks of age.  Puppies that happen to be successful at potty training before this age can still struggle with the occasional accident here and there.

Golden Retriever puppies that are crate trained or contained to a particular area may be potty trained sooner than others.  No dog, regardless of age or breed, likes to sleep where they urinate.  Leash training can also help potty training a puppy because it allows their pet parent to help them focus on the task at hand instead of that shiny blue ball in the yard.

How long it take to potty train, a Golden Retriever puppy depends on how much time their pet parent devotes to the task.  Life can be busy, but there must be ample time devoted to this process for success.

There is a greater chance of success with potty training sooner if the pet parent takes them outside before they need to go potty.  When the pet parent does this, the Golden Retriever puppy focuses on going to the bathroom, and the pet parent shouldn’t encourage playtime.

To figure out how often a Golden Retriever puppy needs to go, the pet parent can take them out every thirty minutes in the beginning.  If the puppy is having accidents between the outside breaks, the pet parent can increase the amount of potty training breaks to once every fifteen minutes.

If the puppy has no accidents, the pet parent can try decreasing it to every forty-five minutes and so on.  Through this trial and error, pet parents and Golden Retriever puppies can find the right spot where they go out for potty before an inside accident happens, but not so soon that they don’t have to go.

While the outside can be fun and exciting for the puppy, the primary focus should be on potty time.  After this is done, tossing a ball or running around time can be fun, but potty time must always come first.

If the Golden Retriever puppy goes outside, words of praise and a few well-placed treats can create a positive experience.  If, however, they have an accident inside, the praise and treats should not be given.  They should never be punished, yelled at, or mistreated in any way because they have an accident inside. 

How often should I take my Golden Retriever puppy outside to go potty?

Plan to take your Golden Retriever out to go potty every 30 minutes. This timing will vary depending on your unique puppy, their age, health, and who they are as a dog, so look for non-verbal (or verbal) clues from your dogs behavior.

This process is one of learning about your puppy and who they are physically, mentally, and emotionally takes time.

A good place to start, is taking them outside every thirty minutes and seeing what happens after.  If they have no accidents, decreasing it to every forty-five minutes.  If they do have an accident, increasing it to a potty break every fifteen minutes can work.

Eventually, the right spot will be found where the pet parent gets the puppy out before they need to go, but not so soon that they don’t have to go.

This, however, can change as they grow or when certain situations arise, like when they get scared or excited.  Every puppy and pet parent pair are as unique as is their lifestyle.

If success isn’t achieved right away, the process continues for as long as necessary until the Golden Retriever puppy gets it right.  Time patience and understanding are required for this process to be successful.

One important thing to remember is they should always have adequate food and water.  Some pet parents may be under the impression that limiting food or water at certain times will help them learn potty training.  Unfortunately, this method can be dangerous for the Golden Retriever puppy and their health and should never be used.

What should I do if my Golden Retriever puppy goes potty outside?

If your Golden Retriever puppy goes potty outside, it is a good idea to offer praise in the form of words and affection as well as some treats at that moment since they may forget what they did right.  These are all positive reinforcement for the correct behavior.

With time the Golden Retriever puppy will associate the reward with the behavior.  This can increase the likelihood that they will succeed because they want the reward for their efforts.  The important thing to remember is to reward and praise immediately so they understand what they did right.

And what should I do if my Golden Retriever has an accident and goes potty inside the house?

What should be done if your Golden Retriever has an accident and goes potty inside the house is nothing other than a clear reminder of where they are to go potty.  A simple we go out to use the bathroom, or something else, without treats and extra physical attention, can send the puppy a signal that this is NOT the place to go potty.

Without the positive reward of a treat and some words of praise, the puppy will associate the negative behavior with the negative response.  With time they will understand and know that they don’t want that response.  They like the treats and kind, loving words of praise, so they will do what brings that reward.

What should I do during the night when I am training my Golden Retriever puppy to go potty?

What you should do at night when you are potty training your Golden Retriever puppy to put them in a crate or section off an area using a play yard or something else.

Do expect that you will be waking up periodically throughout the night to take them out to the bathroom and expect accidents.  Nighttime potty training is the last step they succeed at, just like with human babies.  Going to the bathroom every half hour or hour will not work for a pet parent or puppy unless no one wants to sleep.

Don’t be surprised or upset by accidents because there will be many, most at night, some during the day.  It is all a part of the normal process of potty training a Golden Retriever puppy.

Final Thoughts

The time it takes for a Golden Retriever to be potty trained is as unique as the individual puppy.  While the process can be exhausting and seem to be never-ending, it too will pass.

With a proactive plan and some devoted time, all puppies eventually get it right.  And thank goodness for that because, with each phase of puppyhood, there comes another challenge.  Enjoy the process while it lasts because before you know it, it’s over, and you wish they were puppies again!