Tips for House Training your Pug

What is the very first thing you want to teach your new puppy? In my experience it is to teach him the right way and place to go to the bathroom. Your precious little pug doesn’t yet know how to do this correctly and its your responsibility as his caretaker to teach him.

When I first got my Pug puppy the first thing I did was to begin house training him. It took some patience and a little dedication but within a month my little guy knew how to use the potty the proper way. There are two things that helped me house train my puppy, one was paying attention to him and the other was setting a schedule

Set Up a Schedule

Pug HousetrainingA schedule will help your pug learn what he should be doing and what to expect from you. So setting up a schedule is really important. This doesn’t have to interfere with your day in any way. Just set it up to where your pug will know when he will be able to go outside to do his business.

He gets to go outside:

  • Take him out the first thing in the morning when you and he both wake up

  • 15-30 minutes after he eats

  • When your puppy has taken a nap

  • If you see your little guy sniffing around looking for a spot to relieve himself

It is a good idea to use a routine along with your schedule. Take your puppy to the same place every time he has to go. This will teach him to use that spot and he will always search for it when he needs to go to the bathroom.

Remember to also let your Pug walk around and enjoy the outside once he finishes his business. This way he won’t have it in his mind that the only way he can get to go outside is if he wants to go potty. So he will do a much a quicker and better job of relieving himself.

Clean Up the Mess

The first reason to always clean up any mess your Pug may accidentally make is pretty obvious. Your house will smell like pee and poop. Cleaning up shouldn’t be hard and usually just simply using a paper towel and then washing will do the trick. But this only fixes issue of the smell for you and your home.

The second reason is because if you don’t clean up good then he will continue to go in that same spot. Because of this you need to make sure you clean up the mess very well and do not leave any odors that both you and your puppy can smell. Pugs have a stronger sense of smell than us humans so try using special cleaning products to get rid of the odors completely. You can find these products at almost any pet store, just read the labels and it will say that it removes both urine and odors.

Pay Attention

Make sure to keep an eye on your little bundle of energy. You will learn the signs of when he needs to pee or poop pretty quickly. And once you do that you can start to make sure your Pug only goes where it is ok.

Whenever you catch your puppy in the act of going to the bathroom where he isn’t supposed to make sure to let him know that it is not ok. Don’t stand there and let him finish and then try to correct him. This wont teach your Pug puppy anything. He won’t even know why you are punishing him or what you are trying to tell him. The only way he will understand is if you correct his action while he is doing it.

The best way to let him know it isn’t ok is to simply show your disappointment while he starts to do his business use language that will let him know he has to stop right away. You don’t need to yell or be aggressive. Just a simple stern no will do the job. As soon as he stops take Your puppy outside and let him finish there, and praise him for doing the right thing. If you keep on yelling or shouting at your little guy once he is outside then he will think its wrong to go there as well.

Be Patient

Remember that house training takes some patience. It will take a while for your Pug to fully understand that it is not ok to go potty wherever he wants. He will slowly learn where it is ok to go and he will ask you to go there when he needs to. Take your time and put your love and care into the whole process.

If you own a Pug of your own I also highly recommend that you check out Pug Perfect if you haven’t already.

18 Responses to “Tips for House Training your Pug”

  1. David Raines says:

    I NEED HELP!! My teenage son bought this pug but of course with school and job my wife and i are raising her. I HAVE NEVER HAD THIS MUCH DIFFICULTY WITH POTTY TRAINING a dog EVER!!! I have a doggy door and two other dogs that are pomeranians that I potty trained years ago. But I can not seem to get any where with this 4 month old pug. Im trying to hold her on a leash, in house and routinely take her out but this is nuts! Nothing seems to take! I praise her when she does go outside but i can’t seem to get her to understand at all SOMEONE PLEASE ADVISE
    THANKS
    Dave

    • Leigh says:

      I sounds to me like you didn’t really want this puppy? More for your child? I understand your pain!! It’s a headache but you have to keep up what your doing and he will get it. It seems he’s not going two but he will. Do you let your child take over when he comes home from school or has it been left to you? If you didn’t have your heart set on getting a puppy why did you allow your son to get one knowing you would be left with the training? Honesty if you put your heart into it it will pay off. Let your son follow what your doing to give you a brake.
      It is hard but they are a fabulous breed of dog and you will enjoy it when the potty training is over. I had huge problems with my pug training her but it’s pays off in the end. Good luck!!

  2. ania says:

    Pugs don’t develop the muscular ability to hold their movements until they are around 12 weeks old. Until then, when they need to go, they’re going to go. However that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t keep training him, it will be much easier for him to go in the appropriate place once he reaches the 12 weeks if you continue as you have been with him. Best of luck 🙂

  3. Michaela says:

    I never had a problem potty trainng my pug when she was a puppy. It took about a month for her to understand that she needs to go outside when she has to potty. At first, I had her potty on a training pee pad, then after a few days, I would move the pad closer to the back door (no pun intended), then, I moved the pee pad outside. She still had a few accidents every now and then. She’s three years old now and hasn’t pottied in the house since she was 6 months old.

  4. Ellie Jones says:

    Got Wilma from a rescue. She is 6 mos. old. I am having trouble potty training. She goes outside when I take her out. How do you to teach them to let you know they need to go out. Have been training for two months now and if I don’t take her out she does her business in the house. Please help.

  5. Parnia says:

    We prepared a place for him to go potty indoors but he doesn’t pee or poop in that place. He likes to go outside like in our previous house. What should we do?

  6. Stacey says:

    We got a pug from a friend who was having a hard time training. We have had her for a few months and she still is having an extremely hard time house training. I have never experienced such a hard time with a dog. The pug is about 2 years old and is crate trained, but when she is out of her crate, she messes on the floor. Everywhere. She is let out on a regular basis. I have heard that pugs mark regularly and using a pee pad wrapped around them works, but she won’t keep it on. I’m about at my wits end with this dog. We have 2 other dogs that we don’t have problems with. My house smells like a kennel. Any advice would be appreciated.

    • Helen says:

      My pug is 4 and will still pee in the house! I have used white vinegar diluted 50/50 for the smell. Of course he has ruined furniture and my kitchen floor. I have a pen for him now which I bought from Amazon. He goes in there when I’m out, so obviously he doesn’t pee. At night he is caged. I have to say he is much better these days, but, I still keep a close eye on him if he is sniffing around. I to have been at my wits end!

  7. Shreyas chavan says:

    Can I train my full grown pug ?

  8. Chirag says:

    I am about to bring home a male puppy pug (about 45 days)…I have no idea how to house train ….could u please help…

  9. RachaelS says:

    I brought my baby home just over a week ago, I have just been constantly taking him outside. When he wakes from his naps, after he has a meal, when he first gets up in the morning and before we settle down for the night and any time in between!!! I do have puppy pads which he can and has used in an emergency for wee but he’s only used it a few times. He’s had a couple of wee accidents but no poop ones, he’s done them all outside! When he has had an accident, I see him squat and put him on the paper or take him outside and give him loves and treats – i also give lots of love and a treat every time he does a wee or poop outside (or on the pad). My pug loves boiled chicken, cut up into tiny pieces which he will do anything for! I think it just takes time and patience. Hope this helps 😊

    • PugLover97 says:

      You should never feed any dog human food no matter what it is. Especially a puppy. Of course your dog will do anything for it. Duh it’s chicken. However it would go nuts for just about any kind of human food mainly meat. Chicken is worse because it can cause salmonella if undercooked. Been raising pugs for over 20 years and human food is one of the worst thing you can give to any dog however pugs have a very sensitive digestive system and feeding them human food can cause all sorts of medical issues and may cause your dog’s lifespan to be shorter than normal. You should stop now while you can. Just a little friendly advice from somebody who’s been raising pugs for many years.

      • Jules says:

        What do you think dogs ate before someone invented dog food? Which isn’t better for them just cheaper. Just because you’ve been doing something one way for 20 years doesn’t mean it is the right way. You should do some research into what goes into dog food and what experts say is the best nutrition for dogs. All of it is going to be what you think is human food.

      • Momofpugsx2 says:

        Thanks Rachel for sharing your helpful experience with house training!

  10. Matthew says:

    My pug was potty trained but now is making accidents all the time again she is now 2 years old and will not stop I praise her and give her treats but nothing seems to work does anyone have any ideas

  11. Leigh says:

    When I got my pug 2 years ago I don’t realise how hard it would be to train her! Taking her out all the time
    In the same spot, treating her everytime she did the job. But she did still mess indoors then use to run outside and sit there when she new that she did it wrong. They say dogs don’t no they done wrong I am a huge believer that they do know! It took me 8 months to fully trust her and remove the crate. She use to mess in her bed in her create two. They do get it after a while, you so start to lose all interest as you get fed up with it but after all the issues I had she is fully house trained. She was worth every blood sweat and tears!! Just remember that they won’t be like that forever it just feels like it will go on FOREVER! They are stubborn, they do want to please you so carry on doing what your doing and one day they will just get it.

  12. Aman T. says:

    I have brought one months old pug puppy into my house and he is biting everything he can get. What should i do to get him to stop.

  13. Paula Baldozier says:

    I have a 12 week old male pug that I am trying to train. I also have 2 older lab dogs. With the pug I’ve been trying the training pads. However the pug thinks they are for playing with. He will take the pad out of his kennel or off the floor and drag it around the house behind him. If I try to take it from him he just runs faster to get away from me.

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