Noopy and Toilet Training

My puppy wasn't toilet trained at first: puppy pad or outside, how I taught Noopy without forcing him

When you look into toilet training a puppy, you often read things like:

• "he needs to go outside from the very start"
• "never use puppy pads"

And honestly, that can make you feel pretty guilty pretty fast.

But I did things completely differently.

And it worked out really well.

 

My decision from the start

Even before we began, I made one important decision:

puppy pads didn't bother me at all.

If Noopy had preferred to use them his whole life, that would have been perfectly fine with me.

In my mind:

• walks = exploring, sniffing, burning energy
• toilet = a need, wherever it happens

I didn't necessarily want to link the two.

 

The early days: nothing went to plan

The first week, Noopy had only just arrived. He was still nervous, which is completely normal.

I didn't take him outside straight away. I preferred to let him find his bearings and feel safe at home first.

I set out puppy pads from day one…

But of course:

he didn't use them at all.

He went a little bit everywhere on the floor.

When I started taking him outside, it was the same story:

he wouldn't go outside… and would do everything the moment we got back in.

 

Why he wouldn't go outside

At first, it can seem like he's holding it in on purpose.

But in reality:

he didn't feel safe enough.

Going to the toilet is a vulnerable moment for a dog.

And at that point:

• he didn't know the environment yet
• he didn't know me well enough yet

So he waited until he was home, somewhere safe.

 

My first step: teaching him to go indoors

I decided not to push him to go outside straight away.

First step: learning to use the puppy pad

And for that: a lot of patience and repetition.

 

What I put in place

I always had treats on me.

Why?

Because at the start:

• I didn't know his schedule yet
• it could happen at any moment

And you have to reward him:

within 30 seconds

Otherwise, the dog doesn't make the connection.

 

The hardest part

The toughest thing is:

getting that first success on the puppy pad.

At the start, he goes a little bit everywhere.

So:

• you watch
• you wait
• you anticipate

The moment he started to go, I would gently move him onto the pad.

Even if it was too late, it still helped build the association.

 

Mistakes to avoid

• never tell him off
• never punish him

Otherwise, the puppy may start hiding to do his business.

And that's even worse.

 

Tips that helped me

Two small tricks that worked really well:

• placing a tissue soaked in urine on the pad
• putting a piece of poo on it for a few minutes

to create a scent marker.

And most importantly, clean up with an enzymatic cleaner — otherwise he'll keep going back to the same spot.

 

The first results

After several days:

first real success on the pad!

And then:

• big reward
• lots of praise

Then fewer and fewer accidents, and after 2 to 3 weeks — more successes than misses!

 

Excitement wees

Even after that, he would sometimes wee next to the pad — but not on purpose.

It was:

• excitement
• play
• lack of bladder control

Completely normal in a puppy — above all, don't tell him off.

It goes away with time.

 

And going outside?

In parallel, I kept up the walks.

And one day:

he weed outside.

But there was no way to reward him:

• he was too scared
• he wasn't interested in treats

And then one day:

he saw another dog wee…

and he copied him.

From that point on:

he started marking outside.

 

Pooing outside came much later, only once he was truly confident (see my article on his fear of the outside).

 

How long it took

• 2 months → reliable on the pad
• 3 months+ → consistent outside

But I never took the pad away.

 

Where things stand today

Today:

• he goes outside naturally
• he no longer uses the pad

But:

he knows how to use it in an emergency.

And that's a huge advantage.

 

A concrete example

During his digestive troubles (see my article on his tummy trouble):

he would go to the pad by himself at night

without waking me up

without any stress

Honestly, I couldn't have asked for more.

 

My honest take

I'm really glad I didn't follow everything I'd read to the letter.

Every dog is different.

Some need more time, more reassurance, more adjustment.

The most important thing is to listen to your dog.

 

Conclusion

I never forced Noopy to be toilet trained.

I adapted to him.

And in the end:

he became clean by choice, not by force.

And as a bonus, he knows how to handle emergencies on his own at home.

Honestly, I couldn't have hoped for more! 🐾