FREE SAMPLE · MANUAL 6 · AFTER YOU SAY YES TO THE DOG
Potty Training Manual
“Same Place. Same Word. Same Timing.”
Potty training is not luck; it is timing and repetition. Take him to the same spot at the same moments, mark the win fast, and keep the world small until he is reliable. Accidents are information about supervision and freedom — not character.
Chapter 9 · Before You Say Yes to the Dog
This is Manual 6 of the 21 manuals in After You Say Yes to the Dog, reproduced in full. The book uses Dad/Mum as the two household roles, whoever holds them in practice.
6.1 Owner and Roles
| Person | Job |
|---|---|
| Dad | Owns the system, freedom level, accident review, cleaning standard, and vet escalation. |
| Kids | Take puppy to the same POTTY place when allowed, use the word once, reward, and report honestly. |
| Mum | Reports comfort, smell, mess, and whether accidents are affecting the house. |
| Puppy | Learns location, timing, and calm reward through repetition. |
The Family Must Not
- Punish accidents.
- Shout after the puppy has already finished.
- Let puppy roam after a missed POTTY.
- Change the POTTY place every day.
- Hide accidents from Dad.
- Wait for the puppy to solve the schedule alone.
Kids report. Dad adjusts. Nobody blames.
6.2 The POTTY Loop
Leash -> POTTY place -> POTTY word -> 2-3 minutes -> GOOD BOY if correct -> log -> controlled freedom or rest.
| Step | Action |
|---|---|
| 1 | Leash on before leaving the controlled area. |
| 2 | Go to the same POTTY place. |
| 3 | Stand still. Keep voice boring. |
| 4 | Say POTTY once. |
| 5 | Wait 2-3 minutes. |
| 6 | If puppy goes: GOOD BOY, reward within 1-2 seconds. |
| 7 | Log the time and result. |
| 8 | Return to controlled freedom, PLACE, or BOX. |
Use the same loop every time. Do not turn POTTY into a long walk, play session, or family debate.
Do not keep walking around until something happens. The family is teaching a toilet place, not a sightseeing habit.
6.3 POTTY Timing Triggers
The family should move before the accident, not after it.
| Trigger | Action |
|---|---|
| Wake up | Leash -> POTTY immediately. |
| After eating | POTTY after 10-20 minutes. |
| After drinking | Watch closely and offer POTTY soon. |
| After play | POTTY before rest. |
| After training | POTTY before BOX/PLACE. |
| Sniffing or circling | Interrupt calmly -> leash -> POTTY. |
| Before night | Final calm POTTY, then BOX. |
| After nap | POTTY before greeting or play. |
Early days: offer POTTY often while awake. If the family waits for obvious signals, accidents will teach faster than the system.
6.4 The 2-3 Minute Rule
A POTTY attempt is short. Long attempts create frustration and inconsistency.
| Puppy goes within 2-3 minutes | GOOD BOY -> reward -> log -> controlled freedom. |
|---|---|
| Puppy does not go | Return calmly to BOX, PLACE, or controlled area. Try again soon. |
| Puppy plays or sniffs wildly | Shorten the attempt. Keep POTTY boring. |
| Puppy lies down outside | End attempt. Try later. |
| Puppy comes inside and accidents | Freedom was too high. Reset and track. |
No anger. No speeches. No chasing. No rubbing nose. That teaches fear and hiding, not toilet control.
If nothing happens: back to calm, try later.
6.5 Correct POTTY Reward
The reward must happen immediately after the correct action. Late praise is weak teaching.
| Moment | Family Action |
|---|---|
| Puppy starts sniffing at POTTY place | Stay quiet. Do not distract. |
| Puppy finishes in correct place | Say GOOD BOY immediately. |
| Within 1-2 seconds | Give treat or calm reward. |
| After reward | Leave calmly or allow small controlled freedom. |
| Later inside the house | Do not praise late. The teaching moment passed. |
GOOD BOY means: that exact action was right. Reward is coming now.
Do not use GOOD BOY randomly during POTTY trips. Timing teaches.
6.6 Accident Response
Accidents are not moral failure. They are information.
| Step | Action |
|---|---|
| 1 | Interrupt only if puppy is still starting and you can move calmly. |
| 2 | If accident already happened, do not punish. |
| 3 | Move puppy away calmly. |
| 4 | Clean the area properly. |
| 5 | Log time, place, and trigger. |
| 6 | Reduce freedom if needed. |
| 7 | Fix tomorrow’s timing. |
What Not To Do
- Do not shout.
- Do not punish after the fact.
- Do not blame the kids without checking timing.
- Do not leave the smell behind.
- Do not allow the same area to stay available.
Track more. Guess less.
6.7 Freedom Reset Rule
Freedom is earned by clean repetitions. If accidents repeat, the house is too big for the current skill level.
| Situation | Reset |
|---|---|
| 1 accident | Review timing. Tighten supervision. |
| 2 accidents in 24 hours | Reduce freedom immediately. |
| Same room accident repeats | Block that room and re-clean. |
| Accident after play | POTTY after every play session. |
| Accident after food | Move food-to-POTTY timing earlier. |
| Accident when kids supervise | Return to Driver/Navigator and Dad review. |
| Accidents plus abnormal signs | Dad considers vet call. |
Reset is not punishment. Reset means the system is made easier so the puppy can win again.
6.8 Cleaning and Blocking
Cleaning is part of training. If the smell remains, the area keeps teaching the wrong lesson.
| Problem | Action |
|---|---|
| Fresh accident | Move puppy away, clean calmly, log. |
| Same spot repeated | Re-clean more carefully and block access. |
| Soft surface accident | Remove or restrict soft surfaces during training. |
| Hidden accident found later | Log location. Do not punish late. |
| Mum reports smell | Treat as a system issue, not a complaint. Clean and reduce freedom. |
Smell control protects Mum’s comfort and protects potty training.
Kids must not clean serious mess alone. Dad decides what kids may safely help with.
6.9 Kids POTTY Rules
Kids can help only when the job is simple, leashed, and supervised by the family system.
| Kids Can | Kids Must Not |
|---|---|
| Take puppy to POTTY place when allowed. | Open gates while puppy is loose. |
| Say POTTY once. | Turn POTTY into play. |
| Say GOOD BOY at the exact right moment. | Shout or repeat commands. |
| Log time and result. | Hide accidents. |
| Tell Dad if puppy does not go. | Punish or scare puppy. |
| Report patterns honestly. | Guess medical issues. |
Kid Script
“Dad, POTTY update: time was ______, result was ______, accident was ______, trigger was ______.”
6.10 If This Happens -> Do This
| Situation | What to Do |
|---|---|
| Puppy wakes | POTTY immediately. |
| Puppy eats or drinks | POTTY soon after. |
| Puppy sniffs or circles | Leash -> POTTY now. |
| Puppy does not potty | Controlled area. Try again soon. |
| Puppy goes correctly | GOOD BOY. Reward calmly. Log. |
| Accident happens | Clean. Track. Adjust timing. |
| Same area gets accidents | Re-clean. Block access. |
| Two accidents in 24 hours | Reduce freedom. |
| Kids hide accident | Pause privilege. Retrain honesty. |
| Potty issue looks medical | Dad calls the vet. |
6.11 Potty Tracker
Print this page. Fill it in daily. Do not rely on memory.
| Time | Trigger | Result | Reward? | Accident / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
6.12 Freedom Reset Card
Use this card when potty training slips.
- Stop blaming.
- Check the last three accidents.
- Find the missed trigger: wake, food, water, play, sniffing, too much freedom.
- Reduce freedom for 24-72 hours.
- Return to leash, BOX, PLACE, and controlled area.
- Offer POTTY earlier.
- Reward correct POTTY fast: GOOD BOY + treat.
- Increase freedom only after clean repetitions.
Freedom can rise again after the puppy proves reliability. Do not expand because the family feels guilty.
Medical Red Flags
- Repeated diarrhoea.
- Repeated vomiting.
- Blood in urine or stool.
- Straining without result.
- Cannot pee or poop.
- Sudden major change in potty behaviour.
- Pain, weakness, or severe discomfort.
Dad decides and calls the vet when signs are serious or repeated. This manual does not replace veterinary care.
6.13 Potty Quick Card
POTTY Training Quick Card
Main Rule: Same place. Same word. Same timing.
Loop: Leash -> POTTY place -> say POTTY once -> wait 2-3 minutes -> GOOD BOY + reward if correct -> log.
Triggers: wake, food, water, play, training, sniffing/circling, before night.
No POTTY: return calmly, controlled area, try again soon.
Accident: clean, track, adjust timing. No punishment.
Repeat spot: re-clean and block access.
Kid job: report facts early. No hiding.
Potty Tracker + Freedom Reset Rule (printable)
Dog: ____________________ (long-term log)
Same place. Same word. Same timing. Do not argue with accidents — change the system.
Track each trip: time, trigger, POTTY result, accident? notes.
Two accidents in 24 hours → reduce freedom. Same-area accidents → re-clean properly and block access.
Accidents after play → potty sooner after play. After food → potty sooner after food. Kids missing signals → assign a clearer watcher.
Twenty more manuals like this one
After You Say Yes to the Dog has one manual for each situation a family meets: the first night, the first week, the guest at the door, the week it all falls apart. It is the printable companion to Before You Say Yes to the Dog.