For the first few weeks our French Bulldog puppy’s mamma does an excellent job of keeping her puppies clean. However, its up to us to continue this work and train our puppies where to go potty. Potty training is important because diseases can be transmitted through feces and urine, and its essential to keep our fragile breed as healthy as possible during their most vulnerable time as puppies. The earlier potty training is started the better, as repetition and consistency will lay a proper foundation of learning and memory in the puppy’s neuronal network and developing brain. Over many years of training French Bulldog puppies, we have learned (so far!) the best method is to start with puppy pads. As soon as our puppies are able to crawl we direct them to the pads to potty. This typically starts at 3-4 weeks old. Some of our puppies are superstars and will crawl out of their bed and as far away as possible to potty every single time. Others need a little more help. Each time a puppy relieves himself/herself in an undesired location, we remove the feces and transfer to the puppy pad. Any dirtied area will be thoroughly washed to remove all smells completely using an enzymatic cleaner. Canines have an excellent sense of smell (40 times better than humans) so they will always go to the area that smells like pee and poop to do their business. If their entire living area smells like pee and poop you will have a lot of trouble potty training! Another reason why it is so important to keep their area clean, and why I like puppy pads. Once the pads are full, just throw them out and replace with clean. I recommend keeping the pad around for a bit even if it has a few pee spots on it especially for puppies still in training so that the smell can help direct them to where to go potty. When my puppies are not directly supervised, they are in a large playpen with their bed, food, water, and toys at one end, and their puppy pads at the other end. I always recommend purchasing a gate and keeping your puppy in a safe area like the one described. Once they are consistent with where they potty then you can make their area larger and larger until they have access to the entire house.
As the weather permits, our puppies will regularly have the opportunity to potty on the grass outside as well. I find that my French Bulldog puppies will poop within 5-20 minutes of eating, so if they are old enough to go outside, then they get a potty break outside after each meal. Peeing is more unpredictable with timing, however I find that my puppies will want to pee immediately after waking from a nap. If possible, don’t wait for your puppy to wake you up in the morning (because you may find that he/she already relived themselves) be the one that wakes them up in the morning and go immediately outside on the grass. French Bulldogs respond very well to positive reinforcement, so every time your puppy goes potty in the correct area give them lots of praise, attention, hugs, ear scratches, belly rubs, and even a small treat. If your puppy is getting older but still having trouble with potty training, then I recommend getting a journal and keeping a record of every single time they potty and what happened immediately before the incident. Any areas in your home that have been peed or pooped on must be thoroughly cleaned with an enzymatic cleaner including carpets, mats, blankets, toys, beds. Just because it doesn’t smell to us anymore, your Frenchie can still smell it and will continue to mark that same area over and over. Give my recommendations a try, and be consistent. It takes 21 days to create a habit, so don’t expect miracles overnight if your Frenchie has already created a habit of going potty on your carpet. If your puppy is getting older and have given enough time and consistency it might be time to get expert help from a reputable dog trainer or visit your vet to evaluate any potential underlying issues (such as a urinary tract infection). I hope this helps you in your journey to housebreaking your French Bulldog puppy, and if you have any additional tips or other methods that have helped you please leave a comment down below! Sending our hugs and our love from NW Frenchies.