Puppy and Dog Potty Schedule by Age: Printable Templates
A potty schedule does two jobs. It gets your puppy outside before they need to go, and it gets everyone in the house working from the same plan. Below are three ready-made schedules, one per age band, built around a 7 am to 10 pm day. Shift the times to match yours.
Schedule 1: puppy, 8 to 12 weeks
Very young puppies go roughly every hour while awake and immediately after waking, eating, drinking and playing. This schedule assumes three meals a day and a lot of naps. The "after" trips matter more than the clock times.
| Time | What | Done |
|---|---|---|
| 7:00 am | Out immediately on waking, then breakfast | ☐ |
| 7:20 am | Out again after eating | ☐ |
| 8:30 am | Out after morning play | ☐ |
| 9:30 am | Out, then nap | ☐ |
| 11:00 am | Out on waking from nap | ☐ |
| 12:00 pm | Lunch, then out 15 minutes later | ☐ |
| 1:00 pm | Out after play, then nap | ☐ |
| 2:30 pm | Out on waking | ☐ |
| 3:30 pm | Out | ☐ |
| 4:30 pm | Out, then nap | ☐ |
| 5:30 pm | Dinner, then out 15 minutes later | ☐ |
| 6:30 pm | Out after evening play | ☐ |
| 7:30 pm | Out | ☐ |
| 8:30 pm | Out. Pick up the water bowl. | ☐ |
| 9:45 pm | Final trip, straight to bed | ☐ |
| 1:30 am | Quiet night trip, no play | ☐ |
Expect to add trips, not remove them, in the first week. Any time your puppy sniffs and circles, go now and tick it anyway. The night trip usually drops away between 12 and 16 weeks.
Schedule 2: puppy, 3 to 6 months
By three months the gaps stretch to two or three hours, and by six months to four. This schedule assumes two or three meals a day. Follow the one hour per month rule to decide which end of the range your puppy is at.
| Time | What | Done |
|---|---|---|
| 7:00 am | Out on waking, then breakfast | ☐ |
| 7:30 am | Out after eating, short walk | ☐ |
| 10:00 am | Out | ☐ |
| 12:30 pm | Lunch (if still on three meals), then out | ☐ |
| 3:00 pm | Out | ☐ |
| 5:30 pm | Dinner, then out and a walk | ☐ |
| 8:00 pm | Out after evening play. Pick up water. | ☐ |
| 10:00 pm | Final trip, then bed | ☐ |
Most puppies in this range sleep through the night. If yours is still waking to go, keep the 1:30 am trip from schedule 1 for another week or two, then try dropping it.
Schedule 3: adult dog
A healthy adult needs 3 to 5 pees a day and should never be asked to wait more than 8 hours. Four trips cover it. The midday trip is the one that usually goes missing, and it is the one that matters most.
| Time | What | Done |
|---|---|---|
| 7:00 am | Out on waking, then breakfast and a walk | ☐ |
| 12:30 pm | Midday break (walker, neighbour or lunch at home) | ☐ |
| 6:00 pm | Dinner, then out and the main walk | ☐ |
| 10:00 pm | Final trip, then bed | ☐ |
Senior puppies and small breeds do better with a fifth trip, usually mid-afternoon or mid-evening. Puppies on medication that increases urination may need more again; ask your vet.
Adjusting the schedule
- Accidents right before a scheduled trip mean the gap is too long. Move that trip 30 minutes earlier.
- Nothing happens on a scheduled trip three days running: that trip can go, or move later.
- Accidents after meals mean the after-meal trip is too late. Try 10 minutes after eating instead of 20 or 30.
- Pooping pattern: most puppies poop within 30 minutes of a meal, so put the walk after a meal, not before. See how often puppies poop.
- Stretch slowly: add 15 to 30 minutes to a gap at a time, and hold it for a week before stretching again.
If nobody is home during the day
The adult schedule above only works if someone covers the midday break. For a puppy there is no version of a 9 hour gap that works. Options, from a split shift to a dog walker to daycare, are in how long a puppy can hold its pee.
