Potty training your husky is necessary, but it can feel like a monumental task. It can be challenging, but it’s not too difficult when you take it one step at a time.
You’ll need to get the right materials, have a positive attitude, and plenty of patience to be successful. Remember that consistency is the most important aspect of potty training.
Use the steps in this guide to potty train your husky in no time.
Contents
How Long Does It Take To Potty Train A Husky?
Potty training typically takes 4 to 8 weeks, with occasional accidents after this time period.
Ideally, they will use the bathroom outside the majority of the time within 1 to 2 weeks and be nearly accident-free by 8 weeks.
There are sources that state your husky can be trained in as little as 5 to 7 days. To be considered fully house-trained, your husky must not have any accidents. This can take from 4 months to 1 year, but accidents should be rare after a few months.
How long it takes will ultimately depend on your consistency, your husky’s age, and their personality.
When Should You Start With Potty Training?
I’m a strong believer that housetraining should begin immediately upon bringing your husky puppy home.
This allows you to establish a routine and expectations from the very beginning.
It’s important to remember that their ability to control and hold their bladder and bowels will improve with time. You should expect plenty of accidents in the early days, particularly if your husky is between 8-12 weeks old.
How Long Can They Hold Their Pee and Poop?
Huskies can hold their pee and poop for one hour for every month of age. If they are 3 months old, they should be able to hold their pee for around 3 hours.
When they reach 8 months old, they can hold it for 8 hours. You shouldn’t expect them to hold it for more than 8 hours, regardless of their age.
It’s not good for them to hold it too long. Older puppies will typically poop once or twice a day, but younger puppies may poop up to 6 times a day.
How to Potty Train A Husky – 7 Easy Steps
Potty training a husky isn’t as complicated as it may seem at first. You’ll need to be patient and stick with your schedule.
The steps for potty training a husky are:
- Gather supplies
- Set a schedule
- Pick a potty spot
- Stay with them
- Use a command
- Reward good behavior
- Monitor or crate them
Let’s dive into the details of each step.
1. Gather Supplies
The first step to potty training is to get the supplies you need. It’s best to do this before you bring your puppy home.
You’ll need to choose whether or not to crate your husky. The AKC recommends crate training as part of potty training, and for your pooch’s general well being.
If you want to crate train, you’ll need to choose a crate and have it ready. The crate should be large enough for your husky to walk inside and turn around. Getting a crate that’s too big can defeat the purpose, so choose one that gives your pup enough room, but not too much.
You’ll also need treats and a cleaner for accidents. You may want to get a few different types of treats and see which one your puppy prefers. You’ll need to give them a treat each time they successfully potty outside.
Choose a cleaner designed for pet messes. You can find these designed with standard chemicals, but there are green options as well.
Lastly, you’ll need a timer. You can use your phone, or pick up a timer just for the potty training process.
2. Set A Schedule
Now it’s time to set a schedule. This should be done before your puppy comes home as well.
It’s recommended to design their schedule around mealtimes. Husky puppies should be fed 3 times a day. When they reach 6 months old, you can feed them twice a day.
So, your husky pup will need breakfast, lunch, and dinner. What will the schedule look like?
- Take them out first thing in the morning
- Breakfast
- Potty break immediately after breakfast
- Lunch
- Potty break immediately after lunch
- Dinner
- Potty break immediately after dinner
- Remove access to food and water 2 hours before bed
- Potty break right before bed
- Wake up to potty during the night
You’ll also need to take them out for potty breaks every 30 minutes throughout the day early on. It seems like a lot of work, but it gives your husky the best chance for success.
It’s also a good idea to take them out immediately after naps and play sessions.
Observe when they go, and when they don’t, during each potty break. It’s helpful to write it down because it’s difficult to remember each time they go. Writing it down also allows you to observe their potty pattern more easily.
Soon, you can tweak their schedule so you are only bringing them out when they usually need to go, and avoiding unnecessary trips. This can 1-4 weeks.
You may need to wake them up for a potty break once during the night until they are 7 to 8 months old. However, if you remove food and water at the right time, they may be able to hold it through the night at a younger age.
If they don’t have nighttime accidents, there’s no need to take them out during the night. However, if they are having accidents, you’ll need to take them out or remove their food and water at an earlier time. Sometimes, both are necessary.
3. Pick and Stick to a Potty Spot
Dogs are creatures of habit, which is one of the reasons why a schedule is important for them. They prefer to potty in the same area each time.
You can encourage them to use the area by taking pee or poop from another area and placing it in their potty spot. You can also purchase attractants, to help your husky go where they are supposed to.
Once they’ve pottied in an area once or twice, it will have their smell, which entices them to keep using it.
Choose a spot that’s easy to get to, and offers a bit of privacy if possible. Choose carefully, because this will always be your husky’s bathroom.
4. Stay With Them
If you are busy, and it can be tempting to just send them into the yard and hope for the best. This can delay potty training success, however. You need to learn as much as you can about their potty habits, like when they go, and under what circumstances.
Do they sniff the ground beforehand? Do they turn around in a circle? Knowing the signs that they are preparing to go can help you prevent accidents.
It’s also good for your husky. They will feel comforted and supported if you hang out during potty time.
However, some huskies are a bit shy. If your husky seems uncomfortable with you watching, turn your head or look away while they do the deed.
5. Use a Command
Potty commands are very useful.
Over time, your husky can learn to pee or poop when you give the command,which can save a bit of time.
You can use the commands “pee” and “poop”. More subtle options work as well. For example, you may say “business” or “showtime”. “Go pee”, “go potty”, or “go poo” are also ok.
Keep the words simple, and use them consistently. Be sure to use one for pee and one for poop.
Wait until you see them start to pee or poop. Then, you give the command and praise them for a job well done. Eventually, they learn the cues and will potty when you give the command.
You shouldn’t do this all the time, obviously, but it can be effective to reinforce good training habits.
6. Reward Good Behavior
This is key to potty training your husky. You must reward good behavior immediately and consistently.
You may choose one special treat that’s just for potty training. You can change it up as well, but consistency in which treat they get can help. Especially if this is the only time they get this particular treat.
Keep in mind that young huskies potty very often, so keep the treats small. You want to be able to provide the treat each time they potty successfully, without ruining their appetite.
Along with food, a little praise goes a long way. Use an excited happy voice to tell them they’ve done a good job.
7. Monitor Or Crate Your Husky
Potty training a husky is like bringing a 2-year-old into an antique store. You can’t let them leave your sight.
You need to monitor them closely so you can watch for cues that they need to potty. If you can get them to their potty spot before they potty, this helps reinforce what they should do.
Even if they are already in the process of doing their business, bring them to their potty spot.
Of course, you can’t monitor them 24/7. This is where the crate comes in. Dogs will usually avoid going in their “den” or sleeping area. This means that they will do their best to avoid soiling their crate.
If they start having accidents in their crate, this can teach them that it’s fine to use it as a toilet. To avoid this, don’t leave them in the crate for long periods, and take them to the potty as soon as they come out of the crate.
Is It Difficult To Potty Train A Husky?
Potty training any dog is challenging. Huskies are spirited and independent, which means they don’t always follow commands easily.
It’s important not to scold or punish them if they have an accident. The truth is, accidents are your fault, not theirs. It’s your responsibility to take them out often enough that accidents don’t occur.
Of course, potty training accidents are always a part of the process, and not a negative reflection of your pet parenting skills either.
Huskies are very intelligent, so they can catch onto potty training quickly, particularly if they are properly motivated.
In Summary
Potty training offers an opportunity for you and your pooch to get a great start.
Establish boundaries and routines as soon as they come home, to avoid bad habits. Maintain a schedule, and keep it positive, and they will be trained before you know it!