Bringing a New Puppy Home, Part 3: Toilet Training, Chewing and Rest

Last updated: 9 October 2026.

Bringing a new puppy home involves more than buying a bed and a few toys. Toilet training, chewing, rest and everyday interactions all need a manageable routine. This third part of our puppy home series focuses on those daily skills, with practical steps you can use from the first days together.

Start with a comfortable puppy area, clear household expectations and plenty of opportunities to get things right. Young puppies are still learning and developing. Accidents and mouthy moments are information about the routine, rather than reasons to punish your puppy.

Puppy toilet training: start with a repeatable routine

Choose an accessible toilet spot and make it easy to reach. Supervise your puppy while they are awake indoors, and offer frequent toilet opportunities. Take them out after waking, meals, drinking and play. Sniffing, circling or suddenly wandering away can also be a cue to offer a break.

Reward promptly after your puppy finishes toileting in the right place, while you are still there. Waiting until you return inside can make the reward less clear. Keep the trip calm and allow time to toilet before starting a game.

A simple toilet training sequence

1. Take your puppy to the chosen spot at a likely toilet time.
2. Wait quietly and supervise. Avoid turning every trip into an exciting outing.
3. When your puppy finishes, calmly reward them at the toilet spot.
4. Return to the planned activity, or offer a short appropriate activity before rest.
5. If they do not toilet, return to close supervision and try again soon.

A diary can help you see your own puppy’s pattern. Note waking, meals, toilet trips and accidents for a few days. If accidents cluster after play, offer an earlier break at that point. The aim is to make the routine fit the puppy, rather than expect every puppy to follow the same timetable.

Managing indoor freedom and toilet accidents

When you cannot supervise, use a comfortable puppy-proofed area or pen with an arrangement suited to the time you will be away. Do not leave a puppy confined for longer than they can manage without a toilet opportunity. A crate is optional and needs gradual, positive introduction. It should not be used as punishment or to force a distressed puppy to stay quiet.

If you find an accident afterwards, clean it and review the schedule. Punishment, scolding and rubbing a puppy’s nose in it do not teach where to toilet. If you catch an accident happening, calmly guide your puppy to the toilet spot if you can do so without frightening them. Use an appropriate pet accident cleaner according to its directions.

Give your puppy access to fresh drinking water. Do not use water restriction as a toilet training shortcut. If you are uncertain about drinking, toileting or overnight needs, ask your vet. Increase access to rooms gradually as your puppy becomes more reliable, while continuing to supervise.

Overnight toilet training and apartment living

Young puppies may need toilet breaks during the night. Set up sleeping arrangements that let you notice their needs and reach the toilet area promptly. Keep necessary overnight trips quiet, then help your puppy settle again. Adjust the plan as their needs change, without assuming they can hold on for a fixed number of hours.

In an apartment, choose a practical toilet arrangement before the puppy arrives. A suitable indoor toilet area may be useful where outside access takes time. Keep the location consistent and plan how you will introduce outdoor toileting if that is your goal. Secure balconies and avoid exposing your puppy to unfamiliar dogs or shared areas without veterinary advice about local disease risk.

When toileting changes need veterinary attention

Contact your vet about a sudden change in toileting, repeated unusual accidents, diarrhoea, blood, apparent pain or straining. A previously reliable puppy who begins having accidents may need a health check. If your puppy appears unable to pass urine or is seriously unwell, seek urgent veterinary care. A training routine cannot rule out a medical problem.

Chewing and puppy teething at home

Chewing is a normal activity, so provide appropriate outlets rather than expect your puppy to avoid it altogether. Put shoes, cables, medicines and small household items out of reach. Check the puppy area for things that can be swallowed, caught or damaged. Prevention is easier than repeatedly rescuing possessions from your puppy.

Offer toys designed for your puppy’s size and chewing style. Supervise new items and remove them if they split, shed pieces or become small enough to swallow. Avoid very hard chews that may damage teeth. Ask your vet about suitable options if you are unsure. Trade calmly for an appropriate item rather than chasing or forcibly grabbing.

Baby teeth usually begin being replaced around 3 to 4 months, and most puppies have their adult teeth by about 6 to 7 months. Timing varies. Our puppy teething timeline explains the stages, dental checks and retained baby teeth. Contact your vet if an adult tooth appears alongside the corresponding baby tooth, or your puppy has pain, bleeding or trouble eating.

What to do when your puppy bites hands or clothing

Puppies may mouth during play, excitement, frustration or tiredness, as well as during teething. Keep hands and clothing out of wrestling games. Prepare suitable toys nearby and use the same response across the household.

1. Pause the interaction and reduce movement where it is safe.
2. Offer a suitable toy if you can do so safely.
3. If biting continues, create space with a gate or another safe barrier.
4. Once the puppy settles, offer a quieter activity and check whether they need a toilet break or rest.

Move away if you are being hurt. You do not need to stand still and accept painful biting. Avoid yelling, hitting or holding the muzzle closed. Do not use a fixed punishment timeout or leave a distressed puppy struggling behind a barrier. Make the setup easier and help them settle.

Read our Puppy Mouthing Management Guide for the full management plan, and our puppy biting article for common hands, ankles and clothing situations. The free Puppy Mouthing Factsheet is a useful household reminder.

Balance interaction with rest

Your puppy needs companionship and suitable activities, along with opportunities to sleep and settle. A puppy who becomes increasingly frantic or bitey may need a quieter routine. More exercise is not always the solution. Build short training games, sniffing and suitable chewing around toilet breaks and rest.

Reward behaviours you would like to see again, such as choosing a toy, looking towards you or relaxing on a mat. Keep practice short enough that your puppy can succeed. A quiet, comfortable resting area can help when family activity becomes busy. Avoid repeatedly waking a sleeping puppy for play.

Introduce brief periods of separation gradually while your puppy is comfortable. If they become distressed, make the next attempt easier and seek help if needed. Do not assume crying or destructive behaviour is stubbornness. The puppy may need reassurance, a toilet break or a different arrangement.

Children and visitors: supervise and give the puppy choices

An adult should actively supervise puppy interactions with children. Use gates or separate comfortable areas when that is not possible. Children should not take food or toys, disturb sleeping puppies, hug tightly or attempt to stop biting themselves. Show them how to invite brief contact and let the puppy move away.

Ask visitors to keep greetings calm. Give your puppy room to observe before approaching, and stop if they appear uncomfortable. One manageable interaction is more useful than a busy stream of greetings that overwhelms them. If you are unsure about body language or repeated biting, ask for individual support.

Early socialisation and vaccination

Socialisation means helping your puppy feel comfortable with everyday experiences. It involves more than meeting other dogs. Calm exposure to people, surfaces, sounds and handling can be useful when the puppy has choice and can withdraw. Introduce experiences at an intensity your puppy can cope with.

The early sensitive period begins before many puppies arrive home and gradually wanes around 14 weeks. Learning continues afterwards. Speak with your vet about how to balance early experiences with vaccination status and local disease risk. Suitable managed activities may be possible before full vaccination, but the right plan depends on your puppy and location.

Do not force greetings, take a frightened puppy into a busy dog park or assume every puppy needs free play. A well-managed class should support individual puppies, prevent overwhelming interactions and maintain appropriate health requirements. Being held at a veterinary clinic does not make any activity completely free of infection risk.

Puppy support in Brisbane

Our Puppy Preschool supports early learning, appropriate social experiences and practical skills for families. Check the current page for ages, vaccination requirements, locations and available classes. Book early enough to choose a suitable course for your puppy.

A Puppy Set Up home consultation can help you organise sleeping areas, toilet routines, chewing outlets and household management. For persistent distress, guarding, painful handling or biting that feels unsafe, speak with your vet and a qualified trainer about a suitable individual plan. Contact Jordan Dog Training to discuss practical support.

Common puppy home questions

How long does puppy toilet training take?

It varies with development, health, access to the toilet spot and the opportunities your puppy gets to practise. Look for a gradual improvement in the pattern rather than a promised finishing date. Repeated setbacks are a reason to review the setup and consider veterinary advice.

Should I tire my puppy out to stop biting?

Not automatically. An overtired or overstimulated puppy may become more mouthy. Offer suitable activity and regular rest, and use the calm response above. If the pattern is worsening or you suspect pain, seek help.

Can training help before all vaccinations are complete?

Yes, you can practise many gentle skills at home. Your vet can advise which outings and managed social experiences are appropriate for your puppy’s health and local risks. Ask about options early, without assuming unrestricted public access is suitable.

Further Australian resources

• RSPCA Australia: toilet training puppies and adult dogs.
• Australian Veterinary Association: puppy socialisation and habituation.

Disclaimer: This article provides general training guidance. It is not veterinary advice. Your veterinarian should assess health concerns and advise on vaccination, disease risk and dental care. Individual training support may be needed for distress, guarding or unsafe interactions.

Read the puppy home series

• Part 1: Getting ready
• Part 2: The first nights and settling in
• Part 3: Toilet training, chewing and rest

Planning your first class? Read our ten puppy school tips, then check our Puppy School locations and dates.

If chewing or damage happens while you are out of sight, footage can help you understand the pattern. Our independent information article on Furbo pet cameras covers monitoring during gradual alone-time practice. A camera does not replace puppy-proofing or someone responding when help is needed.