Puppy Schedule Planner
An hour-by-hour routine built around your puppy's age, your wake-up time and your bedtime. It updates itself as they grow.
10 weeks old
Toilet breaks about every hour while awake
4 meals a day · 18–20 hours of sleep · walks of about 12 minutes, twice a day.
your puppy's day
- 7amToilet break. Wake up – straight outside, no chat, praise when they go
- 7:20amMeal. Meal 1 of 4
- 7:35amToilet break. Toilet break after eating
- 7:50amTraining. Short training session, about 5 minutes
- 8amToilet break. Routine toilet break
- 8:20amSleep / settle. Nap in the crate or pen
- 9amToilet break. Routine toilet break
- 10amToilet break. Routine toilet break
- 11amToilet break. Routine toilet break
- 11:50amMeal. Meal 2 of 4
- 12pmToilet break. Routine toilet break
- 12:05pmToilet break. Toilet break after eating
- 12:20pmPlay / sniffing. Play, chew or sniffing game
- 12:26pmPlay / sniffing. Lead walk or garden pottering, about 12 minutes
- 12:50pmSleep / settle. Nap in the crate or pen
- 1pmToilet break. Routine toilet break
- 2pmToilet break. Routine toilet break
- 3pmToilet break. Routine toilet break
- 4pmToilet break. Routine toilet break
- 4:20pmMeal. Meal 3 of 4
- 4:35pmToilet break. Toilet break after eating
- 4:50pmPlay / sniffing. Play, chew or sniffing game
- 5pmToilet break. Routine toilet break
- 5:20pmSleep / settle. Nap in the crate or pen
- 5:51pmTraining. Second training session, about 5 minutes
- 6pmToilet break. Routine toilet break
- 7pmToilet break. Routine toilet break
- 8pmToilet break. Routine toilet break
- 8:50pmMeal. Meal 4 of 4
- 9pmToilet break. Routine toilet break
- 9:05pmToilet break. Toilet break after eating
- 9:20pmPlay / sniffing. Play, chew or sniffing game
- 9:50pmSleep / settle. Nap in the crate or pen
- 10pmToilet break. Routine toilet break
- 10:10pmToilet break. Last toilet break before bed
- 10:30pmSleep / settle. Bedtime in the crate
Night-time
your puppy can manage about 3.3 hours overnight, so set alarms for:
1:48am · 5:06am
Outside, toilet, quiet praise, straight back to bed. No play, no talking, lights low.
How long can I leave my puppy?
No more than 3.3 hours at this age, built up gradually from a few minutes at a time. As someone is home most of the day, practise short absences on purpose so being alone is normal rather than a shock. This is a maximum, not a target. A puppy who can hold it for three hours still needs breaks far more often while awake.
Toilet training milestones
- 8 weeks: Accidents are normal and frequent. Take them out every hour while awake, and straight after waking, eating and playing.
- 12 weeks: Most puppies start to show they need to go – sniffing, circling, heading for the door. Night-time breaks are still needed.
- 16 weeks: Many puppies sleep through the night. Daytime accidents become less common if the routine has been consistent.
- 20 weeks: Puppies begin to ask to go out. Keep rewarding outdoor toileting every single time.
- 26 weeks: Most puppies are reliable indoors, with the odd accident when excited or unwell.
- 52 weeks: Fully reliable for most dogs. Toy breeds and rescues often take longer – that is normal, not failure.
What changes over the coming weeks
- From 12 weeks, meals drop to three a day and toilet breaks stretch to about every 1.5 hours.
- At around six months, meals drop to twice a day and most puppies sleep through the night.
- Walks grow with age – about 17 minutes twice a day next month.
- Naps get shorter, but an overtired puppy still bites and whirls: when in doubt, offer the crate.
Speak to your vet if your puppy strains, passes blood, drinks far more than usual, or suddenly starts having accidents after being clean – these can be signs of a urinary problem rather than a training one.
Estimates only – not a substitute for advice from your vet.
Last reviewed: 22 September 2026
Why a routine beats willpower
House training is not really about the puppy learning; it is about you getting them outside before they need to go. Puppies do not plan ahead. They wake, they wee. They eat, they wee. A routine that puts a toilet break in front of every likely accident does ninety per cent of the work, and every successful trip outside is a chance to praise the right thing.
The bladder rule, and what it really means
The usual guide is age in months plus one hour, capped at around eight hours. At three months that is four hours – but this is the outer limit for a sleeping puppy overnight, not a target for the daytime. While awake, an eight to twelve week old puppy needs the garden every hour or two, and always after waking, within fifteen to thirty minutes of a meal, after a burst of play, and last thing before bed.
Sleep is not optional
Eight-week-old puppies sleep eighteen to twenty hours a day. The biting, the zoomies, the shark-like mania around teatime – almost always overtiredness rather than naughtiness. Building naps into the day, in a crate or pen where they will not be disturbed, changes a household more than any training exercise.
Meals and their timing
Four meals a day from eight to twelve weeks, three from around three to six months, then two a day. Keep the last meal a couple of hours before bed so there is time to digest and empty out before lights off.
Training in five-minute pieces
A puppy's attention span is short. Two or three sessions of about five minutes teaches more than one long one, and leaves them keen rather than fed up. Sit, name recognition, coming when called, and settling on a mat are plenty for the first few weeks.
Night times
Young puppies usually need one or two night-time breaks. Set an alarm rather than waiting for crying, keep it silent and boring, and go straight back to bed. Most puppies drop the night trips somewhere between twelve and sixteen weeks.
Toy breeds take longer
Small bladders, small dogs, more frequent trips – toy breeds are often not reliable until well past six months. It is not a training failure, and punishing accidents only teaches them to hide where they go.
Frequently asked questions
How long can a puppy hold its bladder?
Roughly its age in months plus one hour, up to a maximum of about eight hours for an adult dog. A three-month-old puppy can manage around four hours – but that is a maximum, not a target, and while awake they need breaks far more often.
How often should I take my puppy out?
At eight to twelve weeks, every hour or two while awake, and always straight after waking, within fifteen to thirty minutes of a meal, after play and before bed.
How many meals a day does a puppy need?
Four a day from eight to twelve weeks, three from around three to six months, and two a day from about six months onwards.
How much sleep does a puppy need?
Eighteen to twenty hours a day at eight weeks, dropping to around fourteen to sixteen hours by six months. Overtired puppies bite and get frantic – a nap usually fixes it.
How long can I leave my puppy alone?
Build up slowly and never beyond the bladder-hold figure. Most guidance says no dog should be left routinely for more than four hours, and young puppies far less.
When will my puppy be reliably house trained?
Most puppies are largely reliable by five to six months with a consistent routine. Toy breeds have smaller bladders and often take longer, which is normal.
Should I wake my puppy for a toilet break at night?
For a very young puppy, yes – setting an alarm once or twice a night usually means fewer accidents and faster progress. Keep it boring: outside, wee, praise, straight back to bed.
Estimates only – not a substitute for advice from your vet.
Last reviewed: 22 September 2026