Dog trainer reveals simple rule that 'stops pets pooing all over your house'

By Ethan Blackshaw, Content Editor

Expert dog trainer Will Atherton (file) (Image: YouTube/Will Atherton Canine Training)

An expert dog trainer has shared his simple rule that should stop your pet going to the toilet in your house.

Will Atherton is a canine behaviourist who has amassed more than 900,000 followers on TikTok for his dog training tips and advice on which breeds are suitable for which people.

In one of his recent videos, Will laid out exactly how you should potty train your dog when you first get it.

He said: “Puppies having toilet mistakes all over your house can be absolutely infuriating, but the reality is that potty training your puppy can and should be a fairly straightforward process and you don’t need to keep having them make mistakes.”

Will’s process is very easy to follow. He explained: “My rule for bringing a new puppy home is on the hour, every hour, set an alarm on your phone or on your watch just to jog your memory, and make sure you take your puppy out and give them the opportunity to go to the toilet. If they do, praise and reward it.”

This process should be repeated whenever your dog has had something to eat or drink as well.

Will added: “And then make sure you’re supervising them, keep an eye on them, and if you see them circling or displaying behaviours that look like they need the toilet, quickly get them out and give them an opportunity.

“Put all of those things on top of proper crate training with your dog, and toilet training them will be easy.” His video has been viewed more than 35,000 times and racked up hundreds of likes.

One person commented: “Wish I could’ve done this but between school and work I never had the time to properly potty train. Thankfully [my dog is] smart and she learned as she got older to warn me when she needs to go.”

Another person said: “Thank you. [This] worked with my 20-week rescue who had NEVER been in a home environment. Day 1 four accidents, Day 4 totally outside trained.”

And a third said: “Followed this and my staffie was toilet trained within a week and only had three inside accidents.”