How We Potty Train a Litter With Grate Potty Trays

Short answer: at 4 weeks old, surround the litter's bed with four potty trays, then take trays away a few at a time so the potty spot moves farther from where the puppies sleep. Most litters are down to two trays by about 6.5 to 7 weeks old.

This is how we do it in our nursery at Doodles of NC, with the Little Wolves trays we designed for our own litters.

Why surround the litter with trays?

Puppies wake up, walk a little bit, and then they need to potty. They want to keep their den clean, the same as they would in the wild. If I keep their potty in one section, they wake up, walk over there and go.

How many trays do you start with, and when?

As soon as we start weaning at 4 weeks old, I surround their bed with four trays. As the days go on, we take trays away, from four to three and then down to two. Every litter is different, but they're usually down to two trays by around 6.5 to 7 weeks old.

How do you know when to take a tray away?

I watch where they go. I want the pottying to move farther away from where they sleep, so the tray closest to their bed gets used less. When that tray gets used less, I know they're ready for the next step.

How do you stop pee from running under the pad?

Sometimes a puppy puts its front two paws on the grate and leaves its back paws off, and the pee can get under the pad. Here's the hack I figured out: lay one pad in upside down, then take the sticky tabs off a second pad and press it on top so the two stay together. Now you have a double-sided pad that still lies perfectly flat under the grate, and it catches all of it.

Our newer pads also absorb all the way to the edge, which helps too.

How do you clean the trays?

Lift up the grates, take up the pads, spray and wipe the base pans, spray down the grates, and put it right back together. You can see the trays in our nursery in our Stairs Week video.

Which gap size do your puppies need?

If your puppies are under 3 lbs at 4 weeks old, we recommend the Small 0.35" gap tray. For puppies over 3 lbs at 4 weeks, the Medium 0.55" gap tray is the better fit. There's more in Small or Medium Gap? and how to clean a puppy potty tray.

You can see the trays on the Little Wolves Potty Tray page.

Erin Ruppe has raised Goldendoodle litters at Doodles of NC in North Carolina since 2013.