Regarding French Bulldog potty training, you definitely need a lot of patience. That stands for potty training any other dog too. Potty Training requires consistency, patience, and time.

French Bulldogs are very smart and fast learners. But don’t forget that Frenchies can be very stubborn which makes them misbehave during training. Just be patient and don’t reward them with attention when they are not listening to your commands. 

How to Potty Train French Bulldogs?

French Bulldog Potty training can be very hard and tiring but it only lasts for a few weeks or months. When your French Bulldog is fully potty trained those few months will for sure pay off. You won’t have to worry about potty incidents. Here are some tips and tricks on potty training your Frenchie puppy.

Tip #1 Schedule potty time

It is very important to schedule potty time for your French Bulldog. This will create consistency and order. French Bulldog Potty Training can be very hard if you don’t follow this instruction. 

It’s like they have an alarm inside of their head that goes off whenever you set it for. After a certain amount of time, your French Bulldog will get used to going potty every day at the same time. That will make it much easier for you to know when they need to go potty. 

While French Bulldogs are still puppies they go potty many times a day. The amount of times your Frenchie goes potty during a day will reduce over time. Usually, the best potty time is right after their meals, playtime and naps. 

Your Frenchie puppy will need to go potty approximately 12 times a day. As they get older that number will reduce to 6-8, 5-6, 4-5, 3-4 and then finally to 3 times a day when they are 7 months old with proper and constant training. 

During their early stages of life, Frenchies are most likely to have potty accidents at night. During these few weeks, you should wake up a couple of times at night just to make sure your puppy isn’t looking for a place to potty. 

Tip #2 Using phrases for potty command

Whenever your French Bulldog goes to potty use a simple and short phrase such as “potty time”, “go potty” etc. They will learn it as any other command and they will know exactly what to do. 

Every time you take your French Bulldog to go potty just remember to use a phrase of your choice. If you repeat it every time they will learn what it means very quickly. Frenchies are very smart and they will connect the meaning of the phrase with the action. Also, make sure to reward them when they go after the command and at the right spot. 

Tip #3 Signs that show they need to go to the toilet

At the beginning French Bulldog potty training, you need to look out for signs that show they need to go potty. It’s pretty obvious sometimes, but other times it can be very unexpected. 

When dogs want to go potty they usually whine, bark, pace around in circles or back and forth, sniff the floor etc. They need a little bit of time to find a perfect spot to go potty. It is just enough time for you to notice it so you can take them outside or to their potty pad. 

After some time you will quickly notice those kinds of signs. If you are a new owner it may be a little hard to notice those signs at the beginning, but when you learn how they behave before potty time, you won’t have any more problems and potty incidents. 

French Bulldogs are a clean breed so they themselves don’t like being in a dirty environment. They will try and learn as quickly as possible to potty in the right place. 

Tip #4 Take them to their potty station

When you notice your French Bulldog wants to go potty, quickly take them to their potty station or take them on a walk, whichever you prefer.

You can take them to their potty pad at the beginning of French Bulldog potty training because it is much quicker. Over time they will get used to holding it in before you take them outside. 

French Bulldogs are very stubborn so when you are training them they tend to make a mess because they think it’s funny to test your patience. 

Sometimes your Frenchie puppy may tear apart their potty pad. It’s fun for them, especially when they see you are going crazy over it. French Bulldogs are like toddlers, they want to make you go crazy and they think it’s all super entertaining. 

Make sure you have enough patience for their misbehavior, it all stops at one point, you just need to train them on a regular basis.

Tip #5 Reward your dog when they succeed

French Bulldog Potty Training is not that hard if you follow all the instructions and make your dog happy along the way. 

Frenchies are very loving dogs. They love getting attention and rewards. Whenever your French Bulldog puppy successfully goes to the potty, make sure to reward them with some treats.

In general, all pets, especially dogs, love food and they will do anything it takes to get their treats. Treats are great motivation for them, so give them to your pet whenever they behave! 

Of course, use positive reinforcement and make sure they know that you are very happy when they go potty on their walk or on their potty pad. Call them “Good boy/girl!” or something similar to your liking. 

Tip #6 Never use negative reinforcement

French Bulldog Potty Training is not as hard as it seems. It just requires time and effort. You simply need a lot of patience when it comes to potty training your Frenchy. 

If you shout at them and they see your uncontrollable anger they can become very nervous and scared when they need to go potty.  You probably heard that rubbing your French Bulldog’s nose in their own waste is a good method for them to stop having potty accidents. It’s actually not that good of a method. It usually does absolutely nothing and it leaves your dog confused. 

Negative reinforcement can lead to your dogs being aggressive towards you. It will definitely ruin the relationship between you two. That is something you surely don’t want. 

Tip #7 Clean up their accidents ASAP

It is really important to clean up your French Bulldog’s accident quickly. Their pee leaves a smell they will remember every time they want to go potty. 

If you clean it up quickly enough with some kind of disinfectant you will successfully eliminate the smell of their pee. That way they won’t return to the same place when they want to go potty. 

If you find their poop inside of the house, just pick it up with some kind of bag or paper and bring it outside to your backyard. Put it where you want your dog to go potty next time.

If you are living in an apartment and you want to teach your dog to potty on its pad just do the same thing we mentioned above. Pick up their poop with a bag and put it on their pad so they connect those two in the future.

Items That French Bulldog Potty Training Requires

Potty pads

Potty pads are the best option when it comes to potty training your French Bulldog. Every time they want to go potty you can quickly take them to their potty pad instead of hurrying and taking them on a walk. 

While they are still puppies they go potty much more than when they get older. When they get older they go potty 3 times a day. French Bulldog puppies can go potty up to 12 times a day. You can’t possibly take them on a walk 12 times a day. That is why potty pads are a great option while training your Frenchie puppy. 

Dog Leash

Your dog requires a proper dog leash if you want them to feel comfortable while going on a walk. If they are not comfortable they will avoid going outside. You can get your dog a collar or you can get them a harness. It depends on the dog which one they prefer the most.  Some dogs tend to pull when you walk them. In that case, you should avoid automatic leashes. Of course, with proper training, your dog can stop pulling and be calmer while walking. 

Rewards / Treats

As it was mentioned above, the best motivation for your French Bulldog puppy is to give them treats when they succeed.  You should always have treats in your pockets or somewhere near you so you can reward them when they behave and successfully go potty.  Make sure your dogs love treats that you reward them with. If they are not crazy about their treats, those won’t be a good reward for French Bulldog Potty Training.

Crate Training

Crate training is a great option for someone who lives in an apartment and wants to train their French Bulldog to go potty inside instead of walking them several times a day. 

You should get a crate big enough for it to have space where your dog can sleep and space for where they need to go potty. It should be half and half. 

If you don’t want to put your dog in a crate you can always make a separate space/corner for them to go potty. In that case, just put them in their potty station whenever they need to go potty. Just make sure they can’t get out of that space.

How long does it take for French Bulldog to become potty trained?

It takes a few months for your French Bulldog puppy to learn where and when to go potty. It seems like a long period of time but it is not.

In that period, you may be frustrated and irritated and you will want them to grow up asap. As soon as that hard period ends and potty training is done, you will be able to relax and trust your Frenchie. Very soon, nostalgia will kick in and you will want them to be puppies again. Even if it is very hard at that time, it will be the best few months of your life. In those few months, you will make the best memories with your Frenchie.   Be patient and consistent and the training period will pass by really quickly.