When We Brought Zeus Home…
It had been almost twenty years since we’d raised a puppy.
Our Pomeranian/Chihuahua mix and our Beagle joined the family back in 2004, and our Husky came to us already potty trained.
Starting over with a tiny French Bulldog puppy felt like learning everything again.
When Zeus came home, we decided to stick with what had worked for us before.
A crate.
And, more importantly…
A routine.
Our Potty Training Routine
From the very first night, every day followed the same pattern.
Eat.
Outside.
Potty.
Back inside.
Bed.
Every single time.
Instead of letting Zeus wander around the yard, we’d clip on his leash and walk him to the exact same spot.
Then we’d wait.
Sometimes it took a minute.
Sometimes longer.
But we stayed in that spot until he went.
Living in Oregon during the summer definitely made things easier.
Standing outside in July is a lot different than standing outside in November rain.
Fortunately…
Zeus turned out to be a very smart puppy.
Within a surprisingly short time, he understood exactly why we were going outside.
Potty training Zeus was honestly one of the easiest parts of raising him.
Now…
Marking everything once he got older?
That’s an entirely different story.
Then Electra Arrived…
When Electra joined the family, we assumed we’d simply repeat the same routine.
After all…
It worked perfectly with Zeus.
Instead…
She reminded us that every puppy writes their own rulebook.
Electra came home in November when she was barely old enough to leave her breeder.
About a week later…
She developed Giardia.
That changed everything.
Potty Training Became Much Harder
We still followed the same routine.
Eat.
Outside.
Wait.
Back inside.
Repeat.
Rain or shine.
Unfortunately, Giardia meant Electra frequently couldn’t make it outside in time.
She’d have accidents in her crate.
Unlike Zeus, she didn’t seem bothered by sitting in a dirty crate.
Around our house, we still jokingly call her our “Dirty Birdie.” We eventually switched to blankets in the kennel because they worked so much better for Zeus than traditional beds (you can read that story here)
Potty Pads Didn’t Work for Us
One thing we tried that surprised us…
Potty pads.
We’d never used them before.
We figured they might help while she was sick.
Instead…
They seemed to teach her that going potty inside the house was perfectly acceptable.
Once she’d used a particular spot inside…
She wanted to keep using that same spot.
For our dogs, potty pads made training harder instead of easier.
That doesn’t mean they’re wrong for every puppy.
They just weren’t the right choice for Electra.
What Finally Worked
Honestly…
I don’t think there was one magical breakthrough.
As Electra got older, something slowly started to change.
She began following Zeus.
When he asked to go outside…
She followed.
When he waited by the door…
She waited too.
I think she learned more from watching another dog than she ever learned from us.
Sometimes your best trainer isn’t you.
Sometimes it’s your other dog.
Even today, over two years later, Electra still has the occasional accident in the house.
That’s just part of who she is.
She’s improved tremendously…
She’s just never been as naturally clean as Zeus.
And that’s okay.
Every Puppy Is Different
If Zeus had been our only French Bulldog, I probably would’ve thought we were amazing puppy trainers.
Then we got Electra.
She humbled us very quickly.
Raising both of them taught me that potty training isn’t just about having the “right” method.
Health matters.
Age matters.
Personality matters.
Some puppies catch on in a week.
Others take months.
Neither one is a bad dog.
What We Learned
Looking back, there are a few things we’d absolutely do again.
- Create a consistent routine from day one.
- Take puppies to the same potty spot every time.
- Celebrate every success.
- Be patient.
- Adjust your expectations for the individual dog—not the breed.
Most importantly…
Don’t compare your puppy to someone else’s.
Or even to another puppy living in the same house.
Zeus and Electra proved that two French Bulldogs can learn completely differently.
🐾 Frenchie Tip
Consistency is more important than perfection.
A routine, patience, and realistic expectations will usually get you much farther than constantly changing your training method.
And if your puppy struggles more than another dog did…
That doesn’t mean you’re failing.
It just means they’re learning at their own pace.
💬 What About Your Frenchie?
Was your French Bulldog easy to potty train like Zeus?
Or were they a little more… determined… like Electra?
I’d love to hear your potty training stories in the comments.
