The answer
On film the trainers answer this as advice to families, not as something the program fixes. Angier K9 does not run potty training: Kelton tells Roxy's family it is not something the schedule allows, and Rocky's trainer says plainly "we don't do potty training". What the families get instead is a routine to run at home, given in full to two dogs, Roxy and Bun, both by Kelton.
The routine is the same in both. Potty training, Kelton says twice, is about timing and opportunity, and a habit at a particular time. So: at the set times, take the dog out on a leash ("maybe like 10 ft" at most, for Roxy) to the same spot in the yard every time, and be boring. No wandering, no sniffing tour, no play. If the dog goes, the good thing follows: for Roxy a minute or two of running around, for Bun freedom back in the house. If the dog does not go, nothing good happens. For Roxy you simply keep standing there; for Bun you wait 10 to 15 minutes and, if nothing, he goes back in a crate barely big enough for him and you try again later. Kelton's prediction is that the dog works it out fast: for Roxy "at most" five to seven days, for Bun "maybe a few days". He is also honest that the first time can be long: "You might be standing in that one boring spot for 45 minutes."
Two supporting points come from other dogs. Rocky's trainer explains why a crate helps: most dogs will not soil the place they lie in, but with enough space they will. And two trainers (Evan with Clark Kent, Kelton at Roxy's go-home) say an accident found later cannot be corrected, because the dog cannot connect your anger to it.
Honest limits. The routine itself rests on two dogs and one trainer. Neither family is filmed running it, so whether it worked for Roxy or Bun is not on record. Roxy's family say on the same day that she has had almost no accidents; her problem is time, not mess. The time estimates are Kelton's predictions, not measured results.
Said on film: timing and opportunity; same spot; leash; boring until the dog goes; freedom as the reward; the crate between attempts for Bun; no correction after the fact; the company does not potty train. Inferred, not stated: that the routine works by making the yard trip pay only for going.
Angier K9 is a family-owned, play-based Board & Train serving Angier, Raleigh and the Triangle, with three full owner lessons.
What the trainers say
I mean, potty training for dogs is all about just opportunity and and like habit.
because if a dog has a routine and they have the opportunity consistently every time, um, then they will normally do it, um, on their own, uh, like Ramsay, right?
now for Roxy, the idea is that you probably need to help her develop that habit of doing it at a particular time every time. That's just basically how potty training works cuz I can't like command them like evacuate your bowels, do it now.
But Roxy, you go to a particular place in the yard every time that same spot and you just stand there and do nothing and you don't let her go anywhere. You just stand there until she uses it and then she uses it and you go, "Okay." And then you let her run around for a minute and then you guys go inside.
But if she doesn't go out and use the bathroom, like she learns like, we're just going to literally like stand here in this boring spot in the yard and do nothing.
I get to go around and explore for like a minute or two. If I do not use the bathroom, you're going to stand here forever and do nothing.
but she will learn that lesson very quickly. The first time I can't guarantee how long it's going to take. You might be standing in that one boring spot for 45 minutes. It's possible.
um so like and and it depending on the dog it can be timely um so like potty training is all just about timing and opportunity and that's it there's no other factors
so what i mean by timing is they have to go out enough times and by opportunity all i mean is like they need to have opportunity to use the bathroom right and not get too distracted by other things
and then as soon as you get them out of the crate you will you go straight outside and you wait 10-15 minutes and you don't let them go far from you don't let them start playing or doing anything else you're boring you go to the same place every single time in the yard and you wait
you just rinse wash repeat until as soon as you take them out of the crate they start going to the bathroom outside because that's they they end up realizing okay i have two choices either i use the bathroom outside or i go back in the creek
so the reason that they normally don't do it in the crate is because if they do it in the crate it's gonna be on them they did it on themselves and dogs don't want to do that most of the time
So unless you can correct the behavior in that moment, just let it go and try and catch it the next time.
and they're not going to attach consequences to any like if you're mad later like they don't know why you're mad, right?
How it looks, dog by dog
Roxy
The source of the concept. Roxy is a young, very active dog boarding with her housemate Ramsey; at the second in-program owner lesson the family raise two household problems themselves. The first is the morning sprint from crate to door, which Kelton calls "a big ask" for a puppy who has been crated overnight and may need the bathroom badly. The second is bedtime: Ramsey goes straight away and wants back in, while Roxy wanders and sniffs and can take from five to forty minutes. He predicts five to seven days at worst and warns the first wait might be 45 minutes. The family add that she has had almost no accidents, so this is about the time a trip takes, not about mess. Nothing later on film shows the family running it, and the go-home lesson does not return to it.
On film
she's young. She's a puppy. She's been in the crate overnight. And maybe she needs to go to the bathroom real bad.
Yeah. Go to bed. Like sometimes it'll take her five minutes. Sometimes it'll take her 40 minutes.
it's not something that I typically put on Q.
what I would do is make like a particular like potty kind of like routine with her where like what you do is you put her on the leash at that time and you go outside and you have the leash at a like certain length like maybe like 10 ft or something like that at the longest
After she does it like twice, she'll start like you'll walk out there to that spot on leash, she'll go over there and use the bathroom like within like a few minutes.
Haven't really had any accidents at all.
Bun
The second full version, given by Kelton as "the very last thing" at Bun's second owner lesson (title-dated 2 September 2026), later than Roxy's July-uploaded lessons. Kelton's version adds a crate to the same frame: a crate barely big enough for the dog, a few hours at most, then straight out to the same spot, 10 to 15 minutes of being boring, back inside to freedom if he goes, back in the crate if he does not, and repeat. He explains why the crate matters: without it the dog plays in the yard and then goes on the floor inside. No later footage shows the routine at Bun's home; no go-home lesson for Bun is on file.
On film
so what i mean by timing is they have to go out enough times and by opportunity all i mean is like they need to have opportunity to use the bathroom right and not get too distracted by other things
the easiest way to do it is to do it in conjunction with a crate so you have a crate that's just like barely big enough for him to be in
if they don't use the bathroom when you go out they go back in the crate for a while
Because otherwise what will happen is you'll let them out in the backyard. They'll be like, sick. I'm in the backyard. Awesome. I don't care about going poop and pee right now. I'm gonna sprint around in the backyard cause it's fun.
will like when training potty that you know we have to stand close to them yeah you know and then he can start he will do uh his thing it's just gonna be boring for potty training yeah they just gotta be in one spot and it's boring
Rocky
Not the routine, but the reasoning behind its crate half. At a mid-program meeting the owner asks why Rocky can hold it for hours in the crate yet needs out every time when he is loose at home.
On film
i let him out in the morning yep but like when i'm working from home if he's out with me every time he has to go to the bathroom he wants to go
so the reason that they normally don't do it in the crate is because if they do it in the crate it's gonna be on them they did it on themselves and dogs don't want to do that most of the time
but if they have enough space they'll go they'll just go and then they it's not on them um we don't do potty training
if if it is derailed at all just do the thing that you originally did it and it'll be back on rails in like a week at most
Clark Kent
The other half of the advice: what not to do about an accident. At Clark Kent's go-home lesson, Evan, his trainer at the time, uses house-soiling as his example of when "nope" works: catch him in the act and you can correct it; come home three hours later to a wet spot and a correction only confuses him. "Just let it go and try and catch it the next time." Kelton makes the same point at Roxy's go-home about leaving dogs loose and unsupervised.
On film
So for instance, if Clark Kent pees in the house, you would, you know, be like, no, nope, bad boy,
But what if he doesn't pee in the house in front of you? What if he pees in the house while you're at the movies and you come back three hours later and there's a wet spot on the floor? Well, there's no point in correcting him then because he's not going to understand why he's being corrected.
So unless you can correct the behavior in that moment, just let it go and try and catch it the next time.
Finn
A nervous dog, and a caution for the leash half. Finn's trainer (unnamed on the recording) tells the camera he spent about 25 minutes walking Finn round the yard on leash that morning waiting for him to go, because Finn will only go let off the leash and does not seem comfortable going on it. The recording does not show whether he went. It is the same wait-on-leash in a dog for whom the leash itself may be the obstacle; no trainer on film says how the routine should change for such a dog.
On film
I had him out for about 25 minutes this morning just walking around the yard trying to get him to use the bathroom with the leash on because he always wants to be let out without the leash to use the bathroom
and he just kind of like doesn't want to do it while he's on the leash for some reason because he doesn't feel quite comfortable for some reason
Why it works
As Kelton explains it, going to the bathroom cannot be commanded, so it has to become a habit at a particular time and place, and the dog has to have the opportunity without being distracted. The routine supplies all three: set times, the same spot, and nothing else to do. The good thing the dog wants (a run around for Roxy, freedom in the house for Bun) comes only after he goes; before that "nothing happens". For Bun the crate closes the loop: dogs do not want to lie in their own mess, so a crate barely big enough makes them hold it, and a dog who did not go outside goes back to that crate, leaving "two choices". Without it, Kelton says, the dog plays in the yard and then goes on the floor inside. Rocky's trainer gives the same reason dogs keep a crate clean, and adds that a crate with spare room loses it.
On film
now for Roxy, the idea is that you probably need to help her develop that habit of doing it at a particular time every time. That's just basically how potty training works cuz I can't like command them like evacuate your bowels, do it now.
I get to go around and explore for like a minute or two. If I do not use the bathroom, you're going to stand here forever and do nothing.
you put them in a crate that like if they pooped or peed in it they would be now laying in poop or pee
you just rinse wash repeat until as soon as you take them out of the crate they start going to the bathroom outside because that's they they end up realizing okay i have two choices either i use the bathroom outside or i go back in the creek
And then they'll come back inside and they're like, it's boring now. And they'll be like, take a big dump on your floor and not take anything of it.
so the reason that they normally don't do it in the crate is because if they do it in the crate it's gonna be on them they did it on themselves and dogs don't want to do that most of the time
Inferred
That the routine works as access-as-reward (the trip pays only for going), the same logic as release-to-freedom; Kelton describes the dog's reasoning in its own voice but does not name the lever. No physiological mechanism, and no waiting period that suits every dog, is stated on film; Kelton notes for Roxy that the issue eases as she can hold her bladder longer.
Common owner mistakes
- Letting the dog loose in the yard for the bathroom trip, so play and sniffing come first and the bathroom happens later, sometimes back inside.
On film
Ramsey goes like he has no trouble going. He honestly like prefers to come back in in this in the house after. Yeah. Roxy will start exploring and going out and wandering back there and sniffing and we're like, "No, we should like we want you to go to bed."
Watch at 47:17 ↗ Because otherwise what will happen is you'll let them out in the backyard. They'll be like, sick. I'm in the backyard. Awesome. I don't care about going poop and pee right now. I'm gonna sprint around in the backyard cause it's fun.
Watch at 55:47 ↗ - Correcting an accident found after the fact. The dog cannot tell what the anger is for.
On film
But what if he doesn't pee in the house in front of you? What if he pees in the house while you're at the movies and you come back three hours later and there's a wet spot on the floor? Well, there's no point in correcting him then because he's not going to understand why he's being corrected.
Watch at 10:18 ↗ and they're not going to attach consequences to any like if you're mad later like they don't know why you're mad, right?
Watch at 20:26 ↗ - Using a crate with room to spare, so the dog can go in one corner and lie in another.
On film
because if the crate's huge and he only takes up a quarter of the crate what he will do is go and poop in
Watch at 53:30 ↗ but if they have enough space they'll go they'll just go and then they it's not on them um we don't do potty training
Watch at 5:46 ↗ - Making the dog hold it far too long in the crate. Kelton's guide is a few hours, depending on how long the dog has managed before.
On film
they'll hold it but then um you don't want to like be like all right well like they gotta hold it so like 18 hours like dude like no instead like hey like a few hours right
Watch at 54:40 ↗
Questions owners ask
Why does my dog take forever to go when I let him out?
Because the yard is more interesting than the bathroom. Kelton's diagnosis for Roxy, who took five to forty minutes at bedtime, is that she explores first and goes once she is no longer distracted. The fix he gives is to remove the exploring until she has gone: same spot, on a leash, stand still, then let her run.
On film
Ramsey goes like he has no trouble going. He honestly like prefers to come back in in this in the house after. Yeah. Roxy will start exploring and going out and wandering back there and sniffing and we're like, "No, we should like we want you to go to bed."
But Roxy, you go to a particular place in the yard every time that same spot and you just stand there and do nothing and you don't let her go anywhere. You just stand there until she uses it and then she uses it and you go, "Okay." And then you let her run around for a minute and then you guys go inside.
How long do I have to stand there?
On film the answer differs between the two dogs. For Roxy, as long as it takes; the first time might be 45 minutes, and after a couple of successes she should go within a few minutes. For Bun, 10 to 15 minutes, then back in the crate and try again later. Kelton expected days, not months: five to seven at worst for Roxy, a few for Bun. These are his predictions; neither family is filmed doing it.
On film
but she will learn that lesson very quickly. The first time I can't guarantee how long it's going to take. You might be standing in that one boring spot for 45 minutes. It's possible.
After she does it like twice, she'll start like you'll walk out there to that spot on leash, she'll go over there and use the bathroom like within like a few minutes.
and then as soon as you get them out of the crate you will you go straight outside and you wait 10-15 minutes and you don't let them go far from you don't let them start playing or doing anything else you're boring you go to the same place every single time in the yard and you wait
Should I teach a 'go potty' command?
Kelton asked Roxy's family whether they had one, and said it is not something he usually puts on cue: with a routine and a consistent opportunity, dogs normally go on their own, as Ramsey did. You cannot command a dog to go; you build the habit.
On film
it's not something that I typically put on Q.
because if a dog has a routine and they have the opportunity consistently every time, um, then they will normally do it, um, on their own, uh, like Ramsay, right?
Should I punish my dog for an accident in the house?
Only if you catch it as it happens. Evan tells Clark Kent's owners that a correction for a wet spot found hours later only confuses the dog, and Kelton says the same at Roxy's go-home. Let it go and set up the next trip better.
On film
So unless you can correct the behavior in that moment, just let it go and try and catch it the next time.
and they're not going to attach consequences to any like if you're mad later like they don't know why you're mad, right?
Will the board-and-train potty-train my dog?
No. Kelton says it does not fit how the training schedule works, and Rocky's trainer says plainly that they do not do potty training. The routine on this page is advice the families take home and run themselves.
On film
Um, which is not something I'm set up to do with like the way that the schedule works. That's why we don't normally like offer like straight body training.
but if they have enough space they'll go they'll just go and then they it's not on them um we don't do potty training
The lesson
The goal
An owner can set up and run a bathroom routine (fixed times, same spot, leash, nothing to do until the dog goes, freedom afterwards) and knows not to correct an accident found later.
Learn first
The drill
As explained on film; not filmed being run. At the set times, leash the dog (about ten feet at most) and walk to the same spot in the yard. Stand there and do nothing; do not let the dog wander or play. When he goes, mark it (Kelton's "Okay") and give a minute or two of free running, then go in. If he does not go: for Roxy, keep standing; for Bun, after 10 to 15 minutes, back into a crate barely big enough for him, then out again to the same spot later. Repeat until the dog goes soon after reaching the spot; then the leash can come off, as with Ramsey.
Watch out for
- Letting the dog play or explore before he has gone.
- Changing the spot from trip to trip.
- A crate big enough to soil one end and lie in the other.
- Correcting an accident discovered later.
Check yourself
Your dog has been at the spot for ten minutes and has not gone. What do you not do, and why?