Housebreaking Made Easy

Housebreaking isn't rocket science, but it does take time, patience and diligence. Housebreaking is most often a puppy thing which makes it difficult because puppies are excitable and have small bladders. Sometimes it's an adult dog thing, perhaps your recent adoption has never been inside a house before or a major change in your household has your adult dog regressing. Regardless of the situation, the methods are pretty much the same and results are just as reliable. You can expect your dog to get the idea within the first week and to be reasonably trustworthy by the end of the first month.

Is it medical? If your previously housebroken dog has begun making inappropriate messes, take him to the vet first to make sure there isn't an infection or another medical issue that could be causing his uncharacteristic behavior.

The Right Tools for the Job

As with any job, there are a few tools of the trade that make housebreaking easier. Have these on hand from day one and housebreaking your dog will be a breeze.

1. A crate will keep your dog confined when you can't watch him. Because dogs instinctively avoid soiling their nesting area, most dogs can be relied upon not to have accidents in their crates. Please see my article about crate training your dog. If you do not want to use a crate, you should still have a small spot to confine your dog in, even if you use a tether.

2. A 6 foot leash is required for obvious reasons. During the training period you should leave the leash on your dog whenever he isn't confined so you can get him to his potty area quickly. You will have to go out with him for the first week or two.

3. Choose a relief station for your dog. If you are training your dog to use a potty pad then this will be his relief station. Otherwise, select an area of the yard about 10 x 10 feet for your dog to use as his relief station. You may want to mark this area with stones or other edging or cover it with mulch or pea gravel to distinguish it from the rest of the yard. Your dog should only have one relief station. If you are training your dog to a potty pad you cannot also train him to the yard and vice versa because it will just confuse him. If you want your dog to go outside once he's trained to the potty pad, bring a pad with you when you go out.

4. A jar of treats should be kept at the relief station so you can give your dog a treat the minute he goes potty. Don't wait till after you get back inside to give him a treat because at that point you don't know what your dog is thinking about and you can't be sure what he thinks he's being rewarded for.

5. A regular feeding schedule is important to housebreaking. Your dog should receive his food at the same time every day according to the schedule recommended by your veterinarian and he should have access to his food dish for only 15 minutes to a half hour. Free feeding is not recommended during housebreaking. You can anticipate when your dog may need to defecate based on the 8-10 hours it takes for his food to digest. Keep in mind that meals may get things moving too. Water should be offered more often and you can figure he will need to urinate about a half hour after he drinks.

6. Keep a notebook near the door so that you can keep a journal of each time your dog goes potty, inside or outside. This will help you learn his schedule and anticipate when he will need to go outside.

With these things in place, you are now ready to housebreak your dog.

Watch and Confine

Watch and confine is a simple concept that makes housebreaking easy. Your dog should be watched at all times during this period in a situation that allows you to quickly get ahold of him and take him outside to go potty. If you can't watch him, he needs to be confined to a small area, preferably a crate.

Every time your dog goes potty in the house he learns that it is okay to do so. You must catch your dog in the act in order to break this habit. You cannot punish him if the mess is discovered later because his mind has moved to something else and you cannot determine exactly what he thinks you're punishing him for at that time. If you point to a pile of poo and smack him, he may simply learn to hide the poo better next time.

When your dog squats to do his business in the house, say "No" loudly and firmly and grab his leash quickly. This should startle him into aborting the mission (though it doesn't always). Then quickly rush him to his relief station, point to it and say "Go potty" then wait. It could be awhile until he calms down enough to try again. When he does, praise him and give him a treat from the jar you have there at his relief station.

Watch for signals from your dog (circling, sniffing) but don't wait for them. Take your dog to his relief station when he first wakes up in the morning, before and after every meal and any time he has been confined for any length of time. Point to the spot, say "Go potty" and give him a treat when he does.

If your dog absolutely refuses to go potty at his relief station no matter how long you wait, consult your vet about stimulating bowel movements. She may supply you with a suppository. Make sure you ask her to explain how to use it and ask any questions you may have.

Remember that constancy is key in housebreaking and all training is consistency. You must catch your dog every time he goes indoors and at first, reward him every time he goes in his relief station. Soon you can begin phasing out rewards. You should be able to trust your dog a little more after about a week, but still keep a close eye on him and if he has any accidents go back to square one.


If you have any problems, you can consult a trainer or leave me a comment and I'll follow up.