Housetraining Secrets from a Puppy Trainer

Housetraining may not be the most FUN part of puppy life, but it is one of the MOST important!

As a puppy trainer (and trainer to dogs of ALL ages), one of the most common areas to troubleshoot is housetraining. When a new puppy comes home, housetraining should be a top priority alongside proper socialization. This is also true of older puppies as well as adult rescue dogs finding a forever home. 

Although the speed at which dogs vary greatly based on age, size, breed, temperament, and life experiences, the basic steps to housetrain ANY dog. The goal is for a dog to learn that living spaces (e.g. in the house) are NOT potty spaces. The steps to do so are surprisingly simple, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that the process is easy! More than anything else, proper housetraining requires CONSISTENCY from the human. 

If you are struggling with household accidents,

apply the six steps below to achieve success!

1) Your pup should always be supervised or confined.  Supervise your pup closely or have them in the crate/pen/gated area. Supervised means if your pup has an accident, you will see it taking place. The only exception to this rule is if you know your pup has just “done all of their business” and now has an “empty tank.” Then, you may be able to get away with a brief period of less intense supervision, but never no supervision. 

2) Give VERY frequent potty breaks outside at first.  This could be as often as every 30 minutes for a very young pup. Learn your pup’s patterns and set up your routine accordingly. Watch for sniffing, whining, circling, panting, or suddenly wandering away from you–these are signs that your pup needs to pee and/or poop. Acknowledge them and hustle outside immediately with your pup. 

Also assume that your pup needs a potty break after activity, excitement, and transition times. For example: try a potty break after heavy chewing, play sessions, training, waking up from a nap, guest arrivals, etc. 

3) Reward with food AS SOON AS your pup finishes their elimination (pee or poop).  This means that you must bring treats with you for potty breaks, OR have a sealed cache of treats outside already. A sealed glass Mason jar is an excellent choice for a treat jar. 

Timing is KEY! As soon as the elimination is complete, say “yes!” happily and reward your pup immediately. This teaches them that eliminating outside is the correct behavior. If you forget food, reward with enthusiastic praise instead, but this will not be as effective as using edible rewards.  

Important–do NOT wait until returning inside to reward, as your pup will assume they are being rewarded for coming in the house (not for going to the bathroom outside). This will slow down housetraining progress!

4) Interrupt accidents without fear, then take your pup outside immediately.

 When you see an accident in progress, interrupt them with an attention-getting sound (e.g. clap, say “oops!” or “eh eh!”, knock on the wall, etc.) but NOT in an attempt to scare your pup. This is NOT a punishment, and scaring a pup only increases the chance that they’ll HIDE eliminations from you in the future, making housetraining much more difficult. 

Once you’ve gotten your pup’s attention to interrupt the accident, take them outside right away. If they finish their elimination outside, reward with food as before. Stay outside for a few minutes without giving attention or eye contact (this is not a play session!) to determine if your pup still needs to go. If they do not potty more after a few minutes, bring inside and monitor heavily or crate your pup until you’re ready for the next potty break.

5) NEVER punish/scold your pup when you find an accident after the fact.

They will not understand WHY you are angry about finding the accident . You will only make them fearful of YOU, their human protector. This makes housetraining more difficult and damages the emotional relationship with your pup, which makes EVERYTHING more difficult.

When you find an accident, consider it simply a missed learning opportunity. Crate/confine your pup safely, and then clean up the mess thoroughly. 

6) Use ENZYMATIC URINE CLEANERS to fully remove the smell of accidents. 

Dogs have excellent noses and the persistent smell of urine on a surface tells a dog that it is okay to pee there again. Even if humans cannot smell the urine, a dog WILL smell the odor if not cleaned properly. There are many options on the market today (e.g. Nature’s Miracle Urine Destroyer), so just be sure that you select one intended specifically for dog urine and that using enzymes that BREAK DOWN the smell, rather than just mask or remove it. 

If you are struggling to housetrain your puppy or adult dog, please reach out for a training session! There are other factors that can affect housetraining, so do not be shy if your housetraining journey is more complex and requires professional help!