House-training A New Adult Dog or Puppy
Many adult dogs adopted from animal shelters were house-trained in their previous homes. While at the shelter, however, they may not have gotten enough opportunities to eliminate outside, and consequently, they may have soiled their kennel areas. This can weaken their house-training habits. Additionally, when introducing a new dog to a home, scents and odors from other or previous pets may stimulate some initial urine marking.
Remember that you and your new dog need some time to learn each other's signals and routines. Even if s/he was house-trained in his/her previous home, if you do not recognize his/her "bathroom" signal, you might miss the request to go out, causing him/her to eliminate indoors. Therefore, for the first few weeks after you bring him/her home, you should assume your new dog is not house-trained and start from scratch.
If s/he was house-trained in his/her previous home, the re-training process should progress quickly. The process will be much smoother if you take steps to prevent accidents and remind him where s/he's supposed to eliminate.
Establish a Routine
Take your dog out at the same times every day. For example, first thing in the morning when s/he wakes up, when you arrive home from work, and before you go to bed. Praise your dog lavishly every time s/he eliminates outdoors. You can even give him/her a treat. You must praise him/her and give a treat immediately after s/he has finished and not wait until after s/he comes back inside the house. This step is vital, because rewarding your dog for eliminating outdoors is the only way s/he will know that is what you want him/her to do.
Choose a location not too far from the door to be the bathroom spot. Always take your dog, on leash, directly to the bathroom spot. Take him/her for a walk or play with him/her only after s/he has eliminated. If you clean up an accident in the house, leave the soiled rags or paper towels in the outside bathroom spot. The smell will help your dog recognize the area as the place where s/he is supposed to eliminate.
While your dog is eliminating, use a word or phrase like "go potty," that you can eventually use before s/he eliminates to remind him/her of what s/he is supposed to be doing.
Feeding your dog on a set schedule, once or twice a day, will help make his/her elimination more regular.
Supervise, Supervise, Supervise
Do not give your dog an opportunity to soil in the house. S/he should be watched at all times when s/he is indoors. You can tether him/her to you with a six-foot leash, or use baby gates, to keep him/her in the room where you are. Watch for signs that s/he needs to eliminate, like sniffing around or circling. If you see these signs, immediately take him/her outside, on a leash, to the designated bathroom spot. If s/he eliminates, praise him/her lavishly and reward him/her with a treat.
Confinement
When you're unable to watch your dog closely, s/he should be confined to an area small enough that s/he won't want to eliminate there. It should be just big enough for him/her to comfortably stand, lie down and turn around in. This could be a portion of a bathroom or laundry room blocked off with boxes or baby gates. Or you may want to crate train your dog and use the crate to confine him. Ask the staff for information about crate training. Crate training is highly recommended as the crate offers a sense of safety for the dog. If s/he has spent several hours in confinement take him/her directly to the bathroom spot and praise him/her when s/he eliminates.
Oops!
Most dogs, at some point, will have an accident in the house. You should expect this, as it is a normal part of your dog's adjustment to his/her new home. If you catch your dog in the act of eliminating in the house, do something to interrupt him like making a startling noise (be careful not to scare him). Immediately take him/her to the bathroom spot, praise him/her, and give a treat if s/he finishes eliminating there. Do not punish your dog for eliminating in the house. Do not yell at the dog as this will associate you with negativity and potentially break the trust in your relationship. If you find a soiled area, it is too late to administer a correction. Do nothing but clean it up. Rubbing your dog's nose in it, taking him to the spot and scolding him, or any other type of punishment, will only make him afraid of you or afraid to eliminate in your presence. Animals do not understand punishment after the fact, even if it is only seconds later. Punishment will do more harm than good. Cleaning the soiled area is very important because dogs are highly motivated to continue soiling in areas that smell like urine or feces.
Other Types of House Soiling Problems
If you have consistently followed the house-training procedures and your dog continues to eliminate in the house, there may be another reason for his behavior. You should speak directly to your veterinarian (in case the problem is related to a medical issue) or to a dog behaviourist/trainer. Delta Community Animal Shelter can provide you with contact information for trainers in your area.
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