House (Potty) Trainig
There are 3 components that make up a successful House Training strategy: Access, Supervision & Management, & Consistency.
Definition:
Teaching our dogs the appropriate place(s) and time(s) to go to the bathroom.
Purpose:
Prevent inappropriate bathroom choices and increase the dog's overall level of freedom and autonomy.
Training Plan:
Step 1: Access + Execution
Establish a plan and routine that provides your dog regular opportunities to access appropriate potty locations
Activities that should be followed with a potty break:
Waking up from sleep
Eating a meal
Drinking water after exercise - 15-30 minutes after
For new dogs <9 months old I recommend hourly (max) trip and for older dogs starting at every 2 hours is recommended
Performance (holding it) may allow you to increase those times but erroring on the shorter time period results in less accidents and faster house training.
Pro Tip 1: Access alone may not be enough. Accompany your dog out and supervise to make sure they use the bathroom.
Prot Tip 2: Keep a Potty Journal. It is easy to lose track of time and forget how long it's been since the dog was out or between eliminations. Tracking the type and when it occurred makes it easier to identify when we need to be more persistent in our supervision and access until a specific elimination occurs (#1, #2, or both).
Step 2: Supervision & Management
Establish a plan and routine where the dog(s) can be either under active supervision or managed in a dog safe environment
Most house training accidents occur when the dog is unsupervised and has too much freedom - resulting in missed signals by the humans
Active Supervision - This means eyes physically on the dog and not directed toward other tasks (of any significant duration). Almost ALL HEALTHY dogs will give indicators (some more subtle than others) when they need to use the bathroom. Common things to look for include:
Abrupt changes in activity (playing to not playing, chewing to wandering, laying down to standing up, changing locations, etc.)
Sudden pacing or sniffing
Movement away from their people or current location
Movement toward a door
Vocalizations
Management - This is the various methods of containing or restraining your dog to dog safe areas (areas that are easy to clean and safe for your dog) when you aren't actively supervising
The most common management options include crates, barriers, pens, and tethers
When selecting your strategy consider your individual dog. For some (cleaner) dogs smaller spaces prevent/limit soiling to maintain cleanliness.
Increase duration, reduce supervision and loosen management incrementally (5-10 minutes at a time) when:
Your dog demonstrates their ability to "hold it"
Your dog establishes a clear signal they need to go out and demonstrates persistence with that signal
If using a dog door - Your dog actively lets themselves out to go to the bathroom
Step 3: Consistency
Practicing a behavior reinforces that behavior. You don't have to be perfect but every elimination inside reinforces going inside. The more consistent and proactive you are about getting them outside to go to the bathroom the faster the learning process
Consistency looks like:
Accompanying your dog for their bathroom break
Don't just send them outside
Mark and reward IMMEDIATELY as they finish going to the bathroom
Don't wait until your back in the house - you're likely rewarding for going back inside
If they don't go to the bathroom in 5-10 minutes go back inside. Set a 5-10 minute time and then take them back out. Repeat until they go to the bathroom
Reminder: potty accidents are almost ALWAYS a human error - a lack of supervision or access, unless the dog is experiencing medical issues
Advanced Skills:
Going to the Bathroom on Cue
Being able to ask your dog to go to the bathroom can be really beneficial. It not only supports getting them on a schedule but helps make sure they are empty before longer durations. We put it on cue by:
Accompanying them when they go out
When you see them start to go give the cue ("Go Potty", "Hurry Up", "Do Your Business", etc.)
Observe them closely and document the body language indicators that they are about to go.
Mark and reward the instant they finish. Repeat for a few days.
Once you are able to accurately predict when they are about to go start to give the cue right before they go to the bathroom. Mark and reward when they finish. Repeat for a few days.
Start giving the cue earlier and earlier (add 5-10 seconds every few days) when you are confident they need to go.
Continue to increase that time until you are able to give the cue from inside and the dogs will head outside and then check in with you after they go
Fade out the food reward. Going to the bathroom will be rewarding enough to maintain the behavior.
Teaching a Bathroom Signal
For some dogs and/or people teaching a specific signal for the dog to request to go outside is valuable. It not only gives the dog a clear way to request a basic need, but it also makes it much easier for their people see when they need out.
Potty Training: How to Train Your Dog to Ring a Bell to Be Let Outside!
Common door indicators include:
FAQs!
What if I catch my dog about to go or in the act?
If (or when) the dog attempts or starts to eliminate inside the house – interrupt the act with a sharp noise. The goal is to interrupt them and immediately get them outside. It may startle them a little, but we are trying to avoid scaring them.
Ensure to mark and reward when they go/finish going outside.
How do I handle an accident?
Take a deep breath and remember your dog/puppy didn't do it on purpose
Take them outside or some other place where they are safe and contained
You don't need them "helping," stepping, or rolling in it
Calmly clean up and remove all traces of any accidents
Prior accidents can act like a beacon for future house soiling spots
Look up appropriate cleaners. The best dog cleaners for toileting accidents are enzymatic and probiotic cleaners.
Standard cleaners and water will likely leave lingering scents/signals and bleach can be hard on your dog's nose
If your puppy got dirty, clean them up next
Take stock of what happened and see if you can identify a plan to minimize the chances of another accident happening
Troubleshooting Housing Training Issues
Having issues getting your new dog house trained? Here are some things to evaluate to see improvement:
Re-evaluate your Access plan.
Is the dog getting out often enough?
Can the dog be let out more often?
Are you keeping a Potty Journal to help monitor time between bathroom breaks?
Re-evaluate your Supervision and Management plan.
Is the dog actively actively going in front of you?
Refresh your body language skills and look for new or more subtle signs for potentially needing to go to the bathroom
Is the dog going when you aren't looking?
Can you provide more active supervision or tighten up your management plan to reduce their access to unsupervised areas?
Have you consulted a veterinarian?
Underlying medical issues can contribute to house training problems and aren't always easy to see.
Common indicators are partial or small movements, going more often than feels normal, dripping, going in their sleep, and weird colors, smells, or consistencies.
Have you established a clear way for you dog to indicate they need out?
Work on establishing a clear signal your dog can perform to get let out
Is it a matter of reinforcement?
Going to the bathroom is a reinforcing activity. It can add value to going outside by not only rewarding when they go but by putting it on cue so there is a more discrete and clear picture for the dog on what we are trying to teach.
Common Mistakes when House Training
Punishing the dog for inappropriate eliminations – during or after the fact
It can feel like a good idea to try to let your dog know they shouldn't go to the bathroom inside. However, this isn't necessary, isn't without risk and likely isn't clear to your dog:
It's likely unclear to the dog that going to the bathroom INSIDE is what caused the punishment - they are more likely to perceive it as a punish for just going to the bathroom
This association causes some dogs to just wait for or find a location where the owner isn't present to go to the bathroom.
It is a good thing for your dog to be comfortable going to the bathroom in front of you - don't risk damaging that.
Lastly, they aren't doing it on purpose, and they don't know better (or they wouldn't do it).
Expecting too much of your dog. Rule of thumb for puppies is the number of months they have been alive minus 1, for the maximum number of hours they can hold it up to 4 hours. Adult dogs who are not potty trained should be given an opportunity at least every 2-3 hours at first, while they are learning
Pro Tip: 4-5 hours should be the maximum consistent expectation for an adult dog without access to go to the bathroom. They will likely be able to handle exceptions for longer but it's uncomfortable. Most people don't go full workday (8-9 hours) without 2-3 trips to the bathroom so why would we expect that of our dogs.
Giving the dog to much freedom. When the dog is allowed to roam the house, he or she is likely to soil when not being monitored. This prevents us from interrupting the act AND naturally reinforces the behavior because of the relief that the dog feels afterward
Not accompanying your dog outside to use the bathroom. This deprives you from making sure they go and from the opportunity to mark and reward the behavior. Some dogs will still likely learn to go outside, however, it can take longer and leave more opportunity for accidents inside the house if we aren't adding that extra motivation
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