House Training (or Potty Training)
Updated: Oct 31
House (or Potty) Training is the process of teaching our dog where we want them to use the bathroom!
Most commonly this is anywhere outside but the same process applies to:
Teaching your dog to go outside to use the bathroom (either signaling to be let out or using a dog door/opening to go out)
Teaching your dog to go to the bathroom in a specific spot or area outside
Teaching the dog to use a potty pad
Most people WANT (need) a house-trained dog because no one wants to have to constantly be cleaning up or living with waste in their house.
The faster and more reliable our house training is, the faster we can increase their freedom and maximize their autonomy.
Management
House training is one of the skills where our management plan is more important than our training plan!
The first step in house training is to prevent our dog from having accidents in the house. Going to the bathroom creates relief which is rewarding - so each time they go inside they are getting reinforced for it!
We do this by establishing a management plan to ensure:
We ALWAYS know where our dog is.
We have 100% supervision of the dog if they are awake and not contained to a dog safe area. We have to be able to see the signs they need to go in order to make sure they get there!
When contained to a dog safe area and not asleep they should still be monitored closely for signs they need to eliminate.
Safe containment during non-supervision times.
Some dogs will be less inclined to eliminate if they can't escape it, so appropriately sized containment (crate, pen, etc.) can support training.
It should be something that can be easily cleaned and put back together. Using blankets, potty pads, and waterproof items can improve ease of clean up.
Common management tools include:
We keep a time log of their eliminations to make sure we don't go to long in between outings.
We have appropriate cleaning supplies ready to remove any residue from accidents:
Enzymatic cleaners
Paper towel/rags
Removal and washing of appropriate items (rugs, towels, tows, pillows, etc.)
Replacement items (bedding, blankets, towels, potty pads, etc.)
Proactively take them outside (or to the specific elimination spot) proactively during common bathroom times:
First thing in the morning
Right after waking up from sleep (nighttime or naps)
After meals
After drinking lots of water
During or shortly after play/exercise times
Before bed or containment times
Increase duration, reduce supervision and loosen management incrementally (5-10 minutes at a time) only 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
Training
The house-training process is relatively straight forward. Consistency is the most important factor in being successful.
The house-training process looks like:
Consistent implementation of a solid management plan
Learn and identify common signs your dog may need to go:
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
Both periodically and at known bathroom times take your dog to the proper elimination spot.
It can be really useful to do this on leash. It not only helps guide the dog to a specific spot (if desired) but it can help keep them focused (not/less distracted by all the other sights, scents, and sounds of the area).
Over time you fade the leash out so that your dog learns to elimination both on and off leash
Fading the leash would look like:
Unclipping the leash when you notice that they start to go into their potty routine
Going out with the dog and just carrying the leash (with harness still on if using a harness)
Going out with the dog and carrying the leash without the harness on
Going out normally - utilizing the leash to trigger the routine if dog struggles to go (which should happen less and less frequently if you are being successful)
Accompany your dog out. You should be right there with them early in this process.
Give the dog 3-5 minutes to go to the bathroom
If they don't go, take the dog back inside.
Monitor them closely - remember they are full and do need to go.
Set a 5-minute timer and monitor for body language that they need to go.
Take them back out.
Repeat until they go to the bathroom.
Mark the instant they finish and Reward for going.
It's important you accompany them. The reward should be delivered as quickly as possible when they finish - not many (ten+) seconds after.
Repeat
As they get more efficient (can hold their elimination longer and look to go quicker when taken to their spot):
Fade the leash - see above. This way they can start to be more independent
Incrementally increase the space between you and the dog. The goal is to increase that space until they go without you outside (remove you from the picture all together)
Reminder: potty accidents are almost ALWAYS a human error - a lack of supervision or access, unless the dog is experiencing medical issues
Support Skills:
Outside Cue
Most dogs naturally start to wander toward the door when they need to go out, some will bark, and a few other will do something creative
Think about what you'd like that cue to be and include it in the training. It could be:
Teaching the dog to sit at the back door to get let out.
Capturing a bark, circling or pawing at the door as the signal to go out.
Common door indicators include.
Bathroom Cue
It can be really beneficial to teach your dog to go to the bathroom on cue - not just when they need,
To do this:
Pick the cue you want to use: "Go Potty", "Hurry Up", "Do Your Business"
When you see your dog start to eliminate say the cue. Then mark and reward completion.
Once you are able to accurately predict when they are about to go, 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 that 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 eliminate.
Fade out the food reward. Going to the bathroom will be rewarding enough to maintain the behavior.
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 noise. The goal is to interrupt and redirect them, then immediately get them outside. It may startle them a little (which is okay, keep it minimal), 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 (damaging) 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:
Punishing your dog for going to the bathroom inside (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, 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 punishment for just going to the bathroom in front of you
This association causes some dogs to just wait for or to 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).
Instead, if (or when) the dog attempts to eliminate inside the house:
Interrupt the act with a noise that will startle/redirect (not scare) your dog
Quickly usher him or her outside to do their business.
Ensure to mark and reward the elimination while outside.
Calmly clean up and remove all traces of any accidents
Prior accidents can act like a beacon for future house soiling spots
Expecting too much of your dog:
Expecting too much of your dog. Rule of thumb for the hours a puppy can hold it is the number of months they have been alive minus 1, 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 (an inadequate management plan):
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 of the opportunity to mark and reward the behavior the instant it occurs.
Some (most) dogs will still likely learn to go outside; however, it can take longer and leave more opportunity for accidents inside the house
Not putting it on cue:
This might be the least impactful, overall but not being able to ask your dog to go means you can't intentionally empty them before an absent.
The longer they have to hold it the higher the likelihood of an accident. Making sure they go before being left alone sets them (and you) up for the greatest chance of success.
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