How to Potty Train Any Dog

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When bringing home a new companion, we get caught up in the excitement of it all. Whether that new companion is a new puppy or an adult dog, it’s not uncommon to get a rude awakening upon bringing your new pet home: the deposit of various fluids, solids, and (worst of all, in my opinion) the ones that are kind of in-between.

Nobody wants their dog to think of their living room as the toilet; this is why “potty training” or housetraining your dog is one of the first and most crucial steps in the training process.

The reality of it is that housetraining is pretty straightforward. There are a set of rules and a few steps that works for most dogs out there. It’s an entirely reward-based protocol and fairly simple to implement, even for new dog owners bringing home their first puppy.

Unfortunately, straightforward does not necessarily mean that it’s an easy process. Like most things with bringing home a new dog (especially a new puppy) effective housetraining takes a lot of time, energy, and attention. It takes planning, coordination, and consistency.

However, if you go through the steps and are consistent, it’s really not such a tedious process. There will be accidents, and there will be times you won’t want to go through the motions after a long day of work. But if you settle in to the routine, housetraining a new dog becomes second nature, and it will be over before you know it.

To start housetraining, my approach is always to establish a home structure with a set of three environments your new dog may be in. First, safely tucked away in their crate (or other designated safe spot, if you are in the middle of crate training and not all the way there, yet). Second, inside the house and under supervision. Lastly, outside and ready to reinforce.

Keeping Them Gated or Crated

At least when you can’t directly supervise them.

I’m a big supporter of crate training for pet dogs. It makes dogs easy to transport, gives them a spot all their own, and helps aid in treating and preventing separation anxiety in dogs. If you have a new puppy, it’s a great idea to start them in their crate training early on.

I talk about crate training and how to pick the right crate for your needs in my article, How to Pick the Right Crate for Your Dog.

One thing about crate training that is so immensely helpful in so many areas of your life with your dog is that it provides a secure spot when you can’t directly supervise your dog, or when them being out and about could be unsafe for them or you. Crating your dog means they can’t push behavioral boundaries when your back is turned, and it also means that there is a confined spot where you can put your dog to keep your floors clean while you are preoccupied with something that needs your immediate attention.

New puppies and most older dog will also dislike soiling their “den.” In general, dogs much prefer being able to make their deposit and then make some distance; so, most dogs will endeavor to not soil an area they know they are confined to, or that they see as their sleeping place.

When you cannot be with your dog to monitor their patterns and anticipate their potty needs, that is the time to crate them. Crating does not have to be for long periods of time. It can be while you do a 30-minute dash to the corner store, or for three-and-a-half minutes while you change a diaper in the other room.

Crating should also happen overnight, as we obviously can’t supervise our dogs when we are asleep. My experience is that if an accident does happen in the crate, your dog will let you know.

When accidents happen, don’t freak out. Clean it up in a matter-of-fact manner, and assess if there was a reason for it. Again, dogs tend to prefer not to eliminate in the crate, so there is usually a reason for this.

Change in diet can cause changes in a dog’s elimination schedule because they can be suddenly thrust into a situation of not feeling able to hold it due to light gastrointestinal distress. This can happen even to well housetrained adult dogs if their tummy is particularly sensitive, like it did for my dog, Milo, during our experiment switching him to Ketona kibble.

Leaving a dog for too long can also be a reason for an unexpected accident. Did you let time get away from you while tending to other things? Make note of it and don’t fret.

Did you make sure your dog went outside at the appropriate times, like shortly after eating, drinking, or an exercise/play session? These are all times that dogs of all ages will be most likely to need to “go.”

When bringing your puppy out of the crate after a longer duration, that is also a time they should be taken straight outside for a change to eliminate. You don’t want to teach your dog to hold it in the crate just to leave a steamy pile on your rug.

Under the Roof, and Under Supervision

While indoors during housetraining, your dog should be under your direct supervision at all times. This means that you are involved and keeping an eye on them, at least to some extent.

This doesn’t mean you need to stare or hover over them; that may actually be detrimental. But it does mean you need to constantly be aware of what the dog is up to, where they are, and notice any signs of needing to go out.

It’s very similar to working with children. It takes only a second for a small child to disappear or get up to something dangerous or otherwise unhelpful. It’s the same for dogs. In the blink of an eye the dog could suddenly decide to “go,” and if you weren’t paying attention, you might not see the signs or intervene until there is a puddle or a pile on the floor.

Constant supervision is the name of the game in housetraining, as it is with most other behavioral training situations. This is easier said than done, and it can be tedious if you’re not used to tracking a dog and monitoring their body language. But there are some things you can do to make it easier on yourself.

Restricting your dog’s access to your home with gates or by closing doors can help you keep your dog near you and visible while you tackle other things (or just try to relax on the couch). For small puppies, a pen is also a great way to start. For older dogs, learning the place command is also very helpful in teaching your dog to relax on command and assist you in keeping track of them while preoccupied with other things; like their crate, few dogs will be keen on eliminating in their bed.

For young puppies and dogs who aren’t ready for the place command, having them leash-drag or tying their leash to your belt can be very helpful. There are even special leashes that include a belt portion that can be clipped and unclipped easily for hands-free jogging, which can be helpful for housebreaking situations, as well.

The key is to always be mindful about your dog while they are in this phase of housetraining. Sometimes we are physically in one place, and mentally in another.

When you feel yourself getting engrossed enough in a task that you probably can’t dedicate any mental space to monitoring your dog (or respond appropriately if needed), that’s a good time to put your dog in the first environment, tucked away in their crate, until you have the means to supervise effectively.

When starting out, accidents will still happen from time to time. They will, through consistency, get fewer and farther between as you go on! Don’t fuss about accidents; just like with the crate, clean them up and move on.

We at Lugaru K9 Training do not apply corrections during potty training. Housetraining is for teaching a new standard: eliminating outside.

The only time we would correct a dog for eliminating in the house is for marking, which is decidedly different from relieving themselves. This is because corrections should only be applied to choices; a dog has a choice in marking in the house, but a dog will typically relieve themselves in the house only if they don’t know better (we haven’t taught them the YES yet) or if they really, really have to go (they haven’t built the tolerance for “holding it,” or we left them too long).

I urge you to not go with the advice to “rub your dog’s nose in it,” bop them with a newspaper, or apply any other correction on any other tool, especially when starting out. Housebreaking, at least for us, is always a reward-only protocol.

Depending on the dog, a matter-of-fact verbal “no” may be helpful from an informational standpoint (if the dog already understands what “no” is). If your dog does not already understand “no” informationally (as essentially all puppies will not) don’t even bother with it. Just avoid rewarding it, clean up the mess, and move on. Continue with the process, and accidents will be fewer and farther between until they are a thing of the past.

If your dog is not housetrained yet, it’s best to not bring them to stores and other peoples’ houses until they at least are consistent in your own home. This is because, after the initial housebreaking period detailed in this article, you’ll need to do some generalization before your dog is ready to understand that all buildings are off-limits for potty.

Outside and Supervised

This is where the magic happens. And, by magic, I mean successful potty breaks.

Many new dog owners make the mistake of putting their dog outside alone to do their business. Your dog may very well eliminate when out in the yard all by themselves, but hanging back is a huge missed opportunity to reinforce that new standard and build it as a habit.

Going outside with your dog also gives you a chance to witness and make note of any “movements” and irregularities. You’ll know if your dog does or does not relieve themselves, and you’ll also know if anything weird was going on with their movements, like signs on constipation, diarrhea, or forms of gastrointestinal distress which could influence your potty training schedule or in some cases merit a check-in with your vet.

From a housetraining perspective, however, going out with your dog is a big opportunity to mark and reward the behaviors you want to see. I mentioned that potty training is a reward-only scenario; this is where you reward.

Start out by taking some treats in your pocket and going outside with your dog. If you don’t have a tendency to carry around a treat pouch, your dog might suddenly be distracted by the presence of food, especially if they’re particularly fun, smelly treats. If this is the case, I recommend turning away from your dog

If you have a spot you’d like your dog to prioritize as their potty spot, take your dog there. Do so on a leash, if you need to. Once there, stand still and wait for your dog to start to “go.” If it takes a long time, don’t rush them. Just “act natural.”

Staring and making unneeded noises can distract your dog from doing their business by making them think you want to play, are trying to prompt them into an already-known command, or are trying to interact with them in some other way. Leave them be and let them focus on doing their business.

If you want to train your dog to potty on cue, you can say your chosen command right as your dog begins to go potty, or right before if you can effectively anticipate them eliminating.

When your dog does go potty, don’t react until they are finished. After that, immediately mark with your chosen word for “yes” and hand them a treat.

Treats should be as high-value as you have available to you. I’m not one to tell dog owners to go out and buy expensive treats; many dogs I’ve trained on kibble alone! But the more motivated you make your dog to potty outside, the more efficient the process is going to be.

You can always make your own treats, like I do in my article, How to Make Healthy Raw Dog Treats at Home.

Or, you can get some tasty freeze-dried treats from Raw Paws Pet Food, which I talk about in my review, A Review of Raw Paws Pet Food.

Regardless of what treats you use, the timing here is important; mark and reward should be immediately after potty is finished as to not distract them in the middle of their potty, or leave too much space that they don’t know what they’re being rewarded for.

Many dog owners make the mistake of waiting at the door and treating for a potty as the dog comes inside. But this doesn’t mean anything to the dog; if anything, it means they are being rewarded for coming back indoors. Which is fine, but it does not help your progression in reinforcing them doing their business outdoors.

Going outside with your dog is not always fun. Weather sucks sometimes, allergies get awful, and some dogs really seem to take forever to just go already! But it’s worth the difference it makes in the training process. Once your dog knows what to do, you won’t need to be so much of a helicopter-dog-parent.

While I am usually a big fan of the structured walk, which designates an expectation of a behaved heel while out walking with sniff/potty breaks by permission, during potty training my recommendation is to allow your dog to eliminate whenever they feel like it, and reward in the same way as above. Just be mindful of where you are while out on a walk, so your dog is not ruining your neighbor’s lawn or making messes where they shouldn’t.

When it comes to introducing potty training, those are the only three situations your pet dog should ever really be in. Until your dog is consistent with their new rules, it’s better to avoid places where accidents would be more of a problem, like stores, friends’ houses, outdoor cafes, or the office. There will be a time for these kinds of excursions, but they should wait until your dog is ready to start generalizing their new expectations.