Dealing with house-training accidents can be frustrating for any dog owner. Whether you’re facing a puppy’s frequent mishaps or an adult dog’s unexpected eliminations, there are effective strategies to overcome these challenges. This guide will walk you through the essential steps to address “What To Do If Dog Pees In House” and establish a positive, accident-free environment for your canine companion.
1. Rule Out Medical Issues with a Veterinary Exam
The first and most crucial step when dealing with sudden or persistent house-soiling is to consult a veterinarian or a certified animal behaviorist. Sometimes, house-training issues stem from underlying health conditions that require professional diagnosis and treatment.
- Sudden Changes: If your dog, who was previously well-housetrained, suddenly starts having accidents, it’s a significant red flag. This could indicate urinary tract infections, kidney problems, diabetes, or other medical issues.
- Incontinence: Older dogs or those with certain medical conditions might suffer from incontinence. A vet can diagnose this and recommend management strategies.
- Marking Behavior: Unneutered male dogs are more prone to marking their territory indoors. Neutering can often significantly reduce or eliminate this behavior, offering numerous health benefits beyond just house-training.
2. Understand Normal Dog Behavior and Set Realistic Expectations
Punishing your dog for accidents is counterproductive and can damage your bond. Understanding canine behavior is key to successful housetraining.
- Avoid Punishment: Never rub your dog’s nose in urine or feces, or punish them for an accident. This only teaches your dog to fear you and may lead them to hide when they need to eliminate, making the problem worse.
- Instinct vs. Training: Dogs don’t instinctively know to relieve themselves outside. Their natural instinct is simply not to soil their sleeping area. Every other space is considered fair game until they are taught otherwise.
- Patience is Key: Housetraining, whether for a puppy or an adopted adult dog, requires patience. Your dog doesn’t automatically understand your home’s rules or routines. It’s your responsibility to guide them through the learning process.
3. Establish a Solid Housetraining Foundation
A structured approach is essential for teaching your dog where to potty.
- Positive Reinforcement: Decide on a special, high-value treat that your dog will only receive after successfully eliminating outside. This treat should be small (e.g., the size of your pinky fingernail) and reserved exclusively for rewarding potty success.
- Convenient Treat Access: Keep these special treats readily accessible near the door you use for potty breaks. This ensures you can reward your dog immediately after they go.
- Frequent Rewards: Be prepared to offer several treats (three to five) for each successful potty break, especially in the early stages of training.
A dog being rewarded with a treat after successfully using the designated potty area outside.
4. Implement a Scheduled Feeding Routine
A consistent feeding schedule plays a vital role in predictable potty breaks.
- Scheduled Feedings: Avoid “free feeding,” where food is always available. Instead, feed your dog on a schedule. Eating all day can lead to eliminating all day.
- Consult Your Vet: Your veterinarian can help you determine the appropriate amount of food for your dog and the ideal number of feedings per day.
- Establish Meal Times: Remove any uneaten food after about 20 minutes. Do not offer more food until the next scheduled meal.
- Consistency is Crucial: Stick to the feeding schedule. Your dog will typically adjust to this routine within one to four meals.
5. Master the Art of Thorough Cleanup
Properly cleaning up accidents is critical to preventing future incidents in the same spot.
- Attraction to Previous Spots: Dogs are naturally drawn to eliminate in areas where they have eliminated before. Inadequate cleaning leaves scents that attract them back.
- Enzymatic Cleaners are Essential: Standard household cleaners often don’t fully neutralize pet odors. Pet urine, in particular, can be persistent. Utilize enzymatic cleaners specifically designed to break down the organic matter in pet waste. Brands like Nature’s Miracle or Simple Solution are widely available in pet supply stores and online.
- Cleaning Protocol:
- Saturate any dried urine or feces spots with lukewarm water.
- Blot the area thoroughly with paper towels until no more moisture is absorbed.
- Follow the instructions on your enzymatic cleaner, repeating the process at least three times for optimal results.
6. Leverage Chemical Attraction to Your Advantage
You can use your dog’s scent-marking instincts to guide them to the correct potty spot.
- Utilize Existing Scents: Don’t discard accidents immediately. Bring outdoor potty “triggers” indoors. Pick up indoor accidents and take them outside to your designated potty area.
- Create Scent Markers: Place the soiled material (e.g., feces or urine-soaked paper towel secured with a rock) directly on the ground in your desired potty spot.
- Encourage Repeated Use: Leave the most recent poop in place to encourage your dog to go in that area again. After each new successful elimination, you can then clean up previous waste.
- Clean Indoor Messes Promptly: Immediately after bringing outdoor potty triggers or after your dog has successfully gone outside, clean any indoor soiled areas thoroughly using the protocol described in step 5.
7. Implement Constant Supervision
Active supervision is one of the most effective tools for preventing and correcting housetraining errors.
- Observe Your Dog: You need to see every elimination to interrupt indoor accidents and reward outdoor successes. If you find a mess after it has already happened, you were not supervising closely enough.
- Watch for Pre-Potty Signals: Learn to recognize your dog’s signals, such as sniffing the ground intently, circling, squatting, or holding their tail straight out. When you see these, take your dog outside immediately.
- Interrupt and Redirect: If you catch your dog in the act of peeing or pooping indoors, immediately interrupt them with a sharp clap and a verbal cue like “Ah ah!” Then, swiftly take your dog outside. Carrying your dog and putting their leash on as you head to the door can be very effective.
- Reward Outdoor Success: Go outside with your dog to their designated potty area. Walk with them or stand quietly. Do not play or converse until they have eliminated.
- Verbal Cues and Rewards: As your dog begins to eliminate, quietly whisper a command you plan to use consistently (e.g., “Go potty,” “Do your business”). Once they are finished, praise them enthusiastically, give them their special treats, and then engage in play. This immediate reward reinforces the desired behavior.
8. Schedule Regular Potty Breaks
Consistent, predictable potty breaks are fundamental to a housetraining routine.
- Predictable Intervals: Take your dog out at regular, scheduled times. Puppies, in particular, usually need to eliminate shortly after waking up, after eating, and after playtime.
- Frequency Varies: The frequency of potty breaks depends on your dog’s age, breed, and previous training. This can range from every 10 minutes for very young puppies to once an hour for older, well-trained dogs.
- Use Alarms: Set a watch alarm or timer to remind you of scheduled potty breaks.
- Gradual Increase in Freedom: Stick to frequent intervals until your dog has been successful for several consecutive days. Only then should you slowly increase the time between breaks. As they consistently succeed, you can gradually allow them more freedom within the home.
- Adjust as Needed: If you notice accidents recurring, revert to more frequent potty breaks, increase supervision, and reduce indoor freedom until success is re-established.
Housetraining Troubleshooting
Even with the best intentions, challenges can arise. Here’s how to address common housetraining issues:
You Take the Dog Out, but Nothing Happens.
- Be Patient: It might take some time for your dog to relax and go outside. If nothing happens after 10 minutes, bring your dog back inside, keep them on leash, and try again in 10 to 15 minutes. Repeat this process as necessary.
You Take the Dog Out, but She Runs Around and Plays.
- Eliminate Distractions: Ensure your dog is on a leash (about 6 feet long) and that there are no toys, other pets, or children around that could distract her.
- Ignore Distracted Behavior: Do not talk to, play with, or yell at your dog. Do not point out any poop. Simply walk back and forth and remain calm. Dogs can be easily distracted and thrive on attention; giving attention for playing instead of pottying will hinder their progress.
You Keep Finding Accidents Inside.
- Re-evaluate Supervision: This usually indicates that you are not supervising your dog closely enough. Increase your vigilance and be more attentive to their pre-potty signals.
The Dog Has Accidents Inside the Crate.
- Crate Size Matters: If the crate is too large, your dog may use one end as a potty area and the other as a sleeping area. Ensure the crate is appropriately sized – just large enough for your dog to comfortably stand up, turn around, and lie down.
- Medical Check: If your dog is consistently eliminating in their crate and gets soiled, it’s crucial to see a vet to rule out medical problems.
- Professional Guidance: If medical issues are ruled out, a trainer or behaviorist can provide tailored advice, especially if your dog was previously kept in a cage for extended periods where they were forced to eliminate where they slept. This can make housetraining significantly more challenging.
Your Dog Cries in the Crate in the Middle of the Night.
- Potty Need or Attention Seeking? Your dog might genuinely need to go to the bathroom, or they might be seeking attention.
- Check Your Journal: Review your housetraining journal to see if it’s a scheduled potty break time.
- Cautious Outing: If you’re unsure, take your dog directly outside, but do so quietly and without excessive acknowledgment. If they eliminate, offer a brief, quiet acknowledgment. Avoid teaching them that midnight potty breaks are a fun way to get attention.
- Return to Crate: If your dog does not go to the bathroom, return them to their crate and go back to bed.
- Pre-Night Exercise: Ensure your dog has had adequate exercise before being crated for the night.
- “Cry It Out”: If you’re certain your dog isn’t full of energy, doesn’t need to go to the bathroom, and is healthy, they may need to learn to settle in their crate.
- Seek Professional Help for Anxiety: If your dog exhibits signs of panic, such as digging, destroying bedding, or extreme distress, contact a behaviorist or trainer immediately, as you may be dealing with separation anxiety.
You Just Can’t Seem to Keep an Eye on the Dog.
- Tethering: Keep your dog tethered to you at all times using a leash. Alternatively, gate them into the same area you are in.
- Restrict Access: Use baby gates and closed doors to limit your dog’s access to the entire house.
- Crate When Unsupervised: If you cannot maintain direct supervision, your dog should be crated. This includes during the night or when you are away from home.
- Crate as a Tool, Not a Substitute: Remember that the crate is a training tool, not a substitute for proper exercise, socialization, and training.
