Housebreaking an Adult Dog

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When adopting a dog from the shelter he may not have been housetrained previously. A new, unfamiliar home, different food and water and stress can result in episodes of diarrhea. A change in the family (a baby or new pet) may also cause housebreaking problems. The change may be so stressful that your otherwise perfectly houstrained dog will have a housebreaking relapse. For all these reasons it is important to know how to properly housebreak your older dog, without creating additional stress.

1. Introduce the dog to his yard or exercise area and let him eliminate before entering the house. If you have no yard, choose a location not too far from home to be the bathroom spot and always take your dog directly to that spot.

2. Take your new dog out at regular intervals, preferable the same times every day, and praise her lavishly every time she eliminates outdoors.

3. While your dog is eliminating, use a word or short phrase like "go potty," for example. This word or phrase will be associated with tha act of eliminating and will eventually serve as a reminder of what she�s supposed to be doing there.

4. If you catch your dog in the middle of the act of eliminating in the house, immediately take her to her bathroom spot, and give her a treat if she finishes eliminating there. Don�t punish her, especially if you catch her only AFTER the act. Cleaning the soiled area is very important because dogs are instinctly motivated to continue soiling in areas that smell like urine or feces. Use a special pet Stain & Odor Remover or white vinegar instead of household cleaners that contain Ammonia (an ingredient similar to urine), because the latter will only arouse your dog�s instinct to scent mark.

For more information about housebreaking an adult dog, see the following articles:www.petpromise.org/housebreaking.html
www.cuhumane.org/topics/hseold.html