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Many adult dogs adopted from animal shelters were housetrained
in their previous homes. While at the shelter, however, they may not have
gotten enough opportunities to eliminate outside, and consequently, they
may have soiled their kennel areas. This tends to weaken their housetraining
habits. Additionally, scents and odors from other pets in the new home
may stimulate some initial urine marking. Remember that you and your new
dog need some time to learn each other’s signals and routines. Even if
he was housetrained in his previous home, if you don’t recognize his "bathroom"
signal, you might miss his request to go out, causing him to eliminate
indoors.
Therefore, for the first few weeks after you bring him
home, you should assume your new dog isn’t housetrained and start from
scratch. If he was housetrained in his previous home, the re-training
process should progress quickly. The process will be much smoother if
you take steps to prevent accidents and remind him where he’s supposed
to eliminate.
Establish A Routine
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Take your dog out at the same times every day. For
example, first thing in the morning when he wakes up, when you arrive
home from work, and before you go to bed.
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Praise your dog lavishly every time he eliminates
outdoors. You can even give him a treat. You must praise him and give
him a treat immediately after he’s finished and not wait until after
he comes back inside the house. This step is vital, because rewarding
your dog for eliminating outdoors is the only way he’ll know that’s
what you want him to do.
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Choose a location not too far from the door to be
the bathroom spot. Always take your dog, on leash, directly to the
bathroom spot. Take him for a walk or play with him only after he’s
eliminated. If you clean up an accident in the house, leave the soiled
rags or paper towels in the bathroom spot. The smell will help your
dog recognize the area as the place where he’s supposed to eliminate.
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While your dog is eliminating, use a word or phrase
like "go potty," for example, that you can eventually use before he
eliminates to remind him of what he’s supposed to be doing.
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Feeding your dog on a set schedule, once or twice
a day, will help make his elimination more regular.
Supervise, Supervise, Supervise
Don’t give your dog an opportunity to soil in the house. He should
be watched at all times when he’s indoors. You can tether him to you with
a six-foot leash, or use baby gates, to keep him in the room where you
are. Watch for signs that he needs to eliminate, like sniffing around
or circling. If you see these signs, immediately take him outside, on
a leash, to his bathroom spot. If he eliminates, praise him lavishly and
reward him with a treat.
Confinement
When you’re unable to watch your dog at all times, he should be confined
to an area small enough that he won’t want to eliminate there. It should
be just big enough for him to comfortably stand, lie down and turn around
in. This could be a portion of a bathroom or laundry room blocked off
with boxes or baby gates. Or you may want to crate train your dog and
use the crate to confine him (see our handout: "Crate Training Your Dog").
If he has spent several hours in confinement, when you let him out, take
him directly to his bathroom spot and praise him when he eliminates.
Oops!
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Most dogs, at some point, will have an accident in
the house. You should expect this, as it’s a normal part of your dog’s
adjustment to his new home.
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If you catch your dog in the act of eliminating in
the house, do something to interrupt him like making a startling noise
(don’t scare him). Immediately take him to his bathroom spot, praise
him, and give him a treat if he finishes eliminating there.
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Don’t punish your dog for eliminating in the house.
If you find a soiled area, it’s too late to administer a correction.
Do nothing but clean it up. Rubbing your dog's nose in it, taking
him to the spot and scolding him, or any other type of punishment,
will only make him afraid of you or afraid to eliminate in your presence.
Animals don’t understand punishment after the fact, even if it’s only
seconds later. Punishment will do more harm than good.
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Cleaning the soiled area is very important because
dogs are highly motivated to continue soiling in areas that smell
like urine or feces (see our handout: "Successful Cleaning to
Remove Pet Odors and Stains").
Other Types Of House-Soiling Problems
If you’ve consistently followed the housetraining procedures and your
dog continues to eliminate in the house, there may be another reason for
his behavior.
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Medical Problems: House soiling can often be
caused by physical problems such as a urinary tract infection or a
parasite infection. Check with your veterinarian to rule out any possibility
of disease or illness.
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Submissive/Excitement Urination: Some dogs,
especially young ones, temporarily lose control of their bladders
when they become excited or feel threatened. This usually occurs during
greetings, intense play or when they’re about to be punished (see
our handout: "Submissive and Excitement Urination").
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Territorial Urine-Marking: Dogs sometimes deposit
urine or feces, usually in small amounts, to scent-mark their territory.
Both male and female dogs do this, and it most often occurs when they
believe their territory has been invaded (see our handout: ‘Territorial Marking Behavior in Dogs and Cats").
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Separation Anxiety: Dogs that become anxious
when they’re left alone may house soil as a result. Usually, there
are other symptoms, such as destructive behavior or vocalization (see
our handout: "Separation Anxiety").
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Fears Or Phobias: When animals become frightened,
they may lose control of their bladder and/or bowels. If your dog
is afraid of loud noises, such as thunderstorms or fireworks, he may
house soil when he’s exposed to these sounds (see our handout: "Helping Your Dog Overcome the Fear of Thunder and Other
Startling Noises").
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