How to Break Bad Toileting Habits for Dogs

House-training your dog can be a long and arduous process that requires patience, consistency and perseverance. Bad habits can develop quickly if a dog has an accident in the house, then associates the location and/or scent of that area with relieving himself. If your dog is urinating or soiling in the house, and not in a designated doggy toilet, you must take measures to stop these bad habits as they will only worsen as time goes on. There are things you can do to stop this bad habit.

Things You'll Need

  • Crate
  • Treats
  • Odor neutralizer
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Instructions

    • 1

      Put your dog in a confined area when you are out of the house or aren't available to supervise; a crate is ideal. Make sure it has a comfortable bed to lie on, fresh water and some chew toys for entertainment. Dogs are unlikely to defecate in the area where they sleep. In addition, crating will prevent access to any previous spots your dog likes to relieve itself in.

    • 2

      Supervise your dog when it isn't in its crate to prevent accidents. Confine it to the room you are in and ensure that any areas that your dog has soiled in the past are off-limits to prevent further accidents.

    • 3

      Take your dog outside to a suitable area to relieve itself at regular intervals. Be consistent in this method as dogs respond well to routine. Take it once in the morning, just before bedtime, and after eating or playing. You will start to notice a pattern of when your dog needs to defecate and can eventually tailor trips outdoors to suit this. Praise it whenever it goes in the right place with positive language and a tasty treat. This will reinforce the good habit you are trying to create.

    • 4

      Punish your dog only if you catch it in the act. Say "no" firmly and make a loud noise to startle it. Your dog will begin to associate its bad habits with a negative consequence. Follow up by taking it outside immediately, and if it goes in the right place, praise it for correcting the mistake. If you do not catch it soiling, do not punish your dog because it will not understand why it is being scolded.

    • 5

      Clean up any accidents as soon as you find them with a good quality odor neutralizer. If you remove the scent from the area your dog has had an accident in, it is less likely to pick up the scent as a trigger to relieve itself there again.

    • 6

      Feed your dog where it has had accidents if it has a particular spot that it keeps returning to. Dogs learn at a young age from their mothers not to eat and go to the toilet in the same place, so this will help to reinforce the message that it is not an appropriate place to relieve itself.