How to Train Dogs to Pee Outside

If you're house training your dog, it's more important to teach it where you want it to "potty" than where not to go. So, if you want to teach your dog to pee outside, focus on that, not on getting the dog to stop going inside. This means you'll be taking your dog out often in the first few weeks, giving it every opportunity to go where you want and to learn that this is what you expect.

Things You'll Need

  • Leash
  • Treats
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Instructions

    • 1

      Establish a schedule for your dog. You want the dog to know when it can expect a "potty" break. These should occur every two to three hours in the beginning, with the exception of a six- to eight-hour stretch at night. You should plan to take the dog out first thing in the morning, after each meal, after naps and just before bed.

    • 2

      Use one word consistently, such as "potty" or "outside," so the dog will learn that this word means it's time for a "potty" break.

    • 3

      Put the leash on the dog and accompany it outside. Use the same door each time and take the dog to the same "potty" location each time. It's important that you go with the dog so that you are present to immediately give it praise and treats when it does its business outside.

    • 4

      Stay with the dog until it goes to the bathroom; this may take 30 minutes or more in the beginning. The dog has to learn why it is being taken outside.

    • 5

      Praise the dog lavishly as soon as it has finished. Give the dog its favorite treat as you continue to tell it what a good dog it is. However, don't begin to praise it until it has finished. You don't want to distract the dog and have it stop before it is finished.