Instructions
Release your dog outside to relieve itself shortly after meals. If it urinates or defecates outside, praise it and pet it on the head. You can also give it a treat.
Restrict your dog's access to water while training it. This should only last a few weeks at most, and you should use your judgment. Your dog should always have unlimited access to fresh water in hot weather or if it's ill. After you give the dog water, let it drink as much as it wants to and then let it outside to urinate, just as you do with food.
Clean up messes your dog makes in the house calmly and quietly. Don't yell at your dog or punish it in any way. This won't help, and it could reinforce the behavior. Don't say anything. Just ignore it and clean up the mess.
Supervise your dog as much as possible when you're home. Watch it closely for signs, such as sniffing the ground or circling an area, that show that it might be getting ready to urinate or defecate. Take it outside as soon as you notice a sign. Don't forget to praise and reward it when it goes where it's supposed to: outside.
Avoid bringing your dog back inside as soon as it relieves itself. This will teach it that it can no longer have fun outside after it relieves itself. You want your dog to have a positive association with urinating and defecating outside.
How to Potty Train Stubborn Adult Dogs
Ideally, your dog would have been potty trained when it was a puppy. But this isn't always the case. Your adult dog may not understand that urinating and defecating should be done outside in the grass, not inside on your carpet and hardwood floors. Even worse, some adult dogs can be stubborn about learning. If this is an issue in your household, it can be stressful, and you should take steps to properly potty train your dog as soon as possible.