How Do I House Train My Pet Dog?

Having a new dog is an exciting time. One of the steps to getting the dog acclimated to its new home is to house train him. Whether your dog is a puppy or fully grown, you can take the same steps to keep the dog from going to the bathroom indoors. Simple steps that recondition the dog and use praise to encourage him to go outside will house train him effectively.

Things You'll Need

  • Newspapers or plastic sheeting
  • Dog gates
  • Dog treats
  • Enzyme cleaner
  • Dog crate
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Instructions

    • 1

      Limit the dog's indoor movements to one room until he is house trained. This will prevent him from getting into the habit of eliminating sneakily when you're not looking. Lay down newspapers or sheet plastic in the room where the dog is to protect your carpets. Put up doggy gates in the doors to keep him in the room, but not isolated.

    • 2

      Put the dog on a leash first thing in the morning and take him outside for a 15 to 30 minute walk. If the dog uses the bathroom outside, immediately give him a treat. If he doesn't use the bathroom, go back inside and put him back in his room. Wait half an hour, then repeat the process. Repeat this again in the early evening after the dog eats.

    • 3

      Thoroughly clean any messes the dog makes inside to prevent him from associating that spot with using the bathroom. Use an enzyme cleaner, available from your local pet store, to neutralize the odor. Do not scold the dog for having an accident because that can increase his anxiety and cause future accidents.

    • 4

      Keep the dog in a crate overnight, when you're at work, or at any point when he is left alone for long periods of time. Dogs will associate the crate with a den, and will not use the bathroom in it. As soon as you let the dog out of the crate, take him outside on a short bathroom walk so he doesn't have an accident in the house from excitement.