How to Stop a Pet From Going to the Bathroom in the House

One of the greatest challenges for any pet owner is house training a new pet or, in some cases, an existing pet. Puppies and kittens are the most common offenders, though sometimes, due to stress or other outside influences, dogs and cats that previously practiced good bathroom habits can also begin eliminating inside the house. While cats and dogs require different house training approaches, you can treat both with straightforward routines that can help promote good bathroom behavior.

Things You'll Need

  • Litter box
  • Fresh litter
  • Water
  • Lemon juice or vinegar
  • Treats
  • Dog crate
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Instructions

  1. Cats

    • 1

      Clean the litter box daily to keep it as clean smelling as possible.

    • 2

      Replace the old litter with fresh litter regularly, and rinse the litter box with water and lemon juice or vinegar to remove urine smells.

    • 3

      Place at least one litter box per cat in the household, or more if you have a finicky cat.

    • 4

      Move the litter box away from areas where the cat eats or sleeps, and remove litter box hoods for squeamish or anxiety-ridden cats.

    • 5

      Call your cat into the litter box throughout the day, and praise him with attention once he is inside of it to help create a positive association with the litter box.

    • 6

      Take your cat to the vet to make sure she does not have a urinary tract infection that might cause her to urinate outside of the litter box.

    Dogs

    • 7

      Take your dog out to a designated outdoor bathroom spot that is close to your home at least three times a day.

    • 8

      Reward your dog with a treat or special affections after he uses the bathroom outside.

    • 9

      Repeat a command out loud to your dog when she uses the bathroom outdoors, such as, "Go potty," and eventually your dog will understand and obey the command when you give it to her.

    • 10

      Feed your dog at the same time every day so that his bathroom breaks will become part of a regular routine that is easy for him to adjust to.

    • 11

      Leave your unsupervised dog in a small room or dog crate until she is house trained to avoid developing bad house habits.