Content

• Steps
• Part 1 of 3: Reasons Your Dog May Go to the Toilet at Home
• Part 2 of 3: Teaching your dog to be clean inside the walls of the house
• Part 3 of 3: Other Adult Dog Training Strategies
• Tips
• Warnings

If you decide to take an already adult dog to your home, it is likely that you will have to accustom him to cleanliness at home. Many adult dogs are prone to toilet problems due to life changes, while some may not be toilet trained at all. In both cases, training your dog not to cope with large and small needs at home will take a certain amount of time from you and will be quite difficult. However, you can successfully train your dog to cleanliness if you identify the root cause of the problem, begin to strictly follow the walking regimen, and do not skimp on positive reinforcement of the desired behavior. Check out the guidelines in this article to train your adult dog to go to the bathroom outside.

Steps

Part 1 of 3: Reasons Your Dog May Go to the Toilet at Home

1. 1 Be aware that there are many reasons why an adult dog might be able to relieve himself at home. Unlike puppies who just don't know how to ask to go outside when they need to go to the bathroom, adult dogs may have more complex reasons to relieve themselves at home. If you have recently taken an adult dog home with you, or are simply looking to retrain an adult pet, you will need to pay attention to considering the possible reasons the dog goes to the toilet at home. Taking the time to reflect on what is happening to your dog will help you choose the best strategy for your next action.
2. 2 Take your dog to a veterinarian to rule out health problems. Check with your veterinarian before training your dog. Some adult dogs may have problems with the toilet due to health problems. Your veterinarian can help you find out if your dog has any medical conditions that cause him to go to the toilet at home. Often dogs have problems with the toilet due to the following medical reasons:
   • changes in the dog's diet;
   • problems with the digestive system;
   • urinary tract infections;
   • kidney stones;
   • hormonal disorders after removal of the ovaries in bitches;
   • the use of medicines;
   • arthritis;
   • age-related cognitive impairment.
3. 3 Consider the recent big changes in your family. Some dogs have problems with the toilet due to the fact that one of their beloved family members has left home, or, on the contrary, someone new has appeared. Consider any recent reduction or addition to your family to see if this may be the primary source of your dog's problems.
   • Has one of your children left to study in another city? Have you recently got a new puppy? If your dog's cleanliness problems are related to recent changes, then it just takes time for the dog to get used to the new situation in your family.
   • Be patient and let your dog know that you still love and appreciate it, no matter what changes. Play with her, praise her, and provide toys and treats to make her feel safer.
4. 4 Find out if fear and anxiety might be causing the problem. Some dogs occasionally have the fear or anxiety associated with walking outside, which can cause them to go to the toilet at home. If your dog is reluctant to go out for a walk, he probably has experienced something that scares him.
   • Try to figure out why your dog doesn't want to go to the bathroom outside. For example, if a dog is afraid of the sound of cars passing by, he may not go to the toilet completely or not go to the toilet at all during walks.
5. 5 Determine the dog's preference for surfaces that are most suitable for the need. Some dogs may be reluctant to use the toilet outdoors due to their preference for specific surface types. Carpets, concrete and furniture are often preferred. Understanding your dog's preferences may be a necessary step to further retrain your dog to go to the toilet outside.
   • See where your dog goes to the toilet the most. Does she prefer carpets, tiles, a pile of dirty laundry, or something else? Do you have any idea why she prefers to walk outside in this particular place?
   • The animal's preferences may be related to the dog's past living conditions. For example, in the past few years, the dog may have lived in conditions of infrequent outdoor exercise, which is why it has become accustomed to going to the toilet on the carpet. Likewise, the lab dog may have developed a preference for peeing on concrete surfaces.

Part 2 of 3: Teaching your dog to be clean inside the walls of the house

1. 1 Develop a proper regimen for your dog. Having a consistent routine will help wean your dog to relieve the need for a home. Be sure to feed your pet at the same hours every day and take him out for a walk at the same time every day. The dog should be able to go to the toilet outside at least four times a day.If you've been randomly feeding and walking your dog before, work out a routine that's best for you and stick to it. Below is a possible example of a feeding and walking schedule for your dog:
   • 6:00 - walk;
   • 7:00 - morning feeding;
   • 7:30 am - walk;
   • 12:00 - walk;
   • 17:00 - walk;
   • 19:00 - evening feeding;
   • 19:30 - walk.
2. 2 Encourage your dog to go to the toilet in one place all the time for walks. In addition to a strict walking schedule, using the same toilet space will help you train your dog to be clean. When bringing your dog to this area, use an additional encouraging phrase (for example, "to the toilet") so that the dog understands what you want from him. Re-visiting the same litter box and using the same stimulating phrases will help your dog understand what is required of him.
   • Remember to give your dog generous praise when he goes to the bathroom outside.
3. 3 Monitor your dog at all times. Paying early attention to signs that your dog wants to use the toilet will help you train him to cleanliness. If your dog tends to go to the toilet at home, find a way to keep him supervised at all times. Careful supervision of the dog simply will not allow it to pee at home.
   • Try to keep your dog close to you on a 6-foot leash. This will prevent him from leaving your room to go to the bathroom. Also, a leash will make it easier for you to watch your dog and pay attention to any signs that he needs to go to the toilet.
   • If you are unable to watch the dog during the day, you can use a cage or child safety gate to lock the dog in a confined space for a short time (less than 4 hours).
4. 4 Once the dog is caught in an undesirable action, stop it with loud claps of your hands. When you see your dog about to urinate or defecate, grab his attention with loud claps of your hands. Do not yell at your pet or use physical punishment to change its behavior. Just clap your hands to get the animal's attention and get the dog outside immediately.
   • Be kind and reassure your dog as you lead him outside. Screaming and otherwise showing anger can create an unwanted association between walking and punishment in your dog.
5. 5 Clean up oversights immediately after the dog. The odor from past missteps can encourage your dog to re-use the toilet in the same area. To avoid repeated oversights, you should immediately wash the stained area with an enzymatic cleaner specifically designed for cleaning animals.
   • Do not swear or yell at your dog for going to the toilet at home. This will not help wean her from such behavior and may even lead to an increase in the frequency of such cases due to increased fear and anxiety.
6. 6 Praise your dog for going to the bathroom outside. Applying positive reinforcement is the best way to train your dog to new behavior. Be sure to reward your dog generously after urinating or defecating outside. Also, the dog for keeping cleanliness can be encouraged with treats, games and walks.
7. 7 Ask a neighbor or friend to walk your dog if you will be away for a long time. So that the dog does not have to endure for a long time, ask a friend or neighbor to come and walk it when you will be away for a long time. If the dog will sit at home for several hours, then he may go to the toilet there simply because he can no longer physically endure and wait for a walk.
   • If you have no one to ask to look after the dog and walk it when you are away, consider hiring a dedicated person to take care of it.

Part 3 of 3: Other Adult Dog Training Strategies

1. 1 Follow your veterinarian's directions for treating any medical condition in your dog. If your veterinarian detects a medical condition or other problem in your dog, be sure to follow the veterinarian's recommendations. If toilet training problems are related to the dog's health condition, they will not go away until the dog recovers. Contact your veterinarian immediately if your dog's condition worsens or does not improve despite treatment.
2. 2 Train your dog to pee on the grass. A dog can be weaned from relieving at home by gradually training it to go to the toilet on a type of surface such as grass. For example, if your dog prefers to urinate on the carpet, place a piece of carpet or a small rug in your yard. Allow your dog to use it as a toilet, but add a handful of herbs to it daily. When the rug is completely covered with grass and the dog continues to use it, remove it from under the grass. The pet will already have to get used to the grassy surface and calmly continue to go to the toilet on the grass.
3. 3 Relieve your dog's fear and anxiety associated with walking. Simple changes in your dog's daily routine or environment can ease some of your pet's fears and anxieties. Once you figure out what exactly the dog is afraid of, you can take steps to eliminate or reduce the influence of these negative factors. For example, if your dog is afraid of the sound of cars passing by, try taking a more relaxed route for walking with him or taking him out for a walk during times of the day when traffic is less busy.
4. 4 Consider purchasing cold or wet weather gear for your dog. Some dogs just don't like walking in bad weather. For your part, you can make your pet's walks more bearable by purchasing the right weather gear. For example, if your dog doesn’t enjoy pawing in the snow, consider purchasing boots for your dog to put on before walking. If your dog doesn't like getting wet, consider using a raincoat for rainy days.
5. 5 Consider seeking help from an experienced dog training instructor. Some dogs can have a variety of reasons for having difficulty toilet training or suddenly behaving uncleanly within the walls of a house after years of successful outdoor activities. If your dog is unresponsive to your efforts to train him to cleanliness and does not have any health problems, it is prudent to consider the services of an experienced dog trainer to help you toilet train an adult dog.

Tips

• When your dog has shown successful steps in cleanliness training, give a treat along with the praise.
• Praising your dog for going to the bathroom on the street will provide positive reinforcement to help reinforce the desired behavior.
• Dogs don't like going to the toilet where they sleep. Therefore, limiting the space available to an adult dog will facilitate outdoor toilet training.
• Choose a specific spot for your dog's litter box in your backyard, and take your pet there every time you walk. This will help train your dog to cleanliness, since it will have a familiar place for the toilet.
• The most important thing in toilet training an adult dog is patience. To achieve this goal, you will need a certain amount of time and commitment to continue working with the dog.

Warnings

• When teaching an adult dog to cleanliness, never swear or shout at the animal. This will only scare the pet and reduce the chances of successful training.
• Never hit your dog while trying to toilet train it. She will just start to be afraid of you, but she will not learn anything.
• Do not send an adult dog outside unattended. This way you won't know if she went to the toilet there. The dog can only be given more freedom when it is already toilet trained.
• Do not call the dog to you to scold. After a while of this practice, she will stop coming to your call, as she will think that troubles will follow. This can become a serious problem if the dog runs away from you.
• Don't punish your dog for what he did some time ago. The device of her memory is somewhat different, and if the dog is not scolded immediately after an oversight, she will not understand why she is being scolded. So she will just start to be afraid of you.
• Do not poke your dog into puddles with his nose if he goes to the toilet at home. Despite the fact that this method is used by many, it only generates fear in the dog.