01/15/2026
One of the amazing trainers here at Grayt Adventures with words of wisdom. Check out their class schedule too! ⭐️
Struggling with potty training? Check out our free guide below. This method works whether your dog is 8 weeks or 8 years old!
Take The Dog Outside Frequently
Young puppies and dogs that are being re-trained should be taken outside every 30 minutes
to start. If you find that they’re not going that frequently, and also not having accidents
inside, you can start to increase the time between bathroom breaks in 15 minute increments. You should seek to have 3 accident-free days in a row before increasing the
time.
When You Take The Dog Outside
This is where people get a lot of the house training wrong. Take the dog out on leash (yes, even if you have a fenced in yard). Stand there with them in that one spot every time. Do not allow them to wander around the entire yard. When they keep finding new smells they
forget about what they’re actually outside to do.
When they start to go, you can praise and/or add your potty command (see below). Reward
the dog outside – not inside. Rewarding inside in the early stages creates a dog that doesn’t
entirely eliminate and then wants to race inside for their treat. Another option, after they have gone to the bathroom, is to allow them to sniff and wander around the yard (on leash or off, depending on your situation).
If the dog does not go outside, and you know they should’ve by now, bring them back in the house and put them in a crate for 5-10 minutes. This is not punishment – we are just managing the dog to prevent accidents inside. Bring them back out after that 5-10 minutes and repeat the above process again by taking them out on leash. When they finally go
outside, they can come back in and roam “freely” (within the confines of your management plan) until the next potty break.
Manage
Managing the dog is a huge part of the house training puzzle. Management options include:
- Crates
- Gates
- Shutting doors
- Playpens
- Leashes
All to be used to limit the dogs access to your house. Many dogs like to sneak off and go
where you can’t see them. If you can’t catch them in the act, you will continue to struggle with house training. As the dog progresses in its house training you can slowly re-introduce various areas of the house.
Don’t Correct – Interrupt
It’s vitally important to never correct the dog for going inside. Corrections more often than
not get misinterpreted by the dog as “Oh, I shouldn’t go to the bathroom in front of you”. Which then creates a dog who sneaks off to go behind the couch or in a back bedroom instead.
Instead of correcting, interrupt the behavior. A loud noise (like a hand clap), picking the dog up, or even just being led by the collar will usually get them to stop going to the bathroom. After the interruption, make sure not to address the dog in an aggressive/angry manner, but rather as you would a friend who just didn’t know they should have taken their shoes off at the front door. Then get the dog outside to finish going to the bathroom. Praise as normal –
as if they had went outside in the first place.
Adding A Potty Command
Yes, you can train your dog to eliminate on command. You first need to “Pavlov” it for at least a week straight. When the dog is already going to the bathroom, repeat the command you’d like to use. Give a pause in between each command so that your dog can recognize that you’re repeating a single word, not just blabbering on with a big string of words. You
can use one command for everything or have one for each function.
After the “Pavlov” period, you can begin to use the command to prompt the dog to go. Use
it in opportune times first – when you know the dog is about to go anyways. Praise as normal from before. After at least 7 days of that phase, you can use it freely any time you take the dog out.
Cleaning Accidents Thoroughly
Cleaning accidents thoroughly is incredibly important. Lingering smells of urine or f***l matter will draw the dog back to that same area time and time again. Cleaning with an enzyme cleaner is one of the best ways to eliminate tough odors. OdoBan is my personal
favorite, but Top Performance 256 and KOE brand cleaners also work well. Always soak/wipe up as much as you can before going in with any of these cleaners. Saturate the
area with the cleaner and repeat with soaking up as much of the liquid as possible. I do the
same process one more time before calling it “good”.
Carpets and upholstery should also be deep cleaned, especially if you are attempting to re-train an adult dog. Month, and even year, old smells can still throw a wrench in even the best house training plans.
Still Struggling?
If you’re still struggling to house train your dog, ask your vet to double check and ensure
there’s nothing medical going on. Diapers and belly bands can also be a great solution or even a good management option for owners that are really struggling.
