Housebreaking made easy

As with “channeling” for chewing, Housebreaking is a function of HABIT. If your new pet makes more than one mistake a week, the problem is with the supervisor, not the dog!

A dog will quickly form a HABIT of going outside if that’s the only option presented and it is presented every time there is a need. This means if she just ate, take her out. If she just awakened, take her out. If she just drank water, take her out. If she was just playing, take her out. If it’s been 1 hour since she was out,… well, you get the picture.

When you take her outside to relieve herself it is for that purpose only! No playing, going for walks etc. Use a word to associate with this such as, go make, potty etc. As soon as she is finished, give short praise and or a treat and take her straight back inside.



If after 10 minutes outside she doesn’t relieve herself, take her back in the house and keep her with you or confine her in her crate. Wait approximately 20 minutes and take her out to try again. Repeat this process until you are successful.

While some dogs housebreak more quickly than others, all can be housebroken following these procedures.

Additional tip: “Crating” your dog when you can’t supervise her is an excellent aid to your goals, but having a towel or blanket to sleep on often encourages a dog to urinate. The towel absorbs the urine and the dog can then push it to the back of the crate and be content. Obviously, this is not a habit you would wish to encourage.