Sure, we all love our dogs. The indoor poop and the pee spots are unfortunate incidents that happen to come with the package. Wouldn’t it be great though to not have to deal with cleaning up his mess anymore? With your patience and these tips on potty training dogs, it can be done.

Hearing the obligatory chores in house training dogs is enough to make the best of us cringe. Some don’t even bother to make an effort. As a result, many dogs have never learned the basics on toilet training. It may be easier to teach puppies good habits, but adult dogs can still learn to do their business outside properly.

If you plan to teach your dog to not do something anymore, good luck. You won’t encounter much success. Instead, you should unseat the wrong behavior in his daily activities by substituting it with a new pattern. In this case, its learning to go outside for eliminating.

Choose an area for this specific purpose. Around ten to fifteen minutes after meal times, go out and walk him around the designated spot. As you walk back and forth around the spot, clearly speak out a phrase that relates to this particular activity like, ‘go potty’. Say it repeatedly until he finally ‘goes potty’. Praise him enthusiastically right after to let him know he’s done a good job. Do this for a few weeks, always using the same toilet area. Remember house training dogs require consistency in the patterns you set.

When accidents do happen in the midst of your training plan, don’t throw in the towel just yet. Potty training sometimes takes a while. If you see the poop but not the dog, do not look for the culprit and start yelling. He will not understand why you are getting mad. If you catch him in the middle of the crime, startle him and bring him quickly outside to finish. Reward him with a treat and praises right after. Be extra attentive to your pet post meal to avoid future accidents.

When it happens, immediately clean up the accidents as thoroughly as possible. A deodorizing solution should be applied to remove any residual smell the poop might leave behind. Dogs will sniff out the area and use it again for the same purposes. Keep their cages as small as comfortably possible to aid in potty training dogs. Animals do not relish sleeping in the toilet area so they will restrain eliminating until you can get them outside.

Don’t feed and water the animal two hours before bedtime so there will be no nocturnal disturbances for you and your dog. Take him out to do his thing early in the morning or after he wakes up from his nap. When you have successfully taught him how to eliminate outside, see that there is an easy access for him to go out. A swinging dog door near his cage or leaving the back door open is a good encouragement to maintain his preference for outdoor toilet activities.

Potty training dogs should be a priority in responsible dog ownership. It disciplines and mentally challenges your dog to do the right thing, and your home will thank you for it.