Housetraining Puppies & Dogs

Updated May 2026

Housetraining puppies and dogs takes time, consistency and patience. Dogs don’t instinctively know where to eliminate, this is a learned behavior that develops through routine, supervision and positive reinforcement. At American Humane Society, we encourage approaches grounded in consistency and care that help dogs build reliable habits over time.

If you’re dealing with accidents at home, you’re not alone. With the right structure and support, most dogs can learn what’s expected of them. Here are practical ways to help your dog succeed with housetraining:

1. Understanding Normal Dog Behavior

• Never rub a dog’s nose in urine or feces, or punish a dog for an accident. Punishment teaches fear, your dog will learn to hide when they need to go, making training harder.
• Going outside is not instinctive. Dogs naturally avoid soiling where they sleep, but everywhere else is fair game. Outdoor elimination is a learned behavior that requires patient, consistent training.
• Whether you have a puppy or a newly adopted adult dog, they will not automatically understand your home’s routine or know where the door is. That knowledge is yours to teach.

2. Get Started

• Recommended reading: Way to Go! How to Housetrain a Dog of Any Age by Karen London and Patricia McConnell
• Choose a special high value treat your puppy or dog will receive only after eliminating outside — never at other times. The exclusivity makes outdoor success feel like a jackpot. And be sure to also give them high praise and attention for good behavior.
  • Keep the treats handy (near the door) every single time you take the dog out.
  • Treats should be small (about the size of your pinky fingernail), and you will need at least three to five treats for each potty break.

3. Schedule Your Dog’s Feedings

• Always feed by schedule, rather than free feeding. Eating throughout the day means eliminating throughout the day — scheduled meals create predictable potty windows.
  • Your veterinarian can help you determine the appropriate amount of food your dog needs and the number of feedings per day.
  • Remove any uneaten food after 20 minutes.
  • Do not offer the dog more food until the next scheduled meal.
  • Stick to it! The dog should be eating on schedule within one to four meals.

4. Clean Up Messes Thoroughly

• Dogs are attracted back to spots where they’ve previously eliminated. Incomplete cleaning leaves scent that draws them to “refresh” the area.
• Standard household cleaners don’t eliminate pet urine odor. Use an enzymatic cleaner, such as Nature’s Miracle or Simple Solution — available at most pet supply stores or online. These products break down the odor-causing compounds rather than masking them.

Cleaning protocol:

• Saturate any dried spots with lukewarm water.
• Press paper towels firmly into the area until no more moisture transfers.
• Apply the enzymatic cleaner per product instructions and repeat three times.

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5. Use Chemical Attraction to Your Advantage

• Don’t discard indoor accidents, use them to teach your dog where to go outside.
  • Bring the waste or soiled paper towels to your designated outdoor potty area. Place solid waste directly on the ground; secure soiled material with a rock or stick.
  • These scent “triggers” can be removed once the dog reliably uses that area.
  • Leave the most recent outdoor deposit in place to encourage your dog to return to that spot.
  • After each new outdoor success, you can remove any previous deposits.
• Return inside immediately after outdoor potty time and clean any remaining indoor soiled areas per the protocol in Step 4.

6. Supervise Your Dog

• You must be present for everything that comes out of the dog, both to interrupt indoor accidents and to reward outdoor success. If you’re discovering messes after the fact, supervision needs to increase.
• Watch for pre-elimination signals: sniffing, squatting, circling, or tail held straight out. Take the dog outside immediately when you see any of these.
• If your dog begins to eliminate indoors:
  • Interrupt calmly with a clap and “Ah ah!” — never yell or frighten.
  • Get the dog outside as quickly as possible. Carry them when you can to prevent mid-transit accidents, and put the leash on as you head to the door.
  • Stay outside with the dog, simply letting them out and closing the door is not enough. Your presence is needed to deliver the reward.
• Once outside, guide the dog directly to the potty area:
  • Walk calmly back and forth in small circles.
  • Don’t play or talk to the dog until elimination occurs. Interaction is distracting and delays the process.
  • As the dog begins to eliminate, quietly say the cue word you plan to use (“go potty,” “get busy,” “do your business,” etc.).
  • The moment elimination is complete, praise warmly, deliver several treats quickly, and then play.
  • Now the dog gets to do whatever they enjoy — a walk, running back inside, free time.

7. Schedule Potty Breaks

• Take your dog out at regular, predictable intervals. Most puppies need to go immediately after waking up or after eating.
• Frequency depends on age, breed, and prior training, anywhere from every 10 minutes to once an hour.
  • Set a watch alarm or timer to remind you of potty breaks.
• Maintain your intervals until the dog succeeds consistently for several days before gradually extending the time between breaks.
• As reliability improves, slowly allow more freedom indoors.
• If accidents return, go back to more frequent breaks, increase supervision, and reduce indoor freedom until consistency returns.

8.  Schedule a Veterinary Exam

• If your dog suddenly begins having accidents, or if you’ve been unsuccessful at housetraining, contact a veterinarian or animal behaviorist right away. A medical condition may be the root cause — ruling it out first can resolve the problem entirely.
• Intact males may be marking rather than having accidents. Neutering can help significantly and also provides long-term health benefits.

Housetraining Troubleshooting

You take the dog out, but nothing happens.

• Be patient. If nothing happens after 10 minutes or so, come back in, keep the dog on leash and go back out 10 to 15 minutes later. Repeat as needed.

You take the dog out, but she runs around and plays.

• Keep her on a 6-foot leash.
• Remove all play triggers — toys, other pets, children.
• Ignore the dog completely: no talking, no eye contact, don’t point out poop. Dogs are easily distracted and love attention; any interaction during this time delays the task.
• Just walk quietly back and forth and wait.

You keep finding accidents.

• You are not supervising closely enough. The dog needs to be within your direct line of sight at all times — tethered to you, gated in your room, or crated.

The dog has accidents inside the crate.

• Check the crate size. If it’s too large, the dog can designate one end as a potty area. The crate should allow the dog to comfortably stand up, turn around, and lie down, nothing more.
• If the crate is correctly sized and accidents continue, consult a vet to rule out medical causes, then contact a trainer or behaviorist.
• If the dog was previously kept long-term in a cage where forced elimination was unavoidable, housetraining will be more challenging and professional guidance is strongly recommended.

Your dog cries in the crate in the middle of the night.

• Check your schedule log — it may simply be time for a bathroom break.
• If you’re unsure, take the dog outside quietly without any acknowledgment or play.
• If they eliminate, give brief, quiet praise. If not, return them to the crate and go back to bed.
• Make sure the dog has been adequately exercised before crating for the night.
• If you’re certain the dog is healthy, has been exercised, and doesn’t need to go, they may need to work through the discomfort on their own.
• If the dog seems to be panicking, digging, destroying bedding, etc., contact a behaviorist or trainer right away, as you may be dealing with separation anxiety.

You just can’t seem to keep an eye on the dog.

• Keep the dog tethered to you at all times, or gate them in the room with you.
• Restrict home access with gates and closed doors until training is reliable.
• If you genuinely cannot watch, crate the dog, but do not rely on the crate as a substitute for training. Dogs need daily exercise and social interaction to thrive.

Housetraining is a process, and progress may not always be linear. With consistency, patience and clear routines, most dogs can learn what’s expected of them over time. At American Humane Society, we encourage approaches rooted in care and positive reinforcement that build trust, strengthen the human-animal bond and set dogs up for long-term success in the home.

For additional information regarding puppies, read our latest article: What Every New Puppy Parent Should Know