Train Your Dog to Stop Peeing Indoors: Proven Techniques for a Clean Home

Table of Contents

• 1 Why does my dog have accidents?
• 2 Methods for teaching your dog to be clean
• 3 Additional tips
• 4 Frequent problems
• 5 My dog is hiding to defecate.
• 6 My dog had an accident when I just took him out.
• 7 My dog is struggling to defecate on certain surfaces
• 8 My dog doesn’t defecate when it’s raining.
• 9 Traps to avoid

Cleanliness of my dog: how to teach my puppy to be clean?

The cleanliness of the puppy is one of the first educational lessons to be given to his four-legged companion. And for a good reason, nothing is more disturbing than a dog urinating in the house.

Yet this stage of learning can be extremely frustrating for the teacher. We all hope to find the miracle solution that will allow us to deal with accidents as quickly as possible.

Well, we are sorry to inform you that no expeditious method exists to date. Like with a child, toilet training takes time! And if some dogs find it more difficult to master the exercise, you’ll be happy to know that they all do. So take your troubles patiently and follow our advice.

Why does my dog have accidents?

It’s important to remember that dogs are relatively clean animals. They do not tend to do their need where they live and where they lie down. Please take advantage of this instinct to teach the puppy the right gestures from its first weeks in your home.

As the dog does not read your thoughts, it will be impossible for him to relieve himself in the place you have designated for this purpose.

Therefore, your role is to make him understand that you want him to defecate at a specific point outside. Therefore, we must consider the accidents of this new member of your household as a completely natural misunderstanding on his part. Nothing more.

However, it happens that after completing their training, some dogs resume urinating indoors. Two different factors can explain it:

Physiological causes: a dog who pees in the house may have a urinary tract infection. Then he can’t hold back. This is why it is always essential to see a veterinarian if a dog is suddenly urinating in the house.

Behavioral causes: very often, the dog’s behavior is the cause of pee in the house. Your dog may be too fearful of going out to defecate or so attached to you that he is stressed every time you leave.

If the problem with peeing in the house persists, you may need a professional: a veterinarian or a canine behaviorist.

Good to know: Small dogs (e.g. Chihuahua or Shih Tzu ) have more difficulty restraining themselves than larger breeds. Be vigilant because their accidents are less visible.

Methods for teaching your dog to be clean

First and foremost, it is important to have the right tools:

• A collar and a leash,
• A watch,
• Sweets,
• A notepad,
• A cage or a cleaning mat,
• Cleaning products are specially designed to overcome odors left by your dog.

The proposed method takes place in 4 stages and is based on an in-depth observation on your part. If possible, arrange to adopt your dog during a period off or on vacation to better facilitate his potty training success. 

Step 1: Teach your dog to identify his “toilet area.”

Before this new family member arrives, be sure to prepare a designated place for your puppy’s needs. If possible, the “washroom” should be outside and protected from the elements. This area should not be devoted to anything other than this purpose.

As soon as your dog does these needs in this space, congratulate him warmly and reward him with a treat. Do not forget to mark the behavior by pronouncing a command so that the dog can associate the gesture with the command (e.g., “Pee”, “Toilet”, “Do your needs”). 

Step 2: Supervise it constantly.

Never leave your dog alone unattended. Please attach it to you via a leash so it can follow you around your home. It will allow you to know the habits of your puppy and, at the same time, be able to better prevent slippage: all dogs send signals before defecating.

For example, they may appear more restless than usual, sniffing the ground or heading to a place they have soiled before. Knowing how to identify these behaviors will help you anticipate accidents and keep your dog a clean animal.

It will be impossible for you to monitor it 24 hours a day. When you are away, two tips are recommended according to your preference:

• Obtain an indoor cage or doghouse. Based on the observation that a dog never dirties its living space, the use of this tool will push your companion to control himself longer. Of course, this tip implies that you will not be away for more than 3 hours. Otherwise, you will quickly put the animal in a situation of failure.
• If the use of the crate bothers you, it is possible to limit the dog’s access to one room and give him access to a cleaning mat inside your home. This tip is especially recommended for those living in housing without direct access to green space and for owners who have dogs having difficulty restraining themselves. The disadvantage of this technique is that it lengthens the learning to the toilet because it will then be necessary to teach him to relieve himself only outside.

Good to know: the dog must not associate the cage with a punishment. Make think of it as a shelter by bringing in toys or treats.

Step 3: Be aware of your dog’s pace.

While some advocate is taking the puppy out every hour at first, the truth is that every puppy is unique. Instead, we recommend that you bring a notepad and write down the time of day when it is needed for a whole week. At the end of these few days of observation, you should have a model on which to base your future planning of the outings. In general, it is recommended to take the puppy out at certain strategic times:

• As soon as he wakes up,
• After each meal,
• After each game session,
• And if possible, two or three times a night since the puppy still has trouble holding back.

Step 4: Create a routine

Now that you have access to a more or less detailed schedule of the frequency of your dog’s hygienic needs, it is time to establish a routine based on the data collected. Take it out several times a day at specific times and reward him when he relieves himself at the designated place. Over time, the dog will learn to control himself and naturally relieve himself at the desired times.

Good to know: Using a command while he toilet will help the dog understand what you want to ask him. It will no longer be necessary to wait in the long term: pronouncing the order will prompt the dog to automatically relieve himself.

Additional tips

• In the event of an accident, could you not yell at him? Say a firm “No” and bring it back to the designated location. If it did it while you were away, scolding or punishing him would be pointless! Your poor puppy won’t understand the reason for your frustration at all.
• Ensure to properly clean the droppings from your hairball with effective products suitable for dogs and not bleach. If you leave traces of its accidents, the dog might return to the same place to relieve himself.
• At first, don’t be afraid to abuse rewards to make the dog understand when you approve of his behaviour.

Frequent problems

My dog pees at night: what to do?

Sometimes, a dog only pees in the house at certain times, for example, during the night.

In this case, your puppy may not be able to hold back all night! If it’s still a puppy, don’t worry. It takes a few weeks for a dog’s bladder to develop enough to hold for several hours.

If not, consult a veterinarian. Your dog may have cystitis.

Either way, always remember to walk your dog morning and night, so you can be sure he has time to defecate before you go to bed and when you get up. If your dog knows it will walk him in the morning, he will try harder to restrain himself.

My dog is hiding to defecate.

Some dogs tend to hide to relieve themselves, leave little surprises in hidden places (e.g. behind the sofa), or even eat their excrement. This behavioral disorder is often linked to trauma or a negative association due to overly firm or punitive toilet training. It happens especially to the most sensitive dogs who, believing they are doing something stupid, try to hide all traces of their droppings. 

To overcome this problem, you have to review toilet training and be sure to use fun and positive methods :

• Take him out very often and praise him when he goes outside.
• Always be in the same room as them when you are at home.
• If possible, move furniture to prevent him from hiding his accidents.
• Do not raise your voice, and never use violence!  

My dog had an accident when I just took him out.

Sometimes your hairball will crash indoors despite you just taking it out. Check with your vet first to make sure the reason is not medical. In the best case, this behavior is quite simply due to a bladder not being completely emptied!

During the next hygienic outings, even if you think your dog has finished defecating, wait a little longer, especially if he drank too much during the day. Another piece of advice would be not to distract him until he is completely done with his little business: congratulations and rewards during the act can stop him in his tracks.

My dog is struggling to defecate on certain surfaces

Like children who struggle to transition from the potty to the toilet, our doggies also have their preferences. Some dogs have been used to relieve themselves on a specific surface (e.g., newspaper, educational mat, etc.) and refuse to relieve themselves elsewhere. This behavior is generally observed in dogs from pet stores.

Here, the goal is to decondition your companion by making the chosen surface more attractive:

• If your dog only urinates and poops on a mat or newspaper, gradually move the object to the desired location (e.g. in the grass outside).
• Stop giving him a treat or praising him when he defecates in his old spot. Reward him only when he relieves himself in the right place.
• Thoroughly clean his old “toilet area” with suitable products. He should be confused by not smelling it anymore. 

My dog doesn’t defecate when it’s raining.

Who can blame him? A dog who is not familiar with the rain may be afraid of it or not feel comfortable outdoors when it is raining. It can quickly become problematic for hygienic exits. To prevent this problem, you can:

• Get your puppy used to doing water-related activities and being wet from an early age (e.g. swimming pool, playing with the automatic watering can, etc.).
• Condition him to love the rain by taking him for a walk and playing with him during downpours.

Traps to avoid

It cannot be said enough: the worst mistake to make when a dog urinates in the house is punishment! Unless you get caught with your hand in the bag, your pet will never understand why you are yelling at them. And putting the truffle in his feces will make the situation even more confusing! If you pee in the house, isolate your dog when cleaning up any oversights. And always remember to congratulate him when he defecates outside.

It should avoid other errors: 

• Avoid teaching your dog to pee on a newspaper. It is a bad habit because a dog will always have difficulty understanding the difference between newspaper and carpet. It is, therefore, more effective to directly teach to urinate outdoors, even if it will involve some tasks at the beginning of your education.
• Many teachers make the mistake of associating human emotions with accidents. No, the dog does not defecate indoors for revenge or to punish you. Your puppy is learning and will need some time to get completely clean. Be indulgent.
• Never leave it up to your dog to choose his “toilet area”. From the start, choose a specific location. It will give your four-legged friend a spot and make it easy for you to find his droppings.
• It is important to choose the right products to clean your dog’s dirt. Products containing bleach, for example, may increase odors.