How Should I Potty Train My Rescue Dog?

Question:
I have just adopted a dog from the APS in Durham. She is about 1.5 y/o. When I first brought her home, she was great about taking care of her business outside and waiting until I returned from work. However, now she is defecating and urinating while I am away (and yesterday while I was home in the evening). I take her for walks every day to get her exercise at which time she will go outside; however, she still is relieving herself inside. How can I help her understand the difference?

A: Make sure you are using a set schedule for her to go outside and keep using positive reinforcement.

Our trainers recommend to keep working with her and positive reinforcement.  When she is outside and does her business, give her a treat (it doesn't have to be a high-fat treat like a beggin-strip, just a small piece of her kibble, or a small training treat).  She will learn that when she goes outside, she gets a treat. 

Are you using a crate when you are not home?  That is one other recommendation.  If she has the roam of the house when you are not home, she can very easily urinate and defecate in one room and lay down in another.  Talk to a dog trainer about the proper ways of crate training, so it is enjoyable for both of you, and it may help reduce the number of accidents in the house.  Over time, you may be able to leave her out of the crate, but I would start with one initially, until she gets the routine down.

Also, make sure she is on a set schedule.  Dogs do much better with their bathroom habits, when they are on a schedule.  Try to be consistent with the times you let her go out and take walks.

One final thought is to make sure she is not urinating more frequently on your walks.  If she is, you might want to see your veterinarian to make sure she doesn't have a urinary tract infection.  This can cause her to need to urinate more frequently.

~Dr. Page Wages

Oberlin Animal Hospital