You Can House Train An Adult Dog

It's a kind thing you've done, getting a dog from the shelter.  And it turns out she's a great dog; good with the kids and very friendly.  But there is one thing... she's not 100 percent house trained.  You might have thought all adult dogs were housebroken, but that's not always the case.  So the job falls on you, and it doesn't have to be hard if you take some time when you bring her home to train her correctly.

When you first get her home, take her directly outside and tell her to go "potty", or whatever command word you choose for this.  She probably needs to relieve herself after the car ride, so this is the perfect time to start her training.  Wait patiently and don't play with her until she has taken care of business.  Give her lots of praise after she goes.

As with a puppy, don't allow big blocks of time to go by with her inside.  Break it up with trips outside.  Adult dogs can hold it longer than puppies so she might not have to go every time you take her out, but do it anyway to give her every chance for success.  The more chances she has to go outside and have you praise her, the sooner she will understand what's expected of her.

Go outside with her so that when you see her relieving herself you can congratulate her on going "potty" and you can show her your approval.  Plus, you need to go outside with her or you won't know if she did her business or not.

Study your new dog and learn to anticipate the clues she gives off when she has to go.  If she starts sniffing the carpet and pacing back and forth, she may be looking for just the right spot to urinate.  Be ready to act quickly and clap your hands loudly to distract her.  Get her outside as soon as you can and tell her to go "potty". 

If you come across an old accident in the house, don't make a fuss.  Your dog may have learned previously to go secretly because going to the bathroom meant getting yelled at.  With training, it's better to give attention to positive behaviors than negative behaviors.

Your new dog needs some unconditional love when she joins a new family. Give her every chance for success by taking her out often and heaping on the praise when she does the right thing.  By going back to square one, you can house train an adult dog.