How to House Break an Older Dog
Your home and its smells, rooms, sounds, etc., are unfamiliar to a dog that hasn't lived there before. Even an adult dog will not know which doors lead outside. If you adopt an adult dog, it is best to assume it has not been housebroken and to start the process as you would with a young puppy. No matter their age, all dogs must eliminate waste when they wake up in the morning and after naps, within 30 minutes after eating and before they go to sleep at night. Ensure your adult dog is able to be outside during these critical times.
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Instructions
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Let the adult dog eliminate outside before you let it into your house. If the dog was not exercised on a leash before joining your family, it may not want to or be able to eliminate while on a leash. Plus, it will want to explore its new digs outside. Be patient and wait for the dog to go, then offer praise so it knows it was the right thing to do.
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Give your dog frequent access outside during its first few days in your home. In between the critical times mentioned above (when it wakes up, 30 minutes after eating and before bed at night), let your adult dog out every three to four hours.
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Go outside with your new dog every time to make sure it eliminates and to praise it for going. This way, it associates praise with going to the bathroom outside.
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Put your dog on an elimination schedule---let it out at roughly the same time every day. Dogs are creatures of habit, so this will speed up the training process.
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Confine your adult dog to a crate overnight and during the day for three- to four-hour periods when it is unsupervised. Dogs like to be clean and will not want to soil their "den." This will also quicken the housebreaking process.
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Tips & Warnings
Don't let your dog see you clean up a mess it has made inside. Dog moms clean up when their babies make messes, but you don't want your dog to think of you that way. Removing the smell from a mess is just as important as removing the stain. Dogs will return to places with odors to make more messes. They can't help it. Plain white vinegar does a great job neutralizing urine odor. Sprinkle some baking soda on a mess to help soak up the moisture and to help kill the odor.
