Housebreaking FAQ
How to Solve Common House Training Problems

General Housebreaking Questions

When I was a kid, my parents hit our dog with a rolled up newspaper and rubbed his nose in his accidents to housebreak him. Should I be doing that?

How can I correct my dog for having accidents in the house if I can never catch him?

My dog has accidents in one spot in my house. What can I do?

Should I give my dog a treat for going potty outside?

How can I teach my dog to go potty in one area of my yard?

I thought dogs would bark or scratch at the door to let you know they need to go to the bathroom. Why doesn't my dog tell me that he needs to go outside?

My dog is mostly housebroken, but when I come home or when I correct him, he pees on the floor. Why does he do this?

If my dog has an accident, what should I use to clean it up?

Puppy Housebreaking Questions

How old does my puppy need to be before I can start housebreaking him?

My puppy can go all night without needing a potty trip, so he should be able to go 8-10 hours during the day without needing a potty trip, right?

How many times a day does my puppy need to be taken out to potty?

My 4-month old puppy is still waking up twice overnight to go out to potty. Will I ever get a good night's sleep?

I just got a new puppy. Should I paper-train him?

Can I leave my puppy in his crate all day while I'm at work?

My older dog is perfectly housebroken. Won't my puppy just learn to be housebroken by watching and following him?

Senior Dog Housebreaking Questions

My old dog has always been housebroken, so why has he started peeing in the house?

Why has my senior dog stopped using his dog door?

Why doesn't my senior dog want to go outside anymore?

I have an old dog and he's started peeing on his bed while he's asleep. Why is he doing that?

I just adopted an older dog. Is to too late for him to be housebroken?

Icky Questions
(everything you ever wanted to know about
housebreaking but were afraid to ask)

My dog is eating his poop! How can I get him to stop?

There are white things in my dog's poo that look like spaghetti... what are they?

There are white things in my dog's poo that look like grains of rice... what are they?

What do I do if my dog has diarrhea?

Help! What can I do about my dog's gas problem?

My dog's pee is leaving big brown spots in my grass... how can I fix this problem?

My dog gobbles down his food so fast, he throws it up after eating. What can I do to slow him down?

You say I should take stool and urine samples to the vet if my dog is having problems. How much do I need and how do I collect the samples?

Still Have Questions???

Visit our forum for answers to your specific housebreaking questions!