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Having a solid daily routine may help your dog to stop eliminating inside the house. Make sure that you feed your dog at the same times every day and take your dog outside at the same times every day. Your dog should be allowed to go outside to eliminate at least four times per day. If your dog's feeding and outside times have become erratic, decide on a schedule that will work for you and stick to it. A sample schedule for feeding and taking your dog out might be something like: 6:00am: let Fido outside 7:00am: feed Fido breakfast 7:30am: let Fido outside 12:00pm: let Fido outside 5:00pm: take Fido for a walk 7:00pm: feed Fido dinner 7:30pm: let Fido outside In addition to keeping a steady routine for taking your dog outside, taking him to the same spot every time may also help you to housebreak your dog. Use an encouraging phrase such as "go potty" to let your dog know what you want him to do when you get to that spot. The repetition of going to the same place and hearing the same words will help your dog understand what you want from him. Remember to offer your dog lots of praise after he goes to the bathroom outside. Watching your dog for signs that he might be about to urinate or defecate in the house can help you to housebreak him. If your dog is prone to eliminating inside the house, find a way to keep him in your sight at all times. Monitoring your dog's whereabouts will help you to prevent him from eliminating inside the house. Try keeping your dog on a six foot long leash that is attached to you. This will prevent him from going off to another room to eliminate and it will also help you to observe his behavior and determine when he needs to go. If you cannot keep an eye on your dog during the day, you can use a crate or baby gate to confine your dog to a small area for short periods of time (less than 4 hours). As soon as you notice that your dog is getting ready to urinate or defecate, get his attention by clapping your hands together loudly. Do not yell at your dog or use physical punishment to change his behavior. Just clap your hands to get his attention and then lead or carry him outside right away. Be kind and encouraging to your dog as you lead him outside. If you yell or act like you are angry with him, he may begin to associate going outside with punishment. The smell of a prior mess can prompt your dog to want to eliminate in the same place again. The best way to prevent your dog from soiling an area again is to clean up his messes right away by using an enzymatic cleaner made especially for cleaning up pet messes. Don't yell or punish your dog for going inside the house. It will not do anything to discourage him and it may even lead to more accidents by increasing his fear and anxiety. Positive reinforcement is the best way to teach your dog a new behavior. Make sure that you reward your dog with lots of praise after he urinates or defecates outside. You can also reward your dog for eliminating outside by giving him treats, playtime, or a walk. To make sure that your dog does not have to hold it for long periods of time, ask a friend or neighbor to come by and take your dog out for you if you will be gone for a long period of time. Forcing your dog to stay in the house for several hours will lead to eliminating inside the house because he will not be able to hold it for that long. If you don't know anyone who is willing or able to take your dog out for you during long periods away, consider hiring a pet sitter to stop by.
Develop a good daily routine. Encourage your dog to use the same spot every time you take him outside. Monitor your dog at all times. Stop your dog from eliminating inside the house by clapping. Clean up messes as soon as they happen. Praise your dog when he eliminates outside. Ask a neighbor or friend to take your dog outside when you will be gone for long periods.