If you recently acquired an adult dog, there is a possibility that it was never housebroken. The benefit of housebreaking an adult dog versus a puppy is that it is physically mature enough to "hold it" for several hours. Of course the down side is that the dog may had to relieve itself where it was confined. Dogs that came from a puppy mill or other cramped environment may require extra patience as they have become accustomed to relieving themselves in the place where they sleep and eat. The good news is that dogs would much prefer to not live this way. The steps to housebreaking an adult dog rely on setting a routine/schedule.
Determine a place outside that you want your dog to use. You may wish to have a little pile of sand off to the side.
Make a schedule of potty times so you can check it off that the dog was taken out at that time, and mark it yellow if the dog relieved himself. Use another color if he defecated. Here is a sample schedule that I recently used with a new adult dog: 7am upon awakening; 7:45am after breakfast; noon; 3 to 4 pm; 5:30pm after dinner; 7:30-8pm; and once more before bed. Marking on your chart will help you determine when your dog urinates and defecates. Most of my adult dogs defecate twice per day.
Take the dog outside to the specific spot on leash. This allows you to keep the dog in the appropriate place and focused on the task at hand. I use the words "Go potty". Allow yourself enough time for the dog to complete his business.
Be sure to have a couple of small dog biscuits or treats with you so you can reward the dog on the spot.
If your dog will primarily be an indoor dog, keep an eye on him while loose in the house. If he has just finished playing or walks away to go sniff, immediately interrupt with a firm word nope or wait or outside- whichever you can remember to use consistently, and rush him outdoors.
If my dog is going to be an indoor/outdoor dog with access to the fenced backyard, I still start out the same so he gets the idea of the proper place to relieve himself. For my new adult dog, he spent the first couple of weeks inside with supervision (I had a crate set up for when I had to be gone for a couple of hours). If you have marked the chart/schedule, you will know what times to make sure to send your dog outside. Within a couple of weeks you should not need to take him on a leash or stay with him, just open the door and tell him to "Go potty".
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