Your adopted dog may have been housetrained in her previous home but fallen out of the habit at the shelter. Certainly, she doesn’t know the routine at your house, and it’s your job to show her. Housetraining an adult adopted dog isn’t much different than housetraining a puppy.
Tips for Housetraining Your Adopted Dog
- Establish a consistent routine: Take your dog out at the same time every day, to the same spot.
When she "goes," praise her enthusiastically.
-Keep your dog in a dog crate when you can’t supervise her until you know she is trustworthy. Chances are she won’t eliminate in a crate because she won’t want to dirty her den. If she’s not housetrained, keep her with you on a leash when you are home to avoid accidents.
-Learn to read your dog’s signals – if she acts like she has to go out by circling, sniffing the floor, or barking at a door (even if it’s not on your schedule or the door you typically use) get her outside to her spot. If you catch her in the act, distract her with a loud noise, grab her collar and get her outside. Don’t punish her. Accidents happen, especially in a new house. Clean up the accident site thoroughly to avoid further accidents. Remember, her sense of smell is much better than yours and the smell of any old urine is going to send the wrong signal!
-Consider getting your home a set of Puppy Training Bells to help your dog tell you when she has to "go."
