House-training your dog
Why an adult dog wees indoors
A dog who goes indoors is neither dirty nor spiteful: he is relieving a physical need in the only spot he thinks is allowed. With an adopted adult, everything starts over the moment he walks through your door: he doesn't yet know your rules or your rhythm of walks. Three causes come up again and again. Incomplete training, first of all: nobody ever showed him where to go. Insecurity, next: indoor urine marking often comes from anxious dogs laying down their scent to reassure themselves, not from 'dominant' dogs. And finally the habit of a place: if he always wees in front of the same room, he has filed it under 'toilet' and keeps going back.
Before you even think about training, one reflex: if a dog who was clean until now suddenly starts weeing indoors, especially at night or in large amounts, it isn't necessarily a step backwards. Cystitis, kidneys or hormones going out of balance (the dog drinks and wees a lot), or incontinence in a spayed female all produce exactly this picture. Rule out a medical cause with your vet before any retraining.
The method to house-train him
We go back to the puppy method: prevent accidents, then reward the right spot until it becomes second nature.
Take him out very regularly
Every 2 to 3 hours at first, and always on waking, within 30 minutes of a meal, after play and before bed. You prevent the accident instead of correcting it.
Keep to the same routes
A familiar route reassures him, and walking gets things moving: a relaxed dog on familiar ground lets go more easily than one standing still in the garden.
Celebrate the outdoor wee, right away
The instant he finishes, a cheerful marker word ('yes!') then a treat and an enthusiastic voice. Save a high-value reward for these moments: going outdoors becomes the jackpot.
Don't go back in until he's finished
Even if it drags on. If he goes indoors right in front of you, don't fire off a 'no': a light clap of the hands or a cheery 'let's go out!' to catch his attention, then take him to finish outside, where you praise him.
Hold the routine
Meals at set times make his needs predictable. Three full outings a day at the very least, wee AND poo, morning, noon and evening.
On waking
- First thing in the morning and after every nap
- The body has had a rest, the bladder is full: out straight away, no coffee first
After a meal
- Within the 15 to 30 minutes that follow
- The gastro-colic reflex pushes towards going out: an almost free toilet appointment
After play or excitement
- Excitement speeds everything up
- Go out before it spills over, don't wait for the signals
Before bed
- One last outing, wee AND poo
- For a peaceful night, for him and for you
The mistakes that slow everything down
Clean up the smell properly, or he'll go back to the same spot
His nose picks up urine long after yours has stopped smelling a thing. As long as an area 'smells of wee' to him, it stays an invitation to do it again. Dealing with the smell is therefore part of the training.
What really removes the smell
What makes it worse or just masks it
The best deodoriser is still not creating the puddle: a routine of outings and a reward in the right place.
When to see a vet
New soiling in an adult deserves a medical opinion first. Here are the signs, from the least to the most urgent.
Keep an eye on
- A dog who was clean until now starts weeing indoors again
- He asks to go out at night, which he never did before
Get it checked
- He drinks and wees far more than before, in a settled way
- He wees often in small amounts, cloudy urine or with blood
- Leaks during sleep in a spayed female
Emergency
- A male gets into position and strains to wee without managing to
- A tense, painful belly, restlessness then listlessness
A male straining to wee without managing to may be blocked: it's a life-threatening emergency that plays out in a matter of hours.
Do this right now
- Rush to the vet or an emergency clinic immediately, day or night
- Never press on the belly yourself and don't wait 'to see if it passes'
The assistant never replaces a vet. When in doubt, call.
- AVSAB — Position Statement on Humane Dog Training (2021)
- Herron, Shofer & Reisner — Confrontational and non-confrontational training methods, outcomes (2009)
- House Soiling in Dogs, Merck Veterinary Manual (2024)
- Cleaning pet urine stains and odours, ASPCA
- Polyuria-polydipsia and chronic kidney disease in dogs, International Renal Interest Society (IRIS)
- Guidelines for the diagnosis and management of urinary tract infections in dogs, ISCAID (2019)
Going further
Frequently asked questions
How do you house-train an adult dog?
The same method as for a puppy: take him out every 2 to 3 hours and after every nap, meal and play session, then celebrate the outdoor wee with a marker word and a treat. Never any punishment for an accident. And if this dog was already clean before, first have a vet rule out a medical cause.
Why does my adult dog wee indoors?
It's neither revenge nor 'dominance': most often it's incomplete training, insecurity (he marks to reassure himself) or a room he has filed under 'toilet'. A sudden change in a clean dog calls first for ruling out a medical cause (cystitis, kidneys, hormones).
How do you house-train a dog?
In two stages: prevent, then reward. You multiply outings at the right moments, you keep to the same routes, and you mark the outdoor wee with an enthusiastic 'yes!' followed by a reward. You clean accidents with an enzymatic cleaner to kill the smell, and you stay patient: punishment only slows the learning down.
Why does my dog wee indoors?
Three training-side leads: marking through insecurity, incomplete training, or a place that has become 'his toilet'. But a medical cause gives the same picture: cystitis, a dog who drinks and wees a lot, or leaks at rest in a spayed female. If it's new, see the vet. A male straining to wee without managing to is an emergency.
How do you get rid of dog wee smell from the floor?
Soak up the fresh urine by blotting without rubbing, then use an enzymatic cleaner for pet urine: it breaks the smell down instead of masking it. Avoid ammonia and ammonia-based bleach (they resemble urine and draw him back), as well as steam or scalding water on fabric, which set the stain.
How long does it take to house-train a dog?
The principle is often grasped in 10 to 20 days when you're consistent, but an adopted adult starts from scratch at your place and regularity is everything. Count in weeks of steady routine rather than days. Every accident you tell him off for sets progress back: better to prevent and to celebrate the wins.
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