When one adopts a dog, often times the dog may have issues that need correcting. A common issue is not being house trained. Here I distinguish between not being house trained from marking behavior. I will discuss marking behavior later. Among dogs I have fostered I have encountered adult dogs who were not house trained at all or were somewhat house trained and it is possible in most cases, assuming there is no physical reason such as incontinence due to age or disease, to house train an adult dog. You use some of the same techniques for house training an adult dog that you would use for a puppy. One of the advantages with an adult dog is that biologically speaking a healthy dog doesn't usually need to go potty as often as a puppy once house trained. It is usually a matter of teaching the dog where he is supposed to go potty. If you have another dog who is already house trained taking both dogs outside together so that one dog can learn from the other is very beneficial. If you only have one untrained dog who doesn't seem to know where to go potty try collecting some of the urine and/or feces on paper towel or a potty pad and put the soiled material outside where you want the dog to go potty. The next time you take the dog potty take him directly to that spot. You may have to repeat this several times but eventually most dogs will smell the urine and understand that this is where they are supposed to go potty. Once the dog does go potty in the appropriate place make sure you positively reward the dog with verbal praise, a pet, a treat or by looking approvingly at the dog. Another aid to use while house training is a belly band. A belly band can be worn inside the house to prevent your dog from going potty inside the house and once partially house trained as a reminder to not go potty in the house. They are readily available at most pet stores or online. I prefer belly bands to disposable diapers because belly bands are cheaper and eco-friendly. The most important thing to remember when working on any issue with your dog is patience, persistence, and TLC.
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