Housebreaking Dos and Don'ts - The Housebreaking Bible

Supervision and Confinement

Don’t let your unhousebroken dog roam freely around your house.
Do supervise your dog closely until you’re sure he’s reliably housebroken.
Do confine your dog in an area where he won’t have accidents when you’re not there to keep an eye on him.
Don’t leave your dog confined so long that he’s forced to go potty in his crate or confinement area.
Do take your dog’s age, amount of experience with confinement and feeding schedule into consideration when deciding how long he can be confined while he’s on a housebreaking program.
Do recruit a friend or hire a dog walker to take your dog out for a potty trip if your work schedule requires you to leave your dog alone for a longer period of time than he can handle.

Do praise your dog every time he potties in the right place
Don’t correct your dog for having an accident in the house unless you catch him in the act.
Don’t correct your dog too harshly (rubbing his nose in it, hitting him, etc.), even if you catch him in the act.
Do correct your dog with a strong "NO" if you catch him going potty inside, then quickly get him outside so he can finish up in the right place.

Do clean up any mistakes properly so that he doesn’t come back to the scent and make another mistake later.
Don’t clean your dog’s housebreaking accidents up with regular household cleaner.
Do clean up with an odor neutralizing product specifically formulated for pet accidents, available at any pet store.

Don’t assume that the dog has been outside (or to his indoor potty area) for a potty trip just because other members of your household have been home with him.
Do be sure that all members of the house communicate verbally or through a written potty schedule so you’re sure that your dog is getting outside (or to his indoor potty area) regularly.

Don’t assume that your dog has gone potty just because he’s been outside (or to his indoor potty area).
Do accompany your dog outside (or to his indoor potty area) or watch through a window to be sure he goes.
Don’t decide that your dog doesn’t need to go if it doesn’t happen right away.
Do remember that many dogs need to move a bit before they poo. They may not be ready to go immediately out of the crate, and then have to go 15 minutes later.
Do watch your dog carefully and learn to recognize his patterns.
Don’t expect your young puppy to be on the same housebreaking schedule as your older dog.
Do remember that puppies potty very frequently, especially upon waking and after running, chewing, eating, drinking and playing.
Do be sure to give your dog plenty of chances to go in the right place.

Don’t have too much variety in your dog’s diet during the housetraining period, since feeding new foods or table scraps can cause digestive upset and slow down your housebreaking program.
Do be sure you’re feeding your dog a consistent, healthy diet.
Do be sure you’re feeding your dog the correct amount of dog food, since overfeeding can cause loose stools that are harder for your dog to control.
Don’t feed your dog a big meal or give him a large amount of water right before you leave the house for an extended period of time or right before going to bed.
Do be sure to have a regular feeding routine for your dog that fits in with your daily schedule.