I give this caution, too, for resccue dogs and dogs that may have otherwise suffered severe trauma. However, having said that, the fundamentals of training that apply to housebreaking your older, adult dog, remain the same as for puppies.
When dealing with an older dog that may have well established "non-habits," it is doubly, triply, important to apply the following behaviors to your dog:
- persistence
- consistency of training
- very firm but gentle handling
- good control
Part of the challange in housebreaking a healthy, adult dog is that the dog has never had rules of behavior consistently applied to it. That is what I mean by "good control." You must show the dog the correct behavior and reinforce it firmly and gently at every opportunity. There must never be any exceptions to the desired behavior. And, of course, you must praise lavishly the correct behavior occasionally rewarding with a treat.
I cannot emphasize the importance of control. And by "control," I mean good control by always demonstrating and reinforcing the correct behavior and never letting the dog slide by with anything but the correct behavior. Depending on your pet, you should expect to spend 3 to 6 weeks to begin to see consistent change.
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Housebreaking Puppies in the Winter
