Dear Miss Paws: I have adopted an older dog that I had hoped was housetrained, but he keeps having “accidents”. Sometimes he will relieve himself outside, but other times he just goes wherever he wants in the house. Do I have to treat him like he is a puppy and start housetraining from the start? A. If he’s lived outdoors and doesn’t know about life indoors, he should be fairly easy to housetrain with a standard training program – constant supervision, crating when supervision isn’t possible and frequent trips outdoors on leash until he gets the idea. If he’s a “marker” – lifting his leg everywhere in the house, use a “belly band” and strip of cloth pinned or Velcro’s around his abdomen, with a sanitary pad inside – while you work on the standard housetraining program. Neutering often slows or stops this behavior, but not always. If he’s been forced to soil his kennel or crate – he may be the hardest to retrain. He may come from a puppy mill, hoarder or a substandard rescue group – where dogs are kept in filthy kennels and crates. Forcing a dog to soil his living space weakens his instinct to keep his den clean. The crate is normally an invaluable housetraining tool, but you won’t be able to use it with this dog. You can, however, “reverse” crate train. This means crating him only when you know he is empty and take him out often enough that he doesn’t dirty his den. If he belonged to someone elderly or ill who was unable to take him out, you may be able to use the crate with this dog. You also might consider training him to use an indoor litter box if housesoiling persists. If he has a urinary tract infection or an intestinal upset you can usually figure this out quickly. The most common symptom is multiple small puddles, even in his crate, even when he’s just been out. Parasites and digestive tract disorders can cause diarrhea and he can’t control it. He’ll be impossible to housetrain until you treat the problem. If you suspect a medical cause, make an appointment with your veterinarian.
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