Clean up is simple if you are prepared. First of all, the area where your dog is allowed during house training should have a floor that can be wiped clean and dry. It isn’t very good or fun to house train on carpet. Use Simple Solution Stain and Odor Remover, Nature’s Miracle or some other enzyme based cleaner and follow the instructions on the bottle. Enzymes actually eat the odor molecules, so make certain that there are enzymes in your cleaner. Dogs have powerful noses and they tend to “make a mistake” where they smell that there were mistakes in the past. The idea is to move all signs of mistakes or elimination outside, to the spot where you “Post Up”.

Stick with this process. If you are good at paying attention and your dog does not have a serious habit of making mistakes it will take one or two mistakes for your dog to get it. If you need practice paying attention, you will get practice before your dog learns to eliminate outside. If your dog has a serious habit of going indoors then it will take longer for you to make the point.

The “point” that we are trying to make to our dogs is: as a family, we agree we do not eliminate waste in indoor living areas, unless that area was built for that purpose. I consider a dog trained if the dog has not had a mistake in the house for 21 days. Three weeks is long enough to make a new habit.

Remember trust is earned. After awhile you will feel more comfortable with them and trust that he will not go in the house. If he regress and goes once, start all over from the beginning with the crate. You need to let them re-earn your trust. It will be worth it!