There are some things you need to be aware of when you begin. These may help you understand more what you are up against.

Fact 1: Adult dogs can be housebroken the same as puppies.

If you adopt an adult dog, you may not have to worry about housebreaking if he has already been properly trained. Dogs—even the smartest ones—do not naturally know it’s wrong to go potty indoors. They have to be trained and, fortunately, most adult dogs are. But don’t assume it. If he was always kept outdoors, raised in a cage at a puppy mill, or improperly trained by a previous owner, you will need to start fresh and housebreak him using the same basic techniques as you would for a puppy. Adult dogs don’t have to go as often as puppies, though, so this will make the training much easier for you. Of course, when they do go the have bigger accidents.

Fact 2:  Puppies have limited bladder & bowel control.

A puppy younger than 20 weeks old will need to go potty once every hour when they are awake. A very young puppy (a puppy under 12 weeks old) will need to go more often — maybe as often as very 30 minutes or even more frequently.

For an older puppy, a general rule for determining the number of hours he can go without going potty is to take his age in months and add one. So a four-month-old could hold it for about five hours. Small breeds can’t hold it as long; large breeds can hold it a bit longer. Remember, this is a general rule and your puppy’s control may vary.

When sleeping, puppies can wait longer. But don’t think a puppy who can hold it for 6 hours while sleeping can hold it that long while awake. Not gonna happen.

Fact 3: Dogs like to sleep in a clean area.

If given a choice, dogs, like people, will never sleep in an area that is soiled with pee or poop. In the wild, “dogs” (wolves, coyotes, foxes, etc.) sleep in a den and go outside to relieve themselves. Their pups learn to do the same.

Because dogs will try their best not to soil their sleeping area, your puppy is less likely to pee or poop in a small “den.” Confining him to that “den” whenever you can’t watch him will guarantee he doesn’t get a chance to begin the bad habit of going anywhere else in your house.

Fact 4: Dogs do best when kept to a routine schedule.

Feeding your dog on a set schedule will help him to go potty on a regular schedule. If you let your dog eat and drink whenever he wants, you’ll be less able to predict when he’ll need to go out. Take him out on a regular schedule, too!

Fact 5: Punishing a dog after he has an accident in the house is pointless, and may do more harm than good.

Your dog will not understand that you are upset about something that happened in the past—even if it was just a minute or two ago. He will think he’s in trouble for what he’s doing at the instant you discover the mess and go ballistic… whether he’s happily coming up to greet you or sitting quietly. This, obviously, is the wrong message to give your dog.