How to Train a German Shepherd to Not Pee in the House

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How to Train a German Shepherd to Not Pee in the House

Medium

2-4 Weeks

Behavior

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Introduction

You are walking through your house and suddenly you step in something wet. You groan, “Not again!” Your German Shepherd has forgotten his manners again and peed inside the house. You scold him and throw him outside, but nothing seems to be working. You find yourself scrubbing your carpet again anyway. Training your German Shepherd not to pee in the house may be difficult, but it is crucial for a good relationship with your dog. And for the health of your floor.

Defining Tasks

In general, German Shepherds who weren’t housebroken as puppies tend to be stubborn during the house training process. If they weren’t trained at all as puppies, they can become dominant and disobedient. You want to begin training your Shepherd to pee outside, and follow commands in general, as soon as you bring him home. It may take a while to break your dog’s bad habits, but with patience and consistent training you can create good manners in your German Shepherd.

Getting Started

Get ready to be patient and pay close attention to the signals your German Shepherd sends to you. Depending on the method you choose, you will need several things, including:

Good training treats
A comfy dog crate
A bell

You should also choose a designated potty spot in your yard. Make sure your dog always goes to the bathroom in the same spot. This teaches your German Shepherd that he can’t pee wherever he wants.

The Crate Method

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Step

Buy the right sized crate

You want to get a crate that is large enough for your German Shepherd to turn around and stretch in, but not so big that he can pee in the corner without messing up his bedding. Get some comfortable, machine-washable bedding to cover the entire floor of the crate.

Step

Crate train your German Shepherd

In the beginning, you want to get your German Shepherd used to sleeping in the crate at night. If your dog is hesitant to use the crate, work with him over a few days by rewarding him for entering the crate and staying in it without whining.

Step

Take your dog directly from the crate to his potty area

Keep your dog inside his crate when you can’t keep your eye on him for the first few weeks. When you let him out of the crate, take him directly outside and keep him in his potty spot until he goes to the bathroom.

Step

Reward good behavior

Give your German Shepherd two or three good, high-value treats and lots of praise when he goes to the bathroom in the right spot. Then let him explore the yard for a while before bringing him back inside.

Step

Transition your dog out of the crate

As your dog becomes accustomed to peeing outside, you can transition him to not staying in the crate all the time. The final step is to let your dog sleep outside the crate. It make take a few weeks of consistent reinforcement of the potty spot to feel secure in making that change with your German Shepherd.

The Schedule Method

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Step

Establish fixed feeding times

Another way to train your German Shepherd to pee outside is to set a fixed feeding schedule. Food should only be available to your dog during feeding times and training. This way you can manage when your dog should need to go outside.

Step

Always take your German Shepherd outside after feeding

As soon as your dog finishes eating his food, take him out into the yard to his designated potty spot. Just as with crate training, you should keep him in the area until he does his business.

Step

Give your dog some love

Once your dog goes to the bathroom, give him some yummy treats and some praise. It’s best to stay outside with your dog for a little while after he goes. Otherwise, he will learn to delay going potty for as long as possible to get some more outside time.

Step

Roll with the punches

If something happens to affect your German Shepherd’s feeding schedule, be sure to adjust his outside time to match. While you should give lots of treats during training, keep in mind that what goes in, must come out and take him to his potty spot when you're done.

Step

Be patient

It will take time for your dog to adjust to the feeding and potty schedule. Have lots of patience and remember not to scold your dog when he goes in the house. Reward-based training is much more effective. Instead, calmly but firmly tell your dog “no” and have him watch you clean up the mess. Over time, your dog will learn not to pee in the house.

The Bell Method

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Step

Set up a bell

Designate a specific door you will always take your German Shepherd through when it is time to go potty and set up a small bell near this door.

Step

Ring the bell

Every time you take your dog out to go potty, ring the bell and take your dog to his designated potty spot. After a few days, your dog will begin to associate the sound of the bell with going outside to go to the bathroom.

Step

Give good rewards for good behavior

Keep your dog in your chosen spot until he goes to the bathroom and then give him several really good treats. Then let him roam around your yard for a little while so he doesn’t connect going to the bathroom with being hustled back into the house.

Step

Encourage your dog to ring the bell

After a couple of weeks, begin asking your dog to ring the bell before you take him outside. Encourage him to use his nose or paw to tap the bell and then reward him by taking him outside.

Step

Stay alert for telling behaviors

As you progress, it is important to keep an eye out for behaviors that indicate your German Shepherd needs to go outside. This may include actions such as circling, sitting by the door, or pawing at things. If it seems like your dog needs to go outside, take him to ring the bell first.

Step

Listen for the bell

German Shepherds are smart dogs. In no time, your dog should start ringing the bell without you prompting him. Whenever you hear the bell, make sure you take your dog outside right away and give him praise for giving you a heads up for potty time.

Success Stories and Training Questions

Training Questions and Answers

Question

Khaleesi

German Shepherd

3 Months

0 found helpful

Question

0 found helpful

Khaleesi

German Shepherd

3 Months

I’ve tried taking her out every hour. Limit her food and water intake. She’s been crate bound at night. During the day choose to put her in a big crate at nap time or run loose in the kitchen. She will poop in her cage and pee. I scold her and clean it up. She just peed in it and then laid in it. I don’t know why. It’s like she’s not catching on. I’ve been doing this for over a month

2 months, 2 weeks ago

Khaleesi's Owner

Caitlin Crittenden

Dog Trainer

294 Dog owners recommended

Hello Sacanna, For a crate to be effective it needs to be large enough for the dog to lay down, turn around and stand, but no larger. If it is large enough for the dog to pee in one end and stand on the other end away from it it won't utilize a dog's natural desire to hold their pee in a confined space. Also, the area should be anything absorbent in the crate, including a soft bed or towel. Anything absorbent will also encourage peeing. If you need something for Kaleesi to lay on in the crate use something like www.primopads.com Clean the crate thoroughly with an enzymatic pet cleaner. The cleaner must contain enzymes to fully remove the smell for a dog's sensitive nose. Any remaining smell will encourage peeing and pooping in that spot again. Look on the cleaner bottle for the word enzyme or enzymatic somewhere. Even bleach will leave the smell, but many pet stores, stores like Walmart, or Amazon carry enzymatic pet cleaners. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

2 months, 2 weeks ago

we have an 8 week old shepard who is doing well with the crate training. She is in small crate which she is outgrowing already!! She is peeing on the floor when we leave the room. Working on that. We are going to try the bell training

1 month, 3 weeks ago

Susan C.

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