The best way to stop a behavior is by preventing it. This can only be done by setting reasonable expectations for your dog. If you get your dog when they are a puppy, remember that until 9-12 weeks, you should EXPECT accidents. If you bring home an adult dog because it has been rescued or re-homed, make sure you handle accidents with understanding. This does not mean you encourage them, that means they simply can't help it.
FOR PUPPIES:
When they have to go, their bodies are similar to newborn babies. We do not expect a newborn not to wee in their diaper, nor should we expect a puppy not to make messes. They simply don't have the bladder control. What we need to do, is be consistent, and take them out very often. If they can only make messes outside, in a designated area, they will quickly learn that this is where you want them to go. Get excited, if you have a yard, take them to a part of the yard furthest from the house. Let them play here until they have to go, then reward them with positive enforcement of the behavior.
If you catch them going inside: Pick them up! Catch their attention, pick them up, and move them to where you do want them to go. If you yell at a puppy for making a mess, they will think they are being yelled at for the bodily function, rather than the location of that bodily function. So, by distracting them, picking them up, and moving them to the right place, they will quickly get the right idea. When they are old enough to start crate training, I highly recommend it, because the pup will have less to chew on, they will begin to learn to hold it for longer. Try to never make a puppy under 8-9 months hold it for longer than 4 hours, if you can help it. Hire a sitter/dog walker while you work, and at night, let them out right before bed, then let them out about 4 hours into the evening. The potty training relationship is one built on trust, and if your puppy trusts that you will let them out when they need to go, they will be better for it.
FOR ADULTS:
Bringing home a rehome or an adoptee can be nerve-wracking in all sorts of ways. This dog had a completely different upbringing than the one you are about to provide. The trick with any dog is to be consistent. First and foremost, you will want to teach your new dog how to work with a crate. Believe it or not, the crate acts as your dog's safe place. They will need this, especially coming into a new situation, because they won't know what limitations they have. Dogs are opportunists at heart, so teaching them that they have something that is theirs is the first step to ensuring that you have a calm, and well-adjusted dog.
With a calm and well-adjusted dog comes a bit of responsibility to creating a good boundary line. You do not want to enforce messes in the home, so be watchful. Look for behaviors: sniffing around, overly curious behavior, and overly shy behavior can all be indicators that the mess is coming. When these behaviors start, you need to get them outside straight away. If you didn't catch the dog in time, make sure you clean up with an enzymatic solute, so that the mess doesn't leave pheromones that can make the dog want to use this area again. If you don't feel that you can keep an eye out all the time, especially right at the beginning, when they are out of the crate, I would keep them on a lead by your side. when they begin to wander, direct them to outside.
Note: for rescue animals, don't forget where the dog just spent the last part of it's life. Some dogs need to be trained to go on the grass after being in those concrete shelters. It will happen. Just be your dog's trusted partner, be understanding. They are still learning what you expect.
For really stubborn trainees:
Seek professional help from a vet if you see continued issues beyond this. They may have a health condition that causes them to have bladder or bowel issues. You want to make sure that the dog is healthy before you seek help from a training behaviorist. If the above guidelines don't help, seek a consultation so that you can make sure your dog is understanding your communications.
Lastly, remember to remain calm. They don't understand being yelled at, especially not for what they do naturally. Give them the treatment you would hope to give your children. this training is about building habits and behaviors. Like a little kid who needs to be reminded every day to brush their teeth, you just need to remind your pups that they need to go wee outside. Make sure they have enough time to do it, as well. I would normally expect it to happen in about 10-15 minutes outside.
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