What workarounds did people try for "Why does my dog refuse to potty outside?"?

Community members documented 81 workarounds: 1. taking the puppy outside on a leash and harness and waiting until they go 2. using talking buttons to let the dog communicate their needs 3. taking the dog outside multiple times an hour 4. Leaving a pee pad in the tub or bathroom 5. Rinsing the tub after an accident to keep down the smell 6. Installing a dog door 7. Using a mid-day dog walker 8. Setting night alarms based on previous elimination patterns to manage middle-of-the-night bathroom breaks 9. Tracking daily bathroom habits using apps or notepads to predict and identify the puppy's final bowel movement time 10. monitoring urine volume and frequency to distinguish normal training accidents from potential UTIs 11. maintaining consistency with house training routines 12. Taking the puppy to a family house with a yard and grass 13. Taking the puppy out first thing in the morning before they reach the pee pad 14. Bringing a used pee pad outside to lay on the grass for scent association 15. Spending all day outside in a park for the weekend 16. Staying outside until the puppy pees or poos 17. Carrying the puppy back out the moment she squats 18. Tethering the puppy to oneself with a leash indoors 19. putting them in a crate for 10-20 min, then take them out, then bring them back in and put them in the crate, until they pee 20. ringing the bell and saying outside and potty every time they take the dog outside 21. Taking the puppy out four times per day including long walks and short potty breaks 22. Using a dedicated spot for the puppy to pee during potty breaks and going right back inside 23. Carrying the dog to the pad every couple of hours and waiting with her 24. Leaving a little of the dog's scent on a fresh pad to help her recognize it 25. Switching from indoor pee pads to outdoor housebreaking 26. Take puppies outside separately to reduce distractions and ensure they focus on eliminating. 27. Limit interaction outdoors until the puppy finishes its business, then reward with praise and treats. 28. walking the dog to different ends of the block 29. waiting the dog out for a few days 30. giving plenty of backyard opportunities between walks 31. Taking the dog on walks where they will still happily potty 32. Treating the yard for fire ants 33. Waiting a while after a thunderstorm or fireworks 34. Waiting outside longer with the puppy 35. Finding a place with fewer distractions 36. Rewarding and praising every time she goes outside 37. Walking the puppy to help things move 38. Giving the puppy time after voiding in case the tank is not empty 39. Replacing the patch so it is not so old and easy to pick at 40. Picking the puppy up and bringing them immediately back inside if they pick at the patch 41. Not talking to or engaging with the puppy after giving the cue command to let them focus 42. Using laxatives prescribed by a vet 43. Taking him to the exact same boring patch of grass on a longer leash and standing like a statue 44. Using a balcony or private outdoor nook where he cannot see other dogs or people 45. Desensitizing the dog to environmental sights and sounds inside the home 46. Walking the dog at different times of the day with different temperatures and sounds 47. Walking the dog instead of just moseying around 48. holding an umbrella over the puppy 49. putting a raincoat on the dog 50. using an indoor pee pad or tiled surface 51. associating rain with positive experiences like treats and play 52. throwing high value treats on the grass 53. Taking the puppy outside after every nap and play time 54. Transitioning using pee pads by the door and gradually removing them 55. Rewarding the puppy with treats each time it goes outside 56. taking the puppy out every hour 57. using bells on the door to jingle before going out 58. luring the puppy into the crate 59. taking the dog outside at strict timed intervals throughout the day 60. trying bells, rewards, and taking him to the door 61. Taking the puppy outside more frequently every 3 hours or treating her like an 8-week-old puppy 62. Carrying the puppy outside instead of letting her walk 63. Making going outside a party with lots of praise, pets, treats, and play 64. Putting down pee pads in likely areas to redirect or manage accidents 65. Standing in one boring spot with her on a short leash with no wandering or play privileges 66. Putting the puppy down for a nap first so they actually need to go when woken up 67. Trying to make the dog pee twice before coming back inside. 68. Taking the dog for a longer walk so it tries to pee at every place it smells another dog. 69. Bringing training pads outdoors or to the dog park 70. Standing like a statue on a boring patch of grass until the dog pees 71. Taking the dog outside more frequently, such as every two hours or 15 minutes after eating 72. Keeping the dog on a leash indoors to immediately interrupt squatting and return outside 73. Eliminating training pads completely 74. Providing frozen KONGs with wet food to relieve boredom and prevent chewing drywall 75. Standing completely still like a statue outside 76. Using potty pads indoors 77. Cycling the puppy strictly between outside and a crate 78. Trying both leashed walks and free roam in the backyard 79. Taking the puppy outside for 5-10 minutes, and if they don't poop, putting them back in the crate for 10 minutes before trying again. 80. Keeping a daily toilet log to track what time the dog eliminates and what they were doing beforehand to anticipate potty times. 81. Giving high-value treats (like ham) and throwing an over-the-top 'party' of praise only when they eliminate outside.

Why does my dog refuse to potty outside?

Puppies often fail to make the connection between going outside and eliminating, choosing instead to relieve themselves indoors despite spending hours outdoors. This makes it impossible to reward successful habits and leaves owners stuck cleaning up indoor accidents instead of making progress.

Overview

Last updated Nov 2, 2026

People affected38 accounts across 2 forums

Workarounds found81 items attempted

Community agreement1,583 total upvotes

What the numbers show

Counted from the threads quoted below. How we count

Most of it landed at once — the busiest month was September 2026, with 25 people.
This comes up 27.0× more often in r/puppy101 than across the site as a whole.

What people tried

Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.

81 items+ Contribute

Found another way around this?

Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.

1
taking the puppy outside on a leash and harness and waiting until they go
Did this help you?
2
using talking buttons to let the dog communicate their needs
Did this help you?
3
taking the dog outside multiple times an hour
Did this help you?
4
Leaving a pee pad in the tub or bathroom
Did this help you?
5
Rinsing the tub after an accident to keep down the smell
Did this help you?
6
Installing a dog door
Did this help you?
7
Using a mid-day dog walker
Did this help you?
8
Setting night alarms based on previous elimination patterns to manage middle-of-the-night bathroom breaks
Did this help you?
9
Tracking daily bathroom habits using apps or notepads to predict and identify the puppy's final bowel movement time
Did this help you?
10
monitoring urine volume and frequency to distinguish normal training accidents from potential UTIs
Did this help you?
11
maintaining consistency with house training routines
Did this help you?
12
Taking the puppy to a family house with a yard and grass
Did this help you?
13
Taking the puppy out first thing in the morning before they reach the pee pad
Did this help you?
14
Bringing a used pee pad outside to lay on the grass for scent association
Did this help you?
15
Spending all day outside in a park for the weekend
Did this help you?
16
Staying outside until the puppy pees or poos
Did this help you?
17
Carrying the puppy back out the moment she squats
Did this help you?
18
Tethering the puppy to oneself with a leash indoors
Did this help you?
19
putting them in a crate for 10-20 min, then take them out, then bring them back in and put them in the crate, until they pee
Did this help you?
20
ringing the bell and saying outside and potty every time they take the dog outside
Did this help you?
21
Taking the puppy out four times per day including long walks and short potty breaks
Did this help you?
22
Using a dedicated spot for the puppy to pee during potty breaks and going right back inside
Did this help you?
23
Carrying the dog to the pad every couple of hours and waiting with her
Did this help you?
24
Leaving a little of the dog's scent on a fresh pad to help her recognize it
Did this help you?
25
Switching from indoor pee pads to outdoor housebreaking
Did this help you?
26
Take puppies outside separately to reduce distractions and ensure they focus on eliminating.
Did this help you?
27
Limit interaction outdoors until the puppy finishes its business, then reward with praise and treats.
Did this help you?
28
walking the dog to different ends of the block
Did this help you?
29
waiting the dog out for a few days
Did this help you?
30
giving plenty of backyard opportunities between walks
Did this help you?
31
Taking the dog on walks where they will still happily potty
Did this help you?
32
Treating the yard for fire ants
Did this help you?
33
Waiting a while after a thunderstorm or fireworks
Did this help you?
34
Waiting outside longer with the puppy
Did this help you?
35
Finding a place with fewer distractions
Did this help you?
36
Rewarding and praising every time she goes outside
Did this help you?
37
Walking the puppy to help things move
Did this help you?
38
Giving the puppy time after voiding in case the tank is not empty
Did this help you?
39
Replacing the patch so it is not so old and easy to pick at
Did this help you?
40
Picking the puppy up and bringing them immediately back inside if they pick at the patch
Did this help you?
41
Not talking to or engaging with the puppy after giving the cue command to let them focus
Did this help you?
42
Using laxatives prescribed by a vet
Did this help you?
43
Taking him to the exact same boring patch of grass on a longer leash and standing like a statue
Did this help you?
44
Using a balcony or private outdoor nook where he cannot see other dogs or people
Did this help you?
45
Desensitizing the dog to environmental sights and sounds inside the home
Did this help you?
46
Walking the dog at different times of the day with different temperatures and sounds
Did this help you?
47
Walking the dog instead of just moseying around
Did this help you?
48
holding an umbrella over the puppy
Did this help you?
49
putting a raincoat on the dog
Did this help you?
50
using an indoor pee pad or tiled surface
Did this help you?
51
associating rain with positive experiences like treats and play
Did this help you?
52
throwing high value treats on the grass
Did this help you?
53
Taking the puppy outside after every nap and play time
Did this help you?
54
Transitioning using pee pads by the door and gradually removing them
Did this help you?
55
Rewarding the puppy with treats each time it goes outside
Did this help you?
56
taking the puppy out every hour
Did this help you?
57
using bells on the door to jingle before going out
Did this help you?
58
luring the puppy into the crate
Did this help you?
59
taking the dog outside at strict timed intervals throughout the day
Did this help you?
60
trying bells, rewards, and taking him to the door
Did this help you?
61
Taking the puppy outside more frequently every 3 hours or treating her like an 8-week-old puppy
Did this help you?
62
Carrying the puppy outside instead of letting her walk
Did this help you?
63
Making going outside a party with lots of praise, pets, treats, and play
Did this help you?
64
Putting down pee pads in likely areas to redirect or manage accidents
Did this help you?
65
Standing in one boring spot with her on a short leash with no wandering or play privileges
Did this help you?
66
Putting the puppy down for a nap first so they actually need to go when woken up
Did this help you?
67
Trying to make the dog pee twice before coming back inside.
Did this help you?
68
Taking the dog for a longer walk so it tries to pee at every place it smells another dog.
Did this help you?
69
Bringing training pads outdoors or to the dog park
Did this help you?
70
Standing like a statue on a boring patch of grass until the dog pees
Did this help you?
71
Taking the dog outside more frequently, such as every two hours or 15 minutes after eating
Did this help you?
72
Keeping the dog on a leash indoors to immediately interrupt squatting and return outside
Did this help you?
73
Eliminating training pads completely
Did this help you?
74
Providing frozen KONGs with wet food to relieve boredom and prevent chewing drywall
Did this help you?
75
Standing completely still like a statue outside
Did this help you?
76
Using potty pads indoors
Did this help you?
77
Cycling the puppy strictly between outside and a crate
Did this help you?
78
Trying both leashed walks and free roam in the backyard
Did this help you?
79
Taking the puppy outside for 5-10 minutes, and if they don't poop, putting them back in the crate for 10 minutes before trying again.
Did this help you?
80
Keeping a daily toilet log to track what time the dog eliminates and what they were doing beforehand to anticipate potty times.
Did this help you?
81
Giving high-value treats (like ham) and throwing an over-the-top 'party' of praise only when they eliminate outside.
Did this help you?

Tried another approach not listed above?+ Share your workaround ↑

In their words

Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.

r/dogs10 people · July 2026 – October 2026

“Came home today and found out my dog peed in the bathtub while I was at work.”source ↗

“Guessing he just couldn’t hold it and picked the tub himself.”source ↗

BlazenHazen305 · r/dogs · 1,063 upvotes

“Mine did this once. She had an upset stomach in the middle of the night and pooped in my shower vs on the hardwood floor.”source ↗

Shivs_baby · r/dogs · 239 upvotes

“We work odd hours, and never know exactly how long we will be gone. Several years ago we had 2 dogs: one a rhodesia ridgeback/American Bulldog mix that was a genius, the other an unidentifiable mutt that was dumb as dirt... When we got home smart dog had pooped in the bathtub. Dumb dog pooped on the couch.”source ↗

wwhijr · r/dogs · 159 upvotes

“My poor doggy had an upset stomach a few weeks ago. We let her out several times during the night but one time we must have just not heard her woof in time.”source ↗

TimeSkipper · r/dogs · 12 upvotes

“My dog never has indoor accidents except for one time when we were gone for a long time. I guess she wasn’t able to hold it and pooped in the bathroom right in front of the toilet.”source ↗

sheb98 · r/dogs · 9 upvotes

“My dog is a 3 year old Bichon and I’ve had him for about 3 months now. A few days ago he stopped wanting to potty in our backyard and will run back up onto the deck and wait by the door to go inside.”source ↗

lavender-bees42 · r/dogs · 3 upvotes

“after about 10 months-a year he just started refusing to go in the backyard!”source ↗

“he would genuinely hold his pee for 18 hours and after about a week I was worried he would get a UTI so I caved and started just walking him to the end of the block in the mornings and before bed”source ↗

“I’m a woman who lives near a busy street and I hate walking him alone at night!”source ↗

cettjose · r/dogs · 2 upvotes

“I’ve always had large dogs who get it right away, but this puppy is still having accidents despite kennel training and being taken out regularly.”source ↗

“Sometimes I’ll take her out and she’ll pee, but come in and pee again minutes later.”source ↗

Regular_Gene_6186 · r/dogs · 2 upvotes

“My dog periodically boycotts the yard. Usually it means fire ant hills have popped up somewhere and she’s gotten bit.”source ↗

JellyWabbit · r/dogs · 1 upvotes

“Has anyone set off fire works lately? My shih tzu wont go into the yard for a while after a thunderstorm or fireworks but will still happily go on a walk.”source ↗

CinematicHeart · r/dogs · 1 upvotes

r/puppy10128 people · March 2026 – November 2026

“She still hasn't caught on and has only used it once when I believe she tripped on it.”source ↗

Cesarswife · r/puppy101 · 23 upvotes

“We take her out every 20 minutes to pee and she holds it until she gets straight back in to the apartment! She’ll pee on clothes, floor, sofa, baby toys, mattress - anywhere and everywhere.”source ↗

Separate_Pen_6576 · r/puppy101 · 15 upvotes

“She has yet to either grasp the subject or care about it. Dont exactly want to praise her for potting on my floor & she pretty much refuses to potty outside even when we spend literal hours outside playing.”source ↗

WakunaMatata · r/puppy101 · 12 upvotes

“he will NOT pee or poop outside.”source ↗

“every day I am slowly starting to resent getting him especially when it comes to potty training.”source ↗

“finally when i let him out because i think okay maybe he doesnt have to go BAM pisses or poops in his play pen.”source ↗

“WHY. ISN'T. HE. GRASPING. PEEING/POOPING. OUTSIDE?”source ↗

KilljoyMihoyMinoy · r/puppy101 · 8 upvotes

“Has anyone else had a puppy who genuinely doesn’t seem to recognize the urge to pee?”source ↗

“He can hold it but doesn’t know how to signal when he actual has to go.”source ↗

“Today he actually peed on my bed, which he has never done before, and that’s what really made me start wondering whether this is more than just him being bad at signaling.”source ↗

DidYouSayYutes_ · r/puppy101 · 4 upvotes

“The issue is when I and my partner see signs for him needing to go potty and then him spending 5/10/15 minutes a time just picking up the edges of the patch and settling in for a good chew.”source ↗

tobiascd · r/puppy101 · 3 upvotes

“I’m losing my mind and my sleep.”source ↗

“So not only do I stay up late trying to get him to go, but I have to rush outside every time he even whimpers!”source ↗

“I’m so lost. Anyone have magic tricks?”source ↗

Prior_Imagination453 · r/puppy101 · 2 upvotes

“My little guy didn’t step foot on any outdoor surfaces until he was a little over four and a half months old. We live in a very urban area with little to no grassy areas around us.”source ↗

“After returning back to our home, he started getting better at peeing outside. He will only go on softer surfaces (dirt, grass). Completely refuses to go on concrete… 🥲”source ↗

CoffeeFoodFanatic · r/puppy101 · 2 upvotes

“How do you get your puppy to go potty when it’s raining outside? Apollo refuses to even step outside when it’s raining and I feel bad for dragging him out there.”source ↗

Last_Cantaloupe9628 · r/puppy101 · 2 upvotes

“We just got a 5 month old puppy who is an absolute angel but cannot seem to grasp the concept of potty outside. Help!”source ↗

TBJ56 · r/puppy101 · 2 upvotes

“any sort of training is really not sticking.”source ↗

“he still refuses to tell us if he actually NEEDS to go.”source ↗

“absolutely refuses to go in on his own, whether i lure him or not.”source ↗

Active-Animator-3390 · r/puppy101 · 2 upvotes

“she will hold everything in until she gets inside.”source ↗

“she's also started eating walls??”source ↗

Double-Box5770 · r/puppy101 · 2 upvotes

“The issue came today when he peed possibly 3 times within 30 minutes. I thought this was unusual and wasn’t sure if there was a reason why he might’ve done this. Is there something I should be worried about or something that maybe caused this?”source ↗

Negative-Ghost10 · r/puppy101 · 1 upvotes

“our 13-week Lab puppy has been really good at doing his business indoor (we don't have a garden and the balcony feels dangerous to me). Two days ago he could finally be out for his first walks (and he loves it) but he hasn't been able to pee or poo at all. He would literally hold it until we're home and do it on the pads.”source ↗

No-Conflict-0608 · r/puppy101 · 1 upvotes

“We’ve tried this but each and every time, our puppy just pees in the crate instead. At that point, what do I even do?”source ↗

MoneyMan810 · r/puppy101 · 1 upvotes

“She's getting the part about going to the back door pretty reliably, but she is not recognizing the bell at all.”source ↗

“Any tips for teaching a combo of two stubborn breeds to ring a potty bell?”source ↗

DueFreedom4695 · r/puppy101 · 1 upvotes

“They sometimes will cooperate but about 60% of the time, they do nothing, and then pee and or poop in the house within 2 minutes of coming back inside. Advice?!”source ↗

stressedout2damax · r/puppy101 · 1 upvotes

“So I have a 14 week old black labrador, my problem is that I cant get her to empty her bladder fully, she pees so frequently and doesnt empty and got a uti which im treating now”source ↗

JonLigma · r/puppy101 · 1 upvotes

“My little guy would get distracted mid pee and looked like he was finished, but I just kept him out and sure enough he would let the rest go.”source ↗

EstoppelEscape · r/puppy101 · 1 upvotes

“Yeah she pees up to three times outside then will go inside sniff around and pee again.”source ↗

JonLigma · r/puppy101 · 1 upvotes

“He also really loved picking up the edges and chewing at it (replacing the patch helped so it wasn't so old and easy to pick at) but we just kept picking him up when he did that and bringing him back in.”source ↗

joujube · r/puppy101 · 1 upvotes

“The other brother will pee outside perfectly fine, but he will just not poop outside no matter how frequently we take him out.”source ↗

“It got to a point where he was holding in his poop for 3 days because he didn’t want to poop outside”source ↗

“Now that his bowels are normal, he’s doing it again where he is pooping inside his crate only and not pooping outside.”source ↗

“once we go outside in the public areas, he starts to get nervous (tail between legs, going behind my legs etc.) and doesn’t try to poop.”source ↗

Human_Insurance8817 · r/puppy101 · 1 upvotes

“my pup was the same at that age, absolute meltdown at a single drop. I ended up standing out there holding an umbrella over her like a fool for a solid two weeks”source ↗

Secure_Swan2069 · r/puppy101 · 1 upvotes

“Because she hates outside so I couldn’t teach her ring the bell. %90 of time I have to carry her out She doesn’t wanna go outside”source ↗

Feisty-Ad6507 · r/puppy101 · 1 upvotes

“I was doing hour long bathroom breaks, but was told that was too long, so today I chopped it down to every half hour. Well, she’s not really getting the memo.”source ↗

“When I take her out, she just thinks it is playtime, and finds a pinecone, branch, etc to play with, or she eats grass.”source ↗

“I feel confused and unsure what to do as I feel like she’s not peeing when she should or not enough? And I feel like every 30 mins is overkill?”source ↗

ThrowRA1203958 · r/puppy101 · 1 upvotes

“We will be outside for 30 minutes and he won’t poop, then we go inside and he immediately poops by my kitchen table.”source ↗

“But if I take my eyes off him for a second, again he immediately poops inside.”source ↗

“Sometimes he’ll stand by the door to let me know he needs to go out but again when I go to put his leash on, he runs away like a game.”source ↗

whimsicalnoodle54 · r/puppy101 · 1 upvotes

“I’m in the same battle rn, also trying the 5 min technique.”source ↗

“I too own a bell, my bell is also purely decorative😂”source ↗

General_Custard_5080 · r/puppy101 · 1 upvotes

“Only problem is that he has started marking and won’t empty his bladder.”source ↗

“He is in fact so conservative that he probably pees 10-15 times during the 1 hour walks. A little bit here and a little bit there.”source ↗

“We have now been woken up very early since he won’t fully empty his bladder during the 10 pm break.”source ↗

“He also had a small accident today since he didn’t empty his bladder during the morning potty session.”source ↗

Acceptable_Heat9531 · r/puppy101

“She understands that she is supposed to pee on a pad, but sometimes she misses it and pees beside it.”source ↗

Xeranthia · r/puppy101

“She pees and poops outside, but she’s still not reliable at all. She doesn’t hold it for very long, and she’s easily pee or poop inside her playpen. She also doesn’t really give me any clear signs when she needs to go.”source ↗

“Another problem is that she hates going outside. She absolutely does not want to go out, and it’s even worse when it’s raining.”source ↗

Feisty-Ad6507 · r/puppy101