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1. HOUSESOILING DIFFICULTIES WITH DOGS
Specifying the Problem:
With housesoiling, the problem to be solved is teaching the dog to hold urine and feces until he/she goes outside. We should focus our teaching on this and be less concerned about the excuses used to tolerate elimination behavior in the home. Your goal cannot be accomplished if the dog can "talk you into" excusing the behavior -ie- jealousy, spite, payback, being left alone (within reasonable limits), many more. Once your attitude displays good parenting and good leadership skills, then it would be good to understand some common causes for housesoiling difficulties so as not to unconsciously repeat past cause and effect teaching mistakes.
Free feeding / free roaming
If your dog has the run of anything and everything when he/she is first
learning your environment (free roaming), no matter what the age, and has the opportunity to "snack on food" anytime he/she wants (free feeding) then it is going to be very difficult to successfully achieve reliable elimination habits. I don't believe that it's a question of ability to learn on the dog's part. I believe it to be more of a metabolic issue. If you are dealing with a young puppy, his/her physical ability to hold anything will certainly be shorter than that of an adult dog and yet even an adult dog will have the urge to eliminate after eating. It might be wise to schedule his eating habits.
Confusing Instructions
Confusion is difficult at best for humans to deal with and even harder for dogs. If several people jump up to "punish" an accident in different ways, the dog may react strongly -but- in truth, may not realize his/her point of error. If you correct some mistakes and don't correct others for what ever the excuse, your animal may find it difficult to learn his/her point of error. Teaching correct elimination habits should be clear and simple to understand. Don't "assume" the animal should already know. All teaching members of the family should work together with non-teaching members staying out of the way. It might be wise to establish a plan and the follow it with consistancy.
2. HOUSESOILING DIFFICULTIES WITH CATS
Specifying the Problem
With house-soiling, the problem to be solved is a combination of providing a clean (not sterile), private place for elimination while, if necessary, teaching the cat that the sandbox is the only safe place in your home to "go to the bathroom".
Location and Condition
The average cat is not only a "free spirit", it is also and more importantly a solitary species with certain elimination requirements. One of these is a clean, private place to eliminate urine and feces. A place of easy access only for the cat. If everyone (other cats he/she doesn't like, dogs, buncha kids, etc.) can transgress at will then the place is not private and he/she will find a place that is. When thinking "clean", remember, it should not be sterile. Leave a small amount of waste matter in the box for scent identification purposes. It is necessary to keep in mind that the average cat will not use an area he/she considers "too used" and will again find another place.
Confusing Instructions
If a mistake is made, it should be rudely pointed out. Don't let a correction slip by because you think that he/she won't recognize his/her own odor. It might be a good idea at that point to take the cat to the sandbox, gently placing him/her in it and then leave him/her alone. If at all possible, place some (a small amount) of the "offending substance" in the litter box to illustrate where the odor belongs.