THERE AREN'T MANY DOG PROBLEMS WORSE THAN frequent accidents in the house. In fact, one of the top five reasons owners give for relinquishing a dog to a shelter is that the dog is “impossible to housetrain.” Unfortunately, many people simply give up when the dog does not learn right away. Housetraining does not have to be difficult. As with any other learned skill, its mastery simply requires practice and patience.