house train

/ˈhaʊs treɪn/
verb
  1. To teach a pet, especially a dog or cat, to urinate and defecate outdoors or in a designated indoor area (such as a litter box).
    • It is easier to house-train a dog if you take it outside at regular times.
    • She used positive reinforcement to house-train her kitten to use the litter box.
    • We spent the first month trying to house-train our new puppy.
  2. To train someone (often humorously or figuratively) to behave properly in a domestic or social setting.
    • The new intern is smart but messy — the office manager is slowly house-training him.
    • After years of living alone, he needed to be house-trained before moving in with his partner.
    • My roommate has terrible habits; I'm trying to house-train him to do the dishes.
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