Housebreaking is the process of training a domesticated animal that lives with its human owners in a house to urinate and defecate outdoors, or in a designated indoor area, rather than all over the house. The pet owner's desire is to break the habit of eliminating in the house, hence the term. House-training or sometimes even potty training are common synonyms for housebreaking. The term "housebreaking" is most often applied to dogs, but it can also be used for cats, birds, ferrets, rabbits, or any other animal that lives in a house.