[WelshOneEmma]

I have been reading all the threads on house training, but am having a bit of an issue. At what age are puppies generally house trained?

We have been following the advice on here with regards to our 15 week old puppy. I work from home and have her in the living room with me. it leads into the garden and the door is always open so she has constant access, yet she will be playing outside and then come inside and wee. When i see she wants to go, i take her outside, make a fuss etc, yet if i don't go out with her, she just wees. Plus if she has access to the hall, she will wee there - any advice?

 

[corrine3]

I can remember from previous threads that having the door open means they cant see where inside ends and outside begins, so it would maybe be an idea to keep the door closed for a wee while and see how that goes. Whenever he/she starts to pee I would encourage them outside and when they go outside big time praise.

I cant remember when Glen was house trained cos it happens so gradually. I would say he was fully house trained but the most 16weeks but I could be making that up, seems so long ago!

 

[katiefranke]

hello! unfortunately there is no set age that you can say a puppy will be house trained - it really does depend on the dog as each one has its own individual pace.

I would suggest not just leaving the door open for free access otherwise pup will not associate the action of actually being let out into the garden etc with weeing - plus when you have to have the door closed when it is colder, pup may be slower on the uptake of learning to ask to go out.

At this stage, you really need to be accompanying pup every single time they go out for toilet breaks - so you can supervise and ensure pup goes to the loo and so that you can praise like crazy when pup goes in the right place!

It is completely natural for a pup to be too excited whilst outside and not realise they are out there for a toilet break unless you make a structured routine for this.

If you read the sticky at the top of this training section you will see lots of tips - the best one is to add a 'cue' to ask pup to go to the toilet. So you actually teach a word for it. This way you can let pup out, say your cue word, pup goes to the loo & praise like mad.

Hope that helps.

 

[swarthy]

TBH - you would be better off asking how long is a piece of string.

I've had puppies come home at 7.5 weeks and never have an accident, and I've had pups I am still battling with at 6 months.

15 weeks is still very much a baby - and you shouldn't expect it to go outside at 15 weeks of it's own volition and toilet - you should be taking her out regularly yourself.

My youngest is 8 months, and housetrained - but I still take her out every time and ensure she is toileted.

She has no idea it is wrong to toilet in the house, you need to teach her that she needs to toilet outside - and you do that by re-enforcing the message - going with her, ensuring she goes and praising her to the hilt when she goes.

If you catch her in the act indoors, take her out immediately, not scolding (or any of the old wives' tales on house training puppies), but a low grumble with appropriate body language from you when taking her out, or when you are cleaning up will help re-enforce the message that she needs to toilet outside.

Do not use things such as paper or puppy pads in the house, this just teaches them it is acceptable to toilet inside - and use bio washing powder to 'kill' the scent if she does go.

My pups are out about every half hour, after meals and when waking up for the first few weeks, and then I start to increase the spans - and look for them to start telling me when they want to go out - that is when you know the pup is housetrained, rather than avoiding accidents by taking them out frequently.

 

[yorkiegal]

At 11 weeks, Baxter still only wants to pee or poo inside. He has to be very desperate to do it elsewhere. He mostly goes on the sterile mats though. He just woke up 30 mins ago so I took him straight outside to see if he'd do it. He sat there with a mutinous look on his face and refused point blank to walk about, let alone wee. I gave up after 20 mins and brought him back inside, where he went straight to his mat and did his business. Honestly he looked at me as though he was saying ''Well you get to go inside Mum so why do you expect me to do it on the grass?''

 

[leashedForLife]

At this stage, you really need to be accompanying pup every single time they go out for toilet breaks - so you can supervise and ensure pup goes to the loo and so that you can praise like crazy when pup goes in the right place!

It is completely natural for a pup to be too excited whilst outside and not realise they are out there for a toilet break unless you make a structured routine for this.

:thumbup: Hurrah, katie! hip, hip...

 

[WelshOneEmma]

Can i just point out that whenever possible i do go outside with her, but when I am on a conference call (and jobs are on the line - including mine) this isn't possible. It isn't all the time she is going in the house, and when i do go outside with her we use the relevant words and praise. I have just had a few people comment how she should be sorted by now and this has worried me slightly.

 

[leashedForLife]

Can i just point out that whenever possible i do go outside with her, but when I am on a conference call (and jobs are on the line - including mine) this isn't possible.

then IMO, emma, she needs to be in a puppy-proofed area, or in a crate -
and specifically taken out to potty WITH AN ALARM SET so that U do not forget, every 2-hours,
plus after any meal, wake from a nap, excitement (dad / kids / visitors arrive...) and active play. [all triggers]

happy training,
--- terry

 

[kendal]

our first dog Gypsy lernt withinn the first week or 2 to cry when she needed out so when we got Inca we thught it would be a dodle as she would fallow on in sute, but no she was over 6 months before she was compleatly dry in the house, and our youngest again only too i think three week but the last week i think their were just two accidents.

it waqnt till inca turned three that she started to cry when she nedded out.


so every dog is different.

 

[swarthy]

then IMO, emma, she needs to be in a puppy-proofed area, or in a crate -
and specifically taken out to potty WITH AN ALARM SET so that U do not forget, every 2-hours,
plus after any meal, wake from a nap, excitement (dad / kids / visitors arrive...) and active play. [all triggers]

happy training,
--- terry

You took the words out of my mouth - I too work form home and have conference calls etc conference calls are seldom 'off the cuff' even if it is 5 or 10 minutes notice - which gives you time to take pup out, toilet and then pop her in her crate.

When mine are very young, once I lengthen the time between toilet trips - I tend to treat them for a while in the same way as I would if I was working outside the home and having someone in to see to them a few times a day - that way, if I do need to leave them for any reason, I an confident they can be left - and I am unlikely to come home to a barrel full of mess.

I made the fatal mistake of not doing this with number 5, and if left for any reason, she used to get herself in a right tizzy.

 

[new westie owner]

I take Bobby out on lead at 1st does his wee and poo then let him off for run about garden afterwards he now give me lil look as if to say follow me mum and sits at back door to go out

 

[classixuk]

bumped for forum reasons

 

[Oenoke]

It really depends on the pup. My Bertie wasn't house trained until he was about 8 months old, he was a nightmare!!! Teagan and Skye were both house trained by 12 weeks old. I've now got a 9 week old pup from Skye's litter, her last littermate left yesterday, so Star's training will begin in earnest now!

 

[katiefranke]

then IMO, emma, she needs to be in a puppy-proofed area, or in a crate -
and specifically taken out to potty WITH AN ALARM SET so that U do not forget, every 2-hours,
plus after any meal, wake from a nap, excitement (dad / kids / visitors arrive...) and active play. [all triggers]

happy training,
--- terry

exactly - completely agree.

I work from home too and although we didnt use the crate with it shut (we had one but it was open all the time as her bed and for travelling in the car) I had a baby pen which I couldnt have done without!

We used it to pen off a big corner of the room and joined the crate to it too at one side so she had a really nice area to play, sleep, eat etc in. I would pop her in there every time she needed a time out or I couldn't watch her. Personally I never left her to her own devices in the house or garden until she was a lot older so she never had the opportunity to do anything that would become a 'naughty' habit etc.

I also thinks this has other benefits, as pup learns to have some calm quiet time too and not to always pester for attention. My maggie goes to work with my OH now on days I am not at home and everyone always says how quiet and calm she is while they are working...they dont even know she is there half the time! and this has then transferred into other locations, such as when we visit friends and go places etc we know she can be trusted to lay down under the table or wherever and be good for a time

 

[Aurelia]

exactly - completely agree.

I work from home too and although we didnt use the crate with it shut (we had one but it was open all the time as her bed and for travelling in the car) I had a baby pen which I couldnt have done without!

We used it to pen off a big corner of the room and joined the crate to it too at one side so she had a really nice area to play, sleep, eat etc in. I would pop her in there every time she needed a time out or I couldn't watch her. Personally I never left her to her own devices in the house or garden until she was a lot older so she never had the opportunity to do anything that would become a 'naughty' habit etc.

I also thinks this has other benefits, as pup learns to have some calm quiet time too and not to always pester for attention. My maggie goes to work with my OH now on days I am not at home and everyone always says how quiet and calm she is while they are working...they dont even know she is there half the time! and this has then transferred into other locations, such as when we visit friends and go places etc we know she can be trusted to lay down under the table or wherever and be good for a time

THIS as well as all the other similar advice above

I also found that taking pup out on a lead for toileting meant they couldn't run around playing, and soon realised it was toilet time. Plus it was easier to teach them 'the command' for toileting.

I can honestly tell you that I am having a harder time keeping an eye on 4 kittens, making sure they dont hurt themselves ... than I had toilet training 3 puppies in the past!

If you get a conference call just pop pup in the crate until you're done.

 

[Montys_Mum]

We used crate training, paper in the kitchen for when we were out, taking him outside on a set routine (when really little, that was 15 mins after eating/drinking, and also every hour or two), at any sign he wanted out (e.g. sitting near door) we took him out. We also used a training word of 'business', so whenever we take him out we say 'business' and he goes. To train him that, we used to say it before and during his toilet, and then praised him.
He is now 6 months old, sleeps in a crate over night (8 hrs) without toileting, and sometimes he will go all day without toileting, although he usually has 1 or 2 pees on the paper we put down on kitchen floor.
Being a Basset Hound meant it did take longer to train him. But we found it was a stage thing, first to get him to go in the right place in the house as well as going outside when we needed him too.
It was a gradual thing, and takes time and patience. I thought we'd never get there!
But I would always recommend crate training, he helps train them to hold it, and not just toilet whenever they want too.
Keep back down door shut and watch pup, if he goes over to the door, let him out, stay with him until he has toileted, praise and bring him straight back in. If you don't let him out when he 'asks' you, he'll stop asking and just go wherever he wants to.
But also take him out regularly even if he doesn't ask. He'll soon get the idea to toilet outside. And as he gets older, you can take less frequent toilet breaks.
It seems like a high mountain to climb, but you will get there in the end!

 

[welshdoglover]

I'm not bragging but I got a new pup yesterday and I've not had one accident in the house so far

I take him outside to his 'area' and wait with him until he goes then praise him to the hilt. I think he's a quick learner

 

[leashedForLife]

I take him outside to his 'area' and wait with him until he goes then praise him to the hilt. I think he's a quick learner

that + U are watching him like a hawk :lol: Good for U! :thumbup: > click! <

 

[WelshOneEmma]

Ok, so Piper is doing well. Knows that she needs to go outside, and actively goes to the door when she needs to go. Has also been left on her own for 2-3 hours and all has been good. We do still have acidents though (she's coming up 6 months) and I was wondering if anyone had any ideas?

She will go to the door when she needs to go out but if you are in the other room (having a coffee etc) she will wait for maybe 30 seconds, then walk into the hallway and go. She won't bark to let us know she wants to go out. So the question is, how do i teach her to bark to alert us to the fact that she needs to go? She's not a barky dog in general.

 

[hawksport]

At six months I still wouldn't leave her uncrated if I wasn't in the same room