How Can I Get Puppy To Tell Me She Needs Outside

[JudyG]

My puppy is almost 19 weeks old now and is 'almost' toilet trained! Only problem I have is that if the back door is open she has no accidents - if it is closed ( and sometimes it needs to be for the air-conditioning) she pees just at the door. I assume she knows she needs to go outside because she is peeing at the door. I am cleaning it up with water and vinegar. How can I get her to signal she needs to go? When I know the door is closed I try to keep an eye out where she is and last night I was sure I knew where she was all the time but still found a puddle when I went to let her out before bed (she had already peed outside at least twice during the evening)

[poodlefan]

Can you install a dog door?

[The Spotted Devil]

My Dally as a puppy was a bit subtle too.....he just looked "uncomfortable" - the only way I can describe it. Yes, you can train puppy to ring a bell on a door or install a dog door (not practical for us as we have indoor cats) but I found it just as easy to take him out for regular toilet breaks - half an hour to begin with and then building up as his bladder strength improved. I always took him out after the usual things e.g. eating, drinking, waking up, before bed, playing etc and made sure he was with me at all times. That meant restricting his access to the room I was in or putting him in a crate beside me if I needed to get some work done. He's fantastic now and still doesn't look much more than "uncomfortable" but I'm always popping outside to garden or put the chooks away etc and he just comes with me. Of course he always goes out first thing in the morning, last thing at night and as soon as I get home.

Whilst toilet training can come early for some (Zig did 2 wees overnight as an 8 week old pup and then never again), I suspect that full bladder control doesn't come until much later so keep on building good habits with your pup

[FranVT]

I notice the sniffies start to happen, also Luuka seems to have one area of the house that she wees in so I try to make sure I am keeping an eye on when she heads in that direction. She doesn't want to be around us all the time so it is difficult, but we can only do our best and praise lots when she wees outside.

[Dogsfevr]

Agree doggy door or go back to basics & teaching her to alert you.

We have a doggy door so easy peasy

[Guest Ams]

I started by tacking mine outside frequently with the comment "Who wants to empty their puppy". Once outside the command was "Empty the puppy" with lots of praise when they did

Now I just say "who wants to empty the puppy", open the door and as they all rush out its "Empty the puppy and come back inside" so they do... all rush off to their respective areas, poop, pee and come back inside. :D

edit for honesty.. well mostly but its mainly the foster dogs that have oopses and haven't caught on to the commands yet.

Edited January 18, 2010 by Ams

[JudyG]

Thanks for the replies - I do have a dog door but it is in the laundry and I am currently restricting the puppy to the kitchen and family room. I thought it would be too much to teach her the way to the dog door in the laundry straight away because to get to it would mean having to allow her access to other areas of the house I don't want her in yet ( i.e too big an area to keep a watch on her!)

i would rather not put another door in - I was waiting until she was fairly reliable then I was going to allow her more access to the house and train her to use the dog door in the laundry.

[poodlefan]

Thanks for the replies - I do have a dog door but it is in the laundry and I am currently restricting the puppy to the kitchen and family room. I thought it would be too much to teach her the way to the dog door in the laundry straight away because to get to it would mean having to allow her access to other areas of the house I don't want her in yet ( i.e too big an area to keep a watch on her!)

i would rather not put another door in - I was waiting until she was fairly reliable then I was going to allow her more access to the house and train her to use the dog door in the laundry.

I would train the dog door now.. If she's having accidents in the house because she can't get out, it's derailing the whole toilet training effort.

Teach her out to use it now and take her out ONLY by that door after waking, eating, playing etc.

If supervision is an issue then think about introducing a crate. If you can't watch puppy, she goes in there.

Edited January 18, 2010 by poodlefan

[JudyG]

If supervision is an issue then think about introducing a crate. If you can't watch puppy, she goes in there.

I am starting to wonder if my older dog is incontinent as I was sure I was watching puppy all the time last night!!

[poodlefan]

If supervision is an issue then think about introducing a crate. If you can't watch puppy, she goes in there.

I am starting to wonder if my older dog is incontinent as I was sure I was watching puppy all the time last night!!

Wouldn't be the first time an adult dog has overmarked a pup's 'accident'.

[FranVT]

Oh god, tell me about it. Was short lived, thank goodness.

[Zug Zug]

Is the pup a bit shy? I have a shy one who never learnt to alert me to his need to go out. I just have to take him out at regular intervals and he goes on demand.

Other dog more assertive - no problems bossing us around. Strides to the back door and lets out a very clear bark. If I could translate it into English, I'd say she's saying something like 'Hurry up - let's move!'