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How long did it take your pup to understand peeing in house is unacceptable?

1641 Views 18 Replies 12 Participants Last post by  chul3l3ies1126
How long did it take your pup to get the idea that peeing in the house is not good? I'm crate training my eight week old BC girl and she's doing pretty good. She hasn't had one accident in her crate, and will whine when she needs to be taken out to pee/poo, something I'm reeeeaally grateful for. At night, I take her out every two and a half to three hours, and she's been fine with that. During the day, I take her out every two hours. She just about always take care of her business when I take her out, and of course, I praise her with lots of love and praise when she potty's outside.

She still has accidents though. I don't get it. I'll take her outside and she'll pee, and then I'll bring her in and twenty minutes later she'll try to pee again. When this happens I immediately pick her up and take her out to where she should potty, and she finishes there.

How am I supposed to get it across to her that peeing inside is wrong and upsets mommy? Should I start taking a bag of treats outside with me and giving her one everytime she potty's where she's supposed to? This way when she tries to pee inside, she doesn't get one and knows it wrong.

How long did it take y'alls pup to learn that peeing inside is bad and what did y'all do to make them understand this?

Or maybe what I'm going through is totally normal for an eight week old pup that I've only had for a week, and I'm just overreacting . . . .

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It took Chloe until she was around nine months old to get the concept down. She acted like your pup...she'd go when I would take her out, but then she'd go fifteen minutes later in the house. She wouldn't go in a crate or small area, so she just lived in our backhallway the first few months of her life.

I think what you are doing sounds fine. She is still just a baby and it will take her awhile to have bladder control. You could try taking her out more frequently during the day. I always take puppies out every 45 minutes.
At eight weeks, a pup hasn't almost no bodily control. Even if she wants to warn you, she will have almost no warning herself.

Don't wait for her to whine.
Misty was potty trained at around five months..

But that was with CONSTANT supervision/vigilance. Your pup is so young, she doesn't yet have the control to hold it. Believe me, this is my first puppy, and I'll admit that I had NO idea how difficult potty training is. I was a bit overwhelmed at first, too, but it does get better, and what you're doing sounds perfect.

Just keep training, get the idea in there--get the association of good things following pottying outside. When she's old enough to hold it, she will do her best.

By the way, she is absolutely beautiful.
Bladder control is the big one. When they're that small, their bladders simply aren't big enough to hold for any length of time, and they haven't quite got the ability to control it yet.

The other thing is that puppies' brains usually aren't developed enough to fully understand housebreaking until they're a min of 3 months old.

Keep at it, the big thing is lots of praise when they DO go where you want them to, no matter if you put them there or not, and a firm "UH-UH" when you catch them going in the house, right as you pick them up to haul them outside.

We got our B&T coonhound at about 4 months and started immediately. It took about 6 weeks to get it down solid, I would say about 10 weeks from the start of training till her last "accident" if you don't count when she was drugged up after she was spayed.
Well...if she's only 8 weeks old....you've got a long road ahead of you yet; just hang in there!!!

My Poodle puppy is now over 8 mos old and he is pretty well house trained; I didn't really feel confident in his 'ability' until he was about 6 months, though. He had very few accident in the house when he was little, but you just never know, and there are plenty of places to go and 'hide' in our apartment!
Sounds to me like you're doing a good job so far! Try taking her out a little more often, though. When i got my pup she was about 5 weeks (dumped at my work) and i took her out about every half hour to 45 mins. She learned to whine at the door and hasn't had an accident since about 2months old. I wouldn't suggest treats for going pee, just lots of praise like its the best thing you've ever seen. Be consistent and patient you're puppy will learn. Just remember not to yell at her when she goes inside. Then she won't want to go with you around. Good luck!
Might I suggest that if she potties 20 mins after you take her out that you take her out every half hour-hour instead of 2 hours...2 hours is quite a while for a pup to hold their pee.
Thank you all for your replies.

Okay she has just literally squatted and pee'd about 15 times in the last thirty minutes: one time inside, once in her crate, and once on me as I was taking her outside because she woke up screaming in her crate in a puddle of pee. The rest of the times outside.

And I just found out why. Because a couple days ago she was sick and stopped drinking water, we started adding water to her food so she wouldn't get dehydrated. Well, she started drinking again yesterday (Thanks God!), but today when my fiance (who forgot that she started drinking again) was preparing her dinner, he added almost a cup and a half of water to her food! She slurped it all up! May not sound like a lot, but her bladder is too tiny to hold all that.

It scared me that she was peeing so much and I didn't get it, plus she had never peed in her crate up until now. That's when the Mr. Dumdum Fiance told me he had almost filled up her food bowl with water, canned food, and a bit of kibble. Poor baby. She literally woke up screaming and howling in her crate laying in her pee after only ten minutes of peeing before.

*Sigh of relief*

I guess I will keep doing what I'm doing with the potty training. She's been doing good, just gotta take note of when she takes in a lot of water and remember to take her out more often after she eats/drinks alot.

Thanks again for replies!

Oh and I will not give her treats for pottying outside if y'all don't think it's a good idea. I'm assumming it's because then she'll always expect a treat after she pees, even when she's older?
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My guy was house trained at 4.5 months, the 2nd day after we got him was the last accident he had in the house. He spent a month in the pound before I got him. Never had an accident in his crate which amazed me cause they're forced to go in their cages at the pound.

After every meal, and anytime he wandered out of my site, I brought him outside. So, for the first 3 weeks, even though he stopped having accidents in the house, he was going out about 10 times a day at least. Now it's only if he goes to the back door and whimpers as we've learnt if he's not whimpering it's cause he wants to go out and play. lol
I don't give treats for peeing, just lots of praise. Usually you can't get to them quickly enough after they pee for them to understand what the treat is for.

I *do* however always give our coonhound a treat when she comes inside, mainly because she's a runner, and I want her to know that coming in is a good thing.
Yeah, any time her feed or water schedule or intake changes her potty frequency can change as well!

I remember one night, when my baby was about 3 months old, I had decided, that because my boy had been soooooo good about not pottying overnight, that I would give him a tiny drink before bedtime; mind you it was just a few slurps too! Well, wrong I was...I woke to a screaming puppy, who was already sitting in a puddle! I took him out, he piddled again; I gave him a new bed ( smaller towel) and woke again, later to another puddled towel and an unhappy puppy! After that, I didn't give him anymore nightly drinks...and had no more accidents at night either, ever! He can have them now, of course, but I didn't start giving him anymore of them until he was 7 months old!
My guy was house trained at 4.5 months, the 2nd day after we got him was the last accident he had in the house. He spent a month in the pound before I got him. Never had an accident in his crate which amazed me cause they're forced to go in their cages at the pound.

After every meal, and anytime he wandered out of my site, I brought him outside. So, for the first 3 weeks, even though he stopped having accidents in the house, he was going out about 10 times a day at least. Now it's only if he goes to the back door and whimpers as we've learnt if he's not whimpering it's cause he wants to go out and play. lol
My general rule of thumb is to take her out every two hours during the week/day time when I'm working, but on the weekends I'm out with her just about every hour. Can't wait til my girl learns to whimper at the front door to go out. Been thinking about bell training her....
Yeah, any time her feed or water schedule or intake changes her potty frequency can change as well!

I remember one night, when my baby was about 3 months old, I had decided, that because my boy had been soooooo good about not pottying overnight, that I would give him a tiny drink before bedtime; mind you it was just a few slurps too! Well, wrong I was...I woke to a screaming puppy, who was already sitting in a puddle! I took him out, he piddled again; I gave him a new bed ( smaller towel) and woke again, later to another puddled towel and an unhappy puppy! After that, I didn't give him anymore nightly drinks...and had no more accidents at night either, ever! He can have them now, of course, but I didn't start giving him anymore of them until he was 7 months old!
Thanks for the warning! I usually don't let her drink after 8, sometimes 9 at night. I'm already up three time a night with her to potty, so I'm afraid if she drinks too late I'd be up way more often.

Pups/dogs are a lot of work, but I love my new girl so much already. I don't have any children, so I'm really enjoying this mothering I've been having to do. Sometimes when she's being bad and I'm getting frustrated, I can't help but remember how blessed I am to have her and my other girl and the frustration goes away.
Hey I feel you on this...I just got a new lab about a week now...My wife and I got on a schedule and have kept with it, now we still have accidents in the house but she has not woke up to PEE at all at night but she doesnt get food or water after 8. Just remember after water and food, go outside ten minutes later...doesnt go...put in create NO YELLING...try again every 10 minutes...when she goes let her out of create and play with her....take her out 1 hour later, and continue first steps...GREAT LUCK!!!!
I got my two Great Danes from a Rescue a few hours from here and was given the okay by their Vet, the Rescue "head", and my Vet to take them home at 6 weeks old. (Very early would never recommend it to anyone without experience and esp. if you are only taking 1 puppy- I was cleared because I myself work in rescue and have raised litters of puppies before)

Anyway my male Callahan only had 1 accident the first day we brought him home... he was potty trained by 7 weeks old. Jade was alot different, she took a bit longer and was potty trained at 9 weeks old. They are now 1 year and 3 months old and have never had an accident since.

My way was to make sure that my whole family was up to the task of helping out, a puppy is a family affair (when you are alone, it can be done as well, you just have to be vigilant). Callahan and Jade were taken outside every 15-30 minutes for the first 3 days (or whenever they would get up and do circles), then every hour and so on for the rest of the time. I made sure that the week we were getting them I had time off from school and work, which is really the ideal (just not possible for alot of people). Every time after a meal and water they went straight outside, I NEVER gave them the opportunity to relieve themselves inside. In the end it is all up to the owner, they have no idea what is right or wrong at that age, they'll just go WHERE Ever! lol, so if you dont give them the chance to do it inside... they will catch on that outside is where I always do this! hehe

They were with me at all times and never were out of my sight, when we had to leave we placed them in their crates and they never once had an accident in there. As soon as we would return it was straight outside. I used a clicker to reward them every time they relieved themselves.

I was one of the lucky ones... it takes alot of patience and super super amounts of consistency... those two things are the number one priority with training any dog and pup.
Good Luck
Nessa
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I got my two Great Danes from a Rescue a few hours from here and was given the okay by their Vet, the Rescue "head", and my Vet to take them home at 6 weeks old. (Very early would never recommend it to anyone without experience and esp. if you are only taking 1 puppy- I was cleared because I myself work in rescue and have raised litters of puppies before)

Anyway my male Callahan only had 1 accident the first day we brought him home... he was potty trained by 7 weeks old. Jade was alot different, she took a bit longer and was potty trained at 9 weeks old. They are now 1 year and 3 months old and have never had an accident since.

My way was to make sure that my whole family was up to the task of helping out, a puppy is a family affair (when you are alone, it can be done as well, you just have to be vigilant). Callahan and Jade were taken outside every 15-30 minutes for the first 3 days (or whenever they would get up and do circles), then every hour and so on for the rest of the time. I made sure that the week we were getting them I had time off from school and work, which is really the ideal (just not possible for alot of people). Every time after a meal and water they went straight outside, I NEVER gave them the opportunity to relieve themselves inside. In the end it is all up to the owner, they have no idea what is right or wrong at that age, they'll just go WHERE Ever! lol, so if you dont give them the chance to do it inside... they will catch on that outside is where I always do this! hehe

They were with me at all times and never were out of my sight, when we had to leave we placed them in their crates and they never once had an accident in there. As soon as we would return it was straight outside. I used a clicker to reward them every time they relieved themselves.

I was one of the lucky ones... it takes alot of patience and super super amounts of consistency... those two things are the number one priority with training any dog and pup.
Good Luck
Nessa

Nessa, thank you for responding. So you're telling me your baby's got that they were supposed to potty outside at 7 and 9 weeks. Really, that's amazing. How did they let you know that they needed out? Whining at door? Whining at you? Did they ring a bell at the door? My eight week old girl will give me no warning, and I'm so consistent about taking her out. During the work week, I can only take her out every two hours (no accidents in crate), but every other time she's out of her crate and I'm home supervising, it's usually every hour, sometimes sooner. Now of course, when I see her sniffing around I immediately pick her up and take her out. I just wish she would whine or something, like she does when she's in her crate and needs to pee/poo.

What did your pups do to warn you at that young of an age that they needed to potty?
About a week, then he got poisoned by some sick b-tards, and he started doing it again, but i didn't care, he just couldn't hold it, but dunno... something ''got him'' when he saw me cleaning all his pee and vomit at high times of the night that he never urinated in the house again.
Nessa, thank you for responding. So you're telling me your baby's got that they were supposed to potty outside at 7 and 9 weeks. Really, that's amazing. How did they let you know that they needed out? Whining at door? Whining at you? Did they ring a bell at the door? My eight week old girl will give me no warning, and I'm so consistent about taking her out. During the work week, I can only take her out every two hours (no accidents in crate), but every other time she's out of her crate and I'm home supervising, it's usually every hour, sometimes sooner. Now of course, when I see her sniffing around I immediately pick her up and take her out. I just wish she would whine or something, like she does when she's in her crate and needs to pee/poo.

What did your pups do to warn you at that young of an age that they needed to potty?
7 weeks for Callahan my male and 9 weeks for Jade my female. They would whine at the door, sometimes scratch at the door... it got to the point where I would say "You need to go outside?" and they would RUN to the door and be ready to go peepees hehe.

At the very beginning there are signs sometimes that they need to go. The circling, the sniffing at the floor and walking then hesitating to walk and again with the circles. Things like that... they may not whine, but you can tell with their movements ;).

Once Callahan really got it, he would either look at me and whine, or go to the door and sit there and stare. I think I have a video somewhere, where they are 7 weeks old and I am doing some obedience (They both learned to sit, stay, lay down, give paw, and come when called by 7 weeks as well) and Callahan just suddenly up and goes to the door and stands and stares at it lol. You can hear my father say, "He needs to go out!" hehe yea he needed to go, just opened the door and out to the grass he went!

Just look for clues and watch for the typical signs... it sounds like your doing good so far... with the majority of people and their new pups... it takes a long time lol I've actually have people call me and the pups "FREAKS!!!" for being potty trained that early! LOL!

But hey! My mom says they take after me!!! My mother potty trained me at 9 months! HAHAHA! Too funny huh?!
Good Luck! If you have any more questions just let me know!
Nessa
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