[GusDad]

My 5 month old Goldendoodle still pees in the house. He gives no indication, no real sniffing around, just pees. For example, we might be playing fetch in the house with a tennis ball and he'll just pause and go wherever he is. I don't think he understands the difference between outside and inside yet, and I don't know how to teach it.

I am clicker training Gus, so he gets ignored for bad behavior and lots of praise and/or a treat for good behavior. He has to wait before walking through a doorway, and does that well. He knows the basics like sit/wait/come, and he walks well on the leash. He is in his crate when he is not being supervised, and no longer pees in it (he used to when he was younger). He can hold it for up to 7 hours at a time; I haven't tried to go longer. I always get him to pee in the same general area in the yard, though he will pee in other areas if we are out playing. He does pee frequently outside, seeming to never fully empty his bladder. I do take him out frequently as a preemptive measure, since he gives no indication to go out.

How do I teach him that peeing outside is the rule, and to indicate that he wants to go out to pee? Do I keep him crated 100% of the time indoors? If so, how does he ever learn to give an indication he wants to go outside?

My last dog was the easiest housetraining dog ever. This is so different, and very frustrating.

 

[Trainer]

Exactly what do you do when he pees inside?

 

[TooneyDogs]

Obviously, he doesn't knoiw that it's wrong to go in the house. If you've been rewarding/praising and treating for going in the right place (outside) but, he still hasn't made the connection then, you'll have to take a more direct approach.
The second he starts to pee, interrupt him....hand clap, stomp your foot on the floor, slap a wall....anything to interrupt him....don't let him finish because that is very self-rewarding. Immediately herd him to the door....if he dribbles on the way, so be it.
Praise for finishing in the right potty area.
You have to catch him in the act. That's essential to making this work.

 

[GusDad]

When he was smaller I used to gently scoop him up when he started to pee, but now I yell loudly and grab him and run him outside. I make him wait out there while I clean up the pee. It's getting tougher since he weighs almost 40 lbs. now.

 

[Sophie's Mum]

Other than the above advice, I'd get him checked to see if he might have a Urinary Tract Infection. Pups with UTI's often can't control their bladders.

 

[GusDad]

Gus has been checked, and has no UTI. We did a urinalysis and a urine culture.

 

[Trainer]

When you scoop him up and take him outside, wait out there with his so you can praise him for peeing outside. That way he will learn what he is supposed to do. Otherwise he is only learning what not to do without figuring out what he should do. Don't yell, that is counterproductive. Make just enough disturbance to stop him from peeing. Don't fuss at his for making a mistake. That is also counterproductive. Just bring him back inside after praising him for peeing outside, put him down and clean up the inside pee without making a fuss over it.

You are trying to give him too many messages at once and he is getting confused. Right now the only message you should be giving him is "Good job for peeing outside." Nothing else. Once he grasps that, the others take care of themselves. Working on the others without him grasping the concept of peeing outside is useless.

 

[Blueaz]

Hi, I didn't want to start a new topic for the same question. I've had the exact same above problem, and I'm halfway there to fixing it. He has no issues at home anymore, even though he still does not indicate when he needs to go out. Our problems are when we visit other homes. He can make as many trips out the doggie door for the sake of fun as he wants, but if it's not in his convience to go outside he wont. Even after we've been back for less then 10 minutes from a walk outside just for a potty break. So far our hosts have been all wonderful dog loving people and understand PUPPY, I don't want to wear out that welcome.

 

[GusDad]

I fear taking Gus to anyone else's house, for that same reason. I just want him to learn inside vs. outside. Right now I scoop him up and take him outside, and he gets tons of praise for going out there, and a treat if I can grab one on my way. He just doesn't understand that he can only go outside yet.