Puppy just goes whenever and wherever when she needs to go, except when she is in her kennel.
I realize that this is normal, but I’m lucky enough to have permission to take her to work with me and don’t want it to become a problem if I can’t potty train her soon.
What I need is a schedule and a program to get this done.
Take her out right after she wakes up, 10-15 minutes after eating or drinking and any other time she looks like she’s wandering around looking for a spot to go. For young puppies, I like to carry them outside so they can’t stop and go on the way to the door.
I forgot to mention that she is 4 months old.
What size/breed/ small dogs and certain breeds are more difficult to house train.
If she is spayed, have you talked to our vet about post-spay incontinence?
I got my dog at 4 months, from a shelter. The above process worked for him. He was reliable by 6 months as long as I was paying attention. Probably 8-9 months before I could trust that he could hold it if I wasn’t on the ball with taking him out when he asked.
She is a chihuahua/pekingese cross. When I take her outside she doesn’t always go - too cold/raining/windy/distractions - then we go back in and she pees on the floor 
You don’t go back in until she goes, it’s that simple. Keep her on a leash terhered to you at all times.
When she wakes up you say “potty time” go outside untill she goes, maybe a few times even.
After she drinks water, same thing.
After she eats food, same thing.
Every 20 min take her outside, again saying “let’s go pee pee” ( or whatever phrase/command suits you).
Puppies have tiny bladders, they don’t know any better.
They need consistency and to be tired.
Maybe try a product like Simple Solution Puppy Aid? http://www.amazon.com/Simple-Solutio…/dp/B00N5THBUK
It is a spray attracts the pup and they want to pee on it. Lots of products like it. Look at reviews.
What surface does your dog like to pee on? Some like grass some hate grass some like to pee on a bush etc.
Take the bottle out with you pick the spot you want her to pee, while she is not close/looking spritz a little on the preferred surface and call her over to sniff. When she pees praise and give a treat. Do this often until she gets the idea.
Clean inside with a product that removes the scent from where she has had accidents. As long as she smells pee in the house her brain says it is ok to pee in the house.
The breeder of my oldest dog used to send these instructions out with her puppies: “Take puppy out after waking, eating, drinking, playing, and about 100 more times every day. If the puppy soils in the house, roll up a newspaper and hit yourself over the head with it.”
House training is exhausting because you pretty much never do anything but watch the puppy until they are reliable…so…like 6 months. LIttle puppies can’t hold their bladder for long, and if you don’t have them on a schedule of some sort, they don’t even try.
Our morning schedule was something like this:
Wake up - outside and stay outside until he pees, if he poops too, also good
Feed puppy - back outside within 10 minutes (or immediately, if he did not poop on first trip outside)
Supervised play - take outside within 30 minutes
Puppy in puppy playpen while I would shower - back outside after shower/dressing
Most often, the puppy would pee each time outside. We had a spot we would visit specifically for potty trips and would stay there until they go.
Some dogs are easier than others. I got the oldest guy in the summer and practically left my back door open all summer long. He never had accidents in the house and it wasn’t until fall that I wondered if he would actually “ask” to go out if he had to. He did. But that was the easiest puppy I ever had. None of the others trained themselves like that.
Oh and praise praise praise your pup, after they do their business, it’s a celebration.
I have a chi/yorkie/bishion cross. He is mostly potty trained, but it took me at least 3 years. Not what you wanted to hear, I am sure.
however, he is crate-trained and if he refused to pee/poop outside when I expected him to, either back into the crate or into his room for a short time. then a walk and crate again if unsuccessful.
he is 95% trained. If it is raining or snowing all bets are off. However, he and I have gotten trained so that first time out of the crate is outside. He can be predicted right now, which makes my life easier.
Is there anything that she just looooves–treat or toy–that can be her “you’ve gone potty outside, yay!” motivator?
I have a 15 week old lab pup that is VERY food motivated. So much that now he will go out to the yard sometimes if we are out there playing–stop–look at me, and then coming running for his “I went pee treat”. lol.
I always have treats in my pocket. For peeing/pooping/staying/sitting/leave it/come/ etc etc. I watch him like a hawk. The two accidents he has had were when my husband and son were watching him at 8-10 weeks.
I take him out after playing, after eating, after drinking, after sleeping–and many more times. He is sleeping through the night now, thank goodness–and that only took a little bit. (Granted, his bladder is probably already several sizes bigger than your pups, so it is easier for us).
I praise, praise, praise for him going potty. Every single time. And give a tiny treat. He knows he is a good boy now and is so happy to go. lol.
I remember when my jrt was a baby like yesterday–and she is 15 years old now. She was SOOOOO hard to potty train. We would stay outside forever and she would come right in and pee. The only thing that helped us? When I got a 10 week old golden retriever that was so smart and wonderful–and he trained them both in a weeks time. God Bless his baby heart.
Best wishes to you. It’s so difficult and exhausting.
You’ve already been given a program (see S1969’s post). The rule of thumb for pups is they can hold month in age + 1 = how many hours they can hold their bladder. For a toy, I’d say minus that hour ;).
I’d say my program is a schedule of regular and frequent trips outside on leash where I mark and reward peeing or pooping. When a new dog isn’t tethered to me or strictly supervised, puppers is confined. I have never intentionally trained a dog to ask to go outside to eliminate: it isn’t necessary when they have such a frequent schedule, unless they are sick. In that case, every dog I ever owned signaled they desperately need to get outside QUICK!
You do need to wait her out on a short leash in a smelly, quiet patch of grass or mulch. Socializing, playing, walking around does not happen until AFTER she pees. Invest the time short term for long term gain. A less desirable option may be a litter pan, which has its own set of issues in a professional office.
You also need to prevent her free access to “go” anytime anywhere. What is her setup at the office? Baby gate in your office? Expen? There is no way you can monitor and swoop in on a tiny puppy popping a squat if she’s down the hallway or you’re focused on a spreadsheet. For now, more confinement, more intentional bathroom breaks.
What about something like this just outside the door? You could use a short-sided under bed box for a little dog.
If the puppy doesn’t go, bring him in and put him right in his crate for 10 mins then bring him back outside. Continue this until puppy goes.
I feel your pain. I am currently in the middle of teaching my 10 week old cattle dog puppy the ways of potty training. I am lucky to be able to bring her to work with me every day and she stays in my office with me with the door closed so she can’t wander out into the hallway and have an accident. I make sure to take her out to potty at least every hour if shes sleeping and even more frequently if she is active and awake and playing. I take her on 3-4 nice little walks throughout the day to help tire her out so she is not too much of a terror in my office.It is such a great way to socialize your new puppy by getting to take them to work.
My husband is the worst at watching her. I give him specific instructions when it comes to watching her and taking her out to potty while I am in the shower or not able to watch her. That is the only time she is really having accidents. Little pups are so fast at popping a squat while they are playing. Just as everyone has said in the above posts. Praise is your number one reward when they go potty outside. I also find that my girl may actually need to go twice before I can dependably bring her back in and not have another piddle on the floor in the next 30 min. I think they get so easily distracted outside they don’t get it all out the first time.
You are so right about them getting distracted outside. Today has been especially rough. I have been taking her out every hour, the rest of the time she is tethered to my chair or in her kennel (open plan office). She did peed and poo’d outside once today, the rest of the time it was as soon as we walk back inside : (
She is over 4 months old, we’ve had her since she was 6 weeks old and there has been zero progress. Vet and trainer all say we are doing the right thing, but I’m getting super frustrated.
If pup doesn’t go outside, walk to door, pick up pup, open door, carry pup to crate and put her in the crate.
Wait 10 minutes and carry her to the door, open door set her down, wait for potty…
…rinse, repeat until you have pee/potty - YAY!!! Gooood puppy! Treats!
-For about 2 weeks. No puppy on foot outside her crate inside the house until she is clear how great it is to go outside.
Then she can start to walk from the door to her crate AFTER potty outside. Still carry her from crate to the door to go potty and don’t put her down until outside. Gradually give her longer time outside the crate AFTER she has pottied outside. If she is out in the house for more than 1 hour pick her up and go to the door, and she goes back outside to potty.
Mistakes don’t say anything, just go immediately outside. She shouldn’t have paws on the floor access to the inside for some time until she ‘gets it’.
Oh, take the pup outside to play during this crating period.
Good for both of you.
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