Our 11 week old pup Maxx will run to his pee-patch and wee if he is outside. He receives a treat each time. However if he is inside he just wees wherever he is standing and is not giving us any indication that he needs to go. How can we teach him to let us know to let him out please? By the way, I just also want to say what a Godsend this forum is. A little over a week ago my husband and I were sadly discussing taking our little Maxx to a shelter as we were exhausted, lacerated and despairing. I had to go back to work in a few days and even though hubby works from home, it was going to be impossible to have any semblance of normality and we were obviously very bad parents. Then we read the 'will it ever improve' thread and realised we were not alone by any stretch of the imagination. It would get better! And how true this is; in only 10 days we have seen an improvement and whilst small it gives us hope that soon we will have skin again on our hands and arms instead of bite wounds and we might be able to let him roam around without needing to follow him closely in order to save our furniture/plants/clothing/shoes/etc Thank you!
Hi@Maxx's Mum, and welcome to the Forum from myself and Cassie, who is 20 months, in the UK. He probably doesn't know himself that he needs to go! The thing is to take him out after food, after sleeping and at intervals in between. Do you have any of Pippa's books - the Happy Puppy book or Labrador Handbook? They are very helpful as are articles on the main site. It's important to use a powerful cleaner where he has wee'd inside as ordinary household cleaners don't remove the odour, the puppy can smell the wee and then thinks that's where he should pee. I don't know what they are called in Australia .. perhaps @Emily , @Oberon, @Sven could help? Don't despair, Lab pups are tough going but one day you will have a gorgeous dog and friend
You can buy Simple Solution in Oz: https://www.thevetshed.com.au/buy/simple-solution-platinum-oxy-charged-stain-remover/51-11041
It's really down to us to learn our pups signals for toileting as they are usually very subtle. At 11 weeks when a pup needs to go they need to go right now! You may notice some sniffing or circling before squatting but it's only seconds before. Life becomes easier as the bladder matures and pups learn to hold for longer . The key to toilet training us vigilance, frequent trips to the garden (after sleeping, eating, drinking, playing, training and around every 30 minutes apart from these ) and using a spray like Simple Solution to clean up indoors.
It will improve enormously He’s very young indeed, it will be a few weeks before he’s reliable indoors, but the widdle widdle widdle phase is, thankfully, short. .
