OK, I know it's my fault. 10 week old Ted has been an absolute star in going outside to pee and poo, responding to the click and treat, and being an all around good egg. He even paws the patio door to be let out to poo. However - right out of the blue he can just pee on the kitchen floor without circling, sniffing or giving any sign he's about to pee. He's done it just when I've left the room - by the door I've gone through, or in the corner where I've sprayed a liberal dose of cider vinegar "deterrent" (yeah, right) He can pee when he has just come in from having a pee outside even though I wait to make sure he's finished. I'm sitting up late now because immediately after having a pee he's taken a hefty slurp from his water bowl and then went back for more. Two attempts to get him to pee outside have failed and he's dozing at my feet. I mean, come on. He knows he gets no click and treat after peeing indoors, but he does if he's outside. It's beginning to resemble Trick or Treat now. Oh, and he's also turning into a land-shark when my son and daughter enter the room, but that's for another thread. Oh, Ted! We're so glad you're here, but really?
Been there, done that, bought the t-shirt. It brought me to tears a couple of times. One evening this happened (she was 9 or 10 weeks out for a wee. Wait a few minutes, observe second wee. Go inside. 10 minutes later, wee on floor. Go back outside, watch her wee, wait a few minutes, go back inside. 10 minutes later, another wee on floor. Rinse/repeat 5 times over the course of an hour. Yes, I was a blubbering mess. I was putting all this effort into toilet training so what was I doing wrong? I realised that late afternoons were the danger zone for us. For whatever reason she needed to go more frequently at that time of day (exactly during dinner prep, nice work dog), so I had to go back to out every 20 minutes at that time of day, and I was doing this until almost 12 weeks. For some reason a switch was flicked at 12 weeks and her bladder control/capacity increased so much. She's 13 weeks now and sometimes it feels like she suddenly has the bladder of a camel. It's confusing going from 20 minute gaps to gaps of 1.5 hours or more! So hold in there, keep doing what you're doing, and be alert to any "danger times". Hopefully it improves for you like it did for me!
Well, he's still just a baby and won't have full control over his bladder yet. He's doing pretty good from the sounds of it, but it's not unusual that he's had accidents here and there. Just keep doing what you are doing - taking him out at regular times, treating and making a fuss over him when he goes outside. He will get it eventually! For cleaning up inside accidents it is better to use an enzyme based cleaner which eliminates all scent. Good luck and keep us posted!
Oh crumbs. If you substituted Molly for Ted and her for him - I could have written that post I shouldn't laugh and I also have despairing moments when zonked at the end of a long day but I think it goes with the territory and as XDP and Lisa say, we will see light at the end of the tunnel - even if it seems a long way away just now.
It's not your fault - but neither is it Ted's. He's still just very young and the chances are you've got another few weeks of unreliable toileting ahead. Some are quicker than others but they all get there and in my experience it doesn't bear any relation to how quick they are to learn in other areas. ( I once had an amazingly obedient spaniel, but she was the puppy who took longest to be toilet trained).
I love all the encouraging replies, and of course I know that he'll one day be in control of his bladder. Right now, the poor family is on constant "amber alert". They have noticed that Ted will pee as soon as I leave the room. Do puppies protest with a pee, do you think? I went up for a quick doze about an hour ago to catch up on lost sleep, and I could hear my lovely daughter clicking and praising down on the patio (sounds like an evangelical service, but no), so he's obviously performing well out there. I got up, and he did two pees on the floor each time I briefly left the room. Puzzling, that. He's now asleep at my feet again, so there'll be an hour or so respite. I think I might start a pee journal (not for publication on here) to get an idea of his pattern.
Well, this will teach me to be so 'jolly' about your misery with this Deejay50 and others. We've been out and about, mostly in the garden, little bit of basic training, a short walk in the lanes, then just mooching outside while we gardened, tidied up etc. Molly has been out with us all the time, occasionally peeing (praised) and playing. All told, a quiet and easy going day. We came back indoors to collect a couple of things prior to going back into the garden and in the brief moments my back was turned Molly pee'd on the floor. No reaction at all, just hunkered down then wandered off ... no idea at all that it was not the right place to pee. Irritating thing is that it hasn't happened for 4 or so days so I'd fooled myself into thinking we'd cracked it. Oh boy here we go again.
They are all widdlers at first, celebrate the outside wees and ignore the accidents - it all comes together and then one day ~~ no accidents! Be sure not to blame yourself, or the dog, it's very early days for your pupster ...
That look in his eye is a look for your reaction - be sure you don't react at all to indoor widdles. Praise for outdoor ones. I stopped giving Kara treats as she'd stop mid wee to get the treat!! ...
That look in his eye is a look for your reaction - be sure you don't react at all to indoor widdles. Now that's interesting. I'd always thought you bellowed "No!" and scooped him up to interrupt the flow and take him to the designated peeing zone. When I clean up the indoor puddle he thinks it's a game, even though I don't talk to or look at him. He tried to "help" by biting at the cloth or my hand. What larks for him!
Oh yes! Kara is just the same, I pop her in her pen while I clear up. Everything is a game to pups - that's what makes them such fun ...
The reason we don't do that is because the more positive you can be with little pups - and older pups, the better. Your bond with them is the main thing which works for later training. The more positive the bond the easier the training - and more rewarding for both of you. ...
Well Molly doesn't even get a look in her eye. She actually seems to be totally unaware that she's peeing at all, just hesitates mid-stride, pees and keeps going I was praising and giving a bit of kibble when she went outside but also found she was looking round and stopping mid-piddle to collect her treat so stopped that, though she is given much praise.
Yikes, I did the "ah!" too, based on the advice from Victoria Stilwell's book (which I read before discovering this place). Ah well, you live and learn and strive to do better every day.
Now that Kara is a bit older (10 weeks) I call her to the spending area and give her the treat before she wees. That way I'm hoping she gets the pleasant association with the right place without the stopping mid-wee! (It's all a learning curve as all pups are different ) ...
This is now the third straight day with no indoor puddles. The secret has been vigilance and delivering him outside in good time. That outdoor pee is rewarded. Thanks for all the wise words of experience in reply to my question.
