[londontami]

well my 12 week old puppy started out doing so well, doing his business outside as long as i got him out there on time and if not, using his peepee pads (pees on them perfectly, pooping was a bit of a hit or miss, but usually right on the pad)

now all of a sudden for no reason, he has started pooping in odd areas, like behind the sofa, etc. but all areas he hits are on the parameter of the room - just like he does outside.

i take him to the same area for potty outside and i have always noticed that he likes to poop on the parameter of this area.

i dont know why this has started, nothing has happened, i never reprimand i only reinforce the positive.

any advice would be more than appreciated! oh and yes, i realize he is still quite young so i am not really all that bothered but would like it to stop.

[lange]

He's very young, and honestly, most wont master it for quite some time.

Are you using an enzyme cleaner on the accidents?
Is he crate trained?

I personally think using pee pads makes it even that more harder & confusing for a pup. But since you already started this method, you just need to be vigilant when your pup is roaming free. If you can't dedicate the time to watch your pup, put him in a crate until you can focus on him. That way you always catch him in the act when he is doing it wrong. Mistakes are good in that they can teach the dog his errors, but only if you catch him in the act. mistakes you don't catch are really the main problem which is why he needs to be watched like a hawk or put in his crate when you can't.

If you can dedicate a week to complete supervision of your pup, you'll go through this stage faster. A dogs potty training goes hand in hand with how well supervised the pup is.

[dralionagogo]

I agree that puppy pads add a level of confusion. It's easiest to just take them out multiple times a day. By now you're probably starting to learn something of a schedule, so make sure he does go every time he's out. If it's too cold to stay out long, just repeat those trips several times over after you've warmed up.

If you can tether him to you for a couple of weeks, that will help you keep an eye on him.

[londontami]

thanks for the feedback and suggestions.

i am home with him 24/7 and i take him out a gagillion times a day, lately he has gotten into the 'watch me run around with this stick and put dirt in my mouth' routine when we go out, so like tonight, i took him out after eating, he peed and he ran to the front door so we went in. by time i got my jacket off, he had run under the desk to poop.

i spray with that very expensive spray that gets rid of the odor/scent forever.

i watch him like a hawk, but there have been a few minutes here and there where he dodges me and he poops.

i still think he is doing great, i'm really not complaining but was wondering if there was maybe an underlying problem or something i just didnt know about.

i mean, after 9 and a half weeks he was sleeping through the night so i have zero complaints!

thanks again!

thanks for the feedback and suggestions.

i am home with him 24/7 and i take him out a gagillion times a day, lately he has gotten into the 'watch me run around with this stick and put dirt in my mouth' routine when we go out, so like tonight, i took him out after eating, he peed and he ran to the front door so we went in. by time i got my jacket off, he had run under the desk to poop.

i spray with that very expensive spray that gets rid of the odor/scent forever.

i watch him like a hawk, but there have been a few minutes here and there where he dodges me and he poops.

i still think he is doing great, i'm really not complaining but was wondering if there was maybe an underlying problem or something i just didnt know about.

i mean, after 9 and a half weeks he was sleeping through the night so i have zero complaints!

thanks again!

[lange]

Puppyhood isn't easy but it;s rewarding. Remember to just be patient and every single thing you put into rearing and training your pup will reward you multiple times when as it matures. 9 1/2 weeks and doing so well at night...well there is no reason to complain in that case, you're right. Enjoy your pup and just be patient & consistant. It sounds like you;re doing well so far!

[chiclet]

I often found that I could get my pup to poop by taking him for a bit of a walk. It seemed to get the bowels working. Eventually he started to do it in the yard, but at first he seemed to need to move to get things going.

[threenorns]

definitely walking - are you walking him or is it just romping in the backyard? if you're not walking him, you're gonna have a spoiled little pooch on your hands.

i'd bin the pee pads, myself - 100% agree with the confusion. there's absolutely no reason little yippers can't go outside like the big dawgs can. if it's cold, put on his coat and booties.

[chiclet]

Not sure if the question is directed to me, but yes, it was definitely walking. I had the advantage of getting him at the end of April so it was easier to just grab a leash and walk him than it would be in the winter.

As far as the training went, I followed the advice of taking him out after naps, playtime, and eating and as soon as I returned home if I had gone out. Now, he understands exactly what I want if I tell him to go pee. The hardest part was working out a way for him to tell me he needed to go and for me to understand what he is saying.

However, as a caveat, my dog seems to be very easy to train. He even worked out the confusion of usually going out the back and out the front if the weather is really, really bad.

[londontami]

Originally Posted by threenorns

definitely walking - are you walking him or is it just romping in the backyard? if you're not walking him, you're gonna have a spoiled little pooch on your hands.

i'd bin the pee pads, myself - 100% agree with the confusion. there's absolutely no reason little yippers can't go outside like the big dawgs can. if it's cold, put on his coat and booties.

no, i hvent been walking him because he only just had his second vacination a little over a week ago and then we had some bad weather (snow and rain).

i am going to start walkign him as soon as the snow melts. i'm not sure i want to get rid of the peepee pads becasue he is peeing on them and i really dont want to contend with him peeing on the carpet (spray or no spray, its just not something i want to happen on the carpet).

i am home all the time and yes, i know you have to keep a constant eye on them, but sometimes there are a few seconds here and there where i just can't - i dont want to be running around, throwing him into his crate just casue i have to use the bathroom....lol...

he's doing good though, i have to give him credit, for being only 3 months, i think its only going to get better. once i start walking him on a schedule, i think i will see a huge improvement.

[threenorns]

my dog doesn't get vaccinated at all - he reacted to the second shot, resulting in him ripping the fur out all around the injection site and the skin looked crispy and irritated so the vet said not to: he's allergic and each shot increases the risk of a fatal reaction exponentially - and i've never kept him segregated even when he was a puppy.

personally, i don't even believe in vaccination after my oldest ended up in emergency in a cold bath trying to bring down the fever she developed after a vaccination; she now has asperger's, however i respect your desire to do what you believe is the right thing for your dog.

therefore:

you might be keeping him safe by keeping him locked away but you're opening up a world of issues because you're losing valuable socialization window time. this is the time you want him to get a view of the world, other ppl, and other dogs as being nice, fun things - not things to fear.

first, i'd check with the vet and the local animal control about any diseases going around. if there are no reported cases of parvo or other communicables, you can relax a bit.

i'd only keep him away from areas frequented by random dogs - ones that are full of poop and piddle marks, such as dog parks and vacant lots - because there's probably strays/feral/semi-feral canines of all types in there and worms are no fun for a puppy. plus, you never know what he's going to snap up and gulp down before you even notice.

but i would definitely take him to monitored places such as puppy play dates, or even puppy kindergarten - basic obedience and a bit of "away from mum" time - where he can play with other pups and dogs that have been vetted and vaccinated.

pups are no different than human babies - you don't keep your newborn locked in the house until after all her shots, you just exercise judicious caution.

[lange]

Originally Posted by londontami

i dont want to be running around, throwing him into his crate just casue i have to use the bathroom....lol...

Take him with you, unless you're shy? When mine are housetraining they are my shadows, whether they want to or not. Luckily they love to shadow as little puppies.

[threenorns]

definitely good idea to let him in the bathroom:

Dandy tricks: Flush the toilet - YouTube

[CorkyMax]

You have a smart dog there--Just saw your video and others too.

[DobermanGuy]

Originally Posted by chiclet

Not sure if the question is directed to me, but yes, it was definitely walking. I had the advantage of getting him at the end of April so it was easier to just grab a leash and walk him than it would be in the winter.

As far as the training went, I followed the advice of taking him out after naps, playtime, and eating and as soon as I returned home if I had gone out. Now, he understands exactly what I want if I tell him to go pee. The hardest part was working out a way for him to tell me he needed to go and for me to understand what he is saying.

However, as a caveat, my dog seems to be very easy to train. He even worked out the confusion of usually going out the back and out the front if the weather is really, really bad.

I followed the same method that you did and had great luck with the pottytraining here.

Only difference being that (over the years) the last 4 girls we have got were all brought home in the winter. The fact that they hated the cold made pottytraining faster for us. It seemed to me as though they wanted to hurry up and go potty so they could get back inside the warm house.

For us, If it is cold outside or if it is raining and the weather is bad - Pottybreaks take seconds. As soon as they finish they run for the door! LOL! :mrgreen:

[lange]

Originally Posted by DobermanGuy

I followed the same method that you did and had great luck with the pottytraining here.

Only difference being that (over the years) the last 4 girls we have got were all brought home in the winter. The fact that they hated the cold made pottytraining faster for us. It seemed to me as though they wanted to hurry up and go potty so they could get back inside the warm house.

For us, If it is cold outside or if it is raining and the weather is bad - Pottybreaks take seconds. As soon as they finish they run for the door! LOL! :mrgreen:

That also sounds like my Wrigley. He can't get done fast enough in the rain. While Kuma thinks there's no better time to play then when it's raining or snowing.