HELP me housebreak this puppy!

[Anonymous]

After rescuing two adult dogs and housebreaking them, we're on dog #3 and he's our first puppy. We got him over a week ago and despite letting him out very frequently to do his business, he still comes in after and pees/poops. He's nine weeks old and very healthy. I bring him out for a good while, give him a special treat every time he goes and then bring him in. He often will come in and within 5 minutes, pee or poop right in front of us. We're taking him outside for 10+ minutes. We tell him to "go potty". We're on day nine of training. No improvement. This morning (as of now its 6:50 am) he was let out at 5:45 am and after whining at the door for a good while, he was let inside. He then peed right in front of my husband. We have a large backyard.

I haven't done crate training yet but see myself probably going in that direction. Other than that, any other suggestions?? It's appreciated!

[Anonymous]

Hmmm. 9 weeks is still very young. What I remember from training my puppies (golden-poodle mixes, so very smart) was that it took about three weeks of doing things very consistently. Go outside to potty after each of these three events: Eating, playing, napping. Inbetween, we'd literally tether the puppy to one of us and if s/he squatted, say "no" and scoop up, straight outside, and then lavish praise when they go outside. DH even slept in a different bed with the dog for the first month, getting up every two to three hours to take it outside.

So, it sounds like you're doing all of the right things. I assume your husband went outside WITH the dog at 5:45? I know it was colder than the Dowager Countess this morning, but you can't throw a puppy outside and leave him to his business.

Finally, our trainers said to choose a different command than "go potty" but I can't remember why. We ended up with "hurry! hurry!"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
After rescuing two adult dogs and housebreaking them, we're on dog #3 and he's our first puppy. We got him over a week ago and despite letting him out very frequently to do his business, he still comes in after and pees/poops. He's nine weeks old and very healthy. I bring him out for a good while, give him a special treat every time he goes and then bring him in. He often will come in and within 5 minutes, pee or poop right in front of us. We're taking him outside for 10+ minutes. We tell him to "go potty". We're on day nine of training. No improvement. This morning (as of now its 6:50 am) he was let out at 5:45 am and after whining at the door for a good while, he was let inside. He then peed right in front of my husband. We have a large backyard.

I haven't done crate training yet but see myself probably going in that direction. Other than that, any other suggestions?? It's appreciated!

OP writes they take him out for 10+ minutes then writes he was whining at the back door to be let in. So the owners are not outside with the puppy. They open the door and leave him out. AM-puppy awakens in crate. Scoop him up and put the leash on and put him down in the preferred pee/poop spot outside. He should quickly pee. If he does something praise him and walk him in for breakfast. Hold the bowl while he eats leaving the leash on. The puppy will learn that people can touch the food/dish.

What goes in comes out on a regular basis. Watch the behavior after eating because he will exhibit signs of having to poop. Then scoop him up [remember the leash was still on after the meal] and repeat the outside adventure until he pees/poops. I wrote scoop him up because they usually won't pee/poop on you.

[Anonymous]

Keep in mind that he is still a baby who still has to learn what he needs to do and what u as the human is telling him. Here is my advice:

1) get a crate it works wonders and will help him as well
2) when u take him outside try to take him to the same place with a leash. When he goes praise him and give him a treat.
3) if he does not go then go inside and pretty much immediately take him back out. Outside has too many new and exciting smells so they forget to pee. Inside is familiar territory.
4) get ready for a few weeks and a lot of work. He will get it but it will take time.

5) if be goes inside say no loudly and immediately take him out. He prib won't go then but if he does praise and treat.

Remember that he should never have the run of he house or you are setting him up for failure. He needs to be in the crate or watched all the time.

It will work out but it is hard for a while! Just like a human baby but puppies grow up faster but need the same patience.

Buy one of those cheesy treat backs and fill them with yummy treats. Have them handy all the time so that you can immediately reward god behavior.

[Anonymous]

OP here. I do go with him on his 10+ minute potty breaks in the yard. This morning my husband was yelling my name out the back door because he couldn't find his keys..so I temporarily left the dog in our fenced backyard to go and help my husband. In that time, the puppy appeared on our back deck, whining to come inside. It was cold out. I don't normally leave the dog outside alone.
I will continue to reward his good efforts. Thanks everyone