Hi everyone,
Just looking for opinions about house training a 9 week old Lab puppy.
He isn't mine, but a family members and they would like to train him to toilet in a specific part of their garden.
Now, would you recommend they train him to do it outside first, then once he has mastered that, train him where you would like him to do it? or begin asking him to toilet where they want him to do it straight away?
I've always just been grateful if they do it outside LOL so have never tried this before.
Anyone done this with success? if so, how?
Paula

Definitely take him to the desired spot every time.

Ditto. Dogs love things to be clear and consistent. However, I would praise them for going anywhere in the garden/outside-just even more so on the special spot. You don't wnat a dog that thinks it can't pee out in the park etc.., only on that one spot in the garden.

Ok, Thanks I will pass on the info.
He is going to do puppy daycare at my house next week, he stayed the weekend and my 8 month old puppy now seems soooo big!!! LOL
Paula

Hi.  If he has an accident in the house or there is some newspaper he has been on you could take that to the area of the garden you want him to go on.  Encourage him to go to the toilet in that area of the garden and give him loads of praise when he goes. Good luck!

I have successfully trained each of my dogs (3 over the years) to pee in one area. I tended to ignore if they did it in wrong spot but alwalys went out with them ,l took them by encouragement and a little tug on the collar to my right place stayed with them for ages and using a command word ours is BE Quick and when it happen went mad with praise and treats. It took a while with each dog as u would expect but all three got it in the end. I would say it probably took about 6 months untill I didnt have to always go out. Fast or slow I dont know but it worked. I occasionally go out with my 19month gsd to reinforce the behaviour with praise and treat.  Still cant get the pom/chi to be house trained though let alone in the right place outside. Outside would be good!!lol

You can buy a product called a pee post , looks like a yellow mushroom , place it in the spot in the garden where you would like him to go , apparently it attracts the dog to pee on or near the spot , it might help  atleast if he pees outside he made do  the other after a time

Save your pennies we had a pee post when we first got Max - didn't make any difference and he probably pee'd away from it (daft dog!)

Paula,

We bought a small pack of 'pee pads' and laid one out at the desired spot, held down with a few large stones, we put a little water on the pad to help 'activate' it and put the pup on it, he did his business and we rubbed the stones in the wee. We also spotted the next clean pad with a little wee then after 2 or 3 days we took the pad away completely. Because his smell was still on the 4 corner stones, he always went back to that spot.
We were very firm with him, no playing or fussing, folded our arms and told him 'Go pee-pee' and he always went to the same place.
We now have a set of 'Poochie-Bells' at the front door which took about 2 or 3 days to train him to use - the first time he rang them to get out, I almost cried with pride (silly me). He absolutely loves his bells and runs at them with great gusto and rings and rings till he gets out.
Good luck

Never heard of Poochie Bells LOL !!!!!! I'm sorry ,I cannot imagine my dogs ringing bells to get out, where do you put them?

My dogs would play with them all the time especially my oldest he hates anything that squeeks or rings, he would try and destroy it thinking he was "killing it".  I even have to watch him with the grandkids toys especially the ones that talk or play music, Cookie just wants to get the "noise out"

http://www.poochie-pets.net/

I laughed when I first saw them and ordered them as a bit of a joke but they really are great.

They hang on the handle of your door (or very to close it) and when taking the dog out, give your command, then ring the bell and praise the dog. It took us 2 or 3 days of this untill he rung it himself. He does it every single time he wants out and has never had an accident in the house.

Don't make the mistake of rewarding with treats as he will then ring the bell for food - the reward is getting out and getting praised.

The bells have been specially made so that wee claws don't get caught and they are a lot heavier than normal 'craft' bells. (Although at Christmas we jokingly made up a set when at my mums from one of her decorations and he was using it within 5 minutes.)

Funny enough he has never seen them as a toy but would happily 'destroy' any other dangly noisy thing around.

Crumbs, my lot would be yanking them day and night LOL.  As it is if watching something on a tv channel with commercials they're up at the door asking out as soon as they hear the first jingle just because they know I usually pop into the kitchen or loo mid breaks.  Glad it's working out for you how YOU want it to but definitely not for me :)  

Hi,
We had a pee post for one of our pups, first boy dog in  few years, and it did work which I was quite surprised at and had already suggested it to them.
Good news though, he has done the toilet in the desired spot at his house which is fantastic news!! :)
He doesn't do it every time but I've told them to increase the level of praise for when he does and hopefully he will get the idea very soon.
He has been coming to to my house regularly as they feel that it has made a dramatic change (for the good) in his behaviour.
He left the litter at 6 weeks old which I feel is too young for a single dog household, and as I have 3 bitches and 1 dog he has begun to learn doggie manors, and we both get tired out pups at the end of the day!! BONUS :)
He doesn't have accidents at my house as I am pretty quick at noticing the signs and only has accidents at his home if they have to leave him, or after bedtime. I have explained that he is still too young to hold it all night and if they want to stop that then they will probably have to get up regularly to let him out until he is a few weeks older.
But, all in all, I think he is progressing well.
thanks for all your tips everyone.
Paula 

[url=]You can buy a product called a pee post , looks like a yellow mushroom , place it in the spot in the garden where you would like him to go , apparently it attracts the dog to pee on or near the spot [/url]

I have one of those , it is called a rotating washing line...  on my 4th one, as my boy thinks it is his pee post, but after a time they corrode and fall over,   usualy with a line full of washing

Wish I could have got him to pee where I want!!!!!!!

LOL jackbox all my boys love the rotary washing line to :-D