Maybe I'm expecting too much from a 12 week old pup but a bit of advice would be appreciated.
From day one he's been pretty good, the first week almost perfect. No toiletting in his crate (which he's only in during the night or if I have to quickly pop out) and did everything he had to in the garden. In the first two weeks he was clean indoors apart from 3 tiddles and 2 poops, pretty good I felt.
Anyway, since he's been able to go out on his lead I can't seem to get him to toilet on a walk but he waits, I guess understandably, until he gets into the garden. I've tried walking him around the garden on his lead and on the grass at the front but nothing happens, and I can't stay out there indefinitely!. Today we, with my very elderly terrier, were out for an hour, and despite him watching what my older dog did he still waited until home. We had stops and watched the world go by as I realise he mustn't walk too far at the moment but in an hour I did expect a result, especially with the lovely sniffs he discovered!
He's now, for the second time today, pooped in the house. Luckily it's nicely formed and easy to deal with but I need to stop it asap. I watch him so much, he's rarely out of sight, but I've still missed any sign he might be giving. Tiddles seem ok, he goes to the door, but this he doesn't. His tummy is fine and he's not passing huge volumes so I'm certain it's not an urgency thing, just a blip. Any ideas?.

Pups often won't toilet outside the garden until they are around 6 months,  they feel safer at home ;-)

I would take him for a walk,  then straight to the garden for his toilet.   Then as he's still a baby,  every 20 mins or so take him out and stay with him.   When he does the doo,  praise and a treat :-)

If you say something like 'be clean'   or whatever,  as long as it's always the same,  as he just 'finishes'  then treat,  you'll also teach him to 'go'  on command ;-)

Best times for toileting for poos is on waking in the morning, after a meal,  and after exercise,  so after his walk would be about right  :-)

Any mistakes he makes in the house,  try cleaning up with some diluted Bio washing liquid (clothes)   I keep it handy in a spray bottle.   It helps to remove any smells that can act as a cue to toilet there  ;-)

Thanks Dill - I'm doing all that which is why I'm confused. Maybe I'm expecting too much, mainly because our other dog was 16 weeks when we got him and fully housetrained - 12 years and never an accident........this poor pup has a lot to live up to! If you could see me out in my nightie and wellies with a torch you'd laugh!. I'm always out with him and wee's are fine, he's just not got the poop thing yet!

I made a chart for my last puppy - sounds OTT but worked as I could then spot the times he was most likely to need to go out. Every time he went I wrote it down and a pattern soon emerged of the times I was most likely to get him out into the garden without having to spend hours out there in all weathers. I know just what it's like to be out in your dressing gown in the middle of the night when it's cold, raining and blowing a gale.

I too used a marker word for when he perfomed and gave him lots of praise and a treat - he will now go on command which is really useful if you are pushed for time and need them to go :-) He will also give one woof at the back door when he needs to go out.

I was expecting to have to housetrain my newest rescue dog as he spent the first year of his life on a chain at a farm so adopted the same method that I used when my older dog was a pup but he cottoned on from the very first day. He was brilliant and although he doesn't bark to go out he will go to the back door and wait there as his indicator that he needs to go.

My middle dog - a rescue at 5 months - took a little longer but he had spent his life shut in a cupboard and had no choice but to go where he lived but by giving him plenty of opportunities to go out into the garden on lead and praising his efforts he was reliably clean indoors after a couple of months.

Thank you. We've just been out onto the front grass on the lead and he tiddled - I get so excited, I dread to think what I'll be like when he poops on a walk!

Ohhhh  I've been there :-)

Mine still wouldn't wee outside in the rain at 6months+  so I'd be there in dressing gown,  torch in one hand,  umbrella in another, and lead in a third hand LOL   

I'd be there hours,  as she would wee immediately we got in through the door!    Poos were ok though.

16 weeks is still very young.   It takes as long as it takes really and every dog is different. 

One of my youngsters was not be reliable before about 6 months.  I often had a puddle if I had not remembered to take them out regularly.

They don't really have much voluntary control of their bladders before 5 months.

When they need to go it's now, like with toddler, Mum I want to pee just as it's trickling down their legs.

I wish they would not go on walks. 

Not so much fun when your taking out 6 together stopping every few yards to do poo pick up. 

Always seem to be in the first 15 minutes prompting the question to them, why oh why didn't you go at home.

I know I know exercise encourages peristalsis.

They do of course go at home too.

I made a chart too, Harley, when she went and what she did, it was really useful and it helped me get her eating and toileting rhythms. :-)
She also wouldn't wee anywhere else apart from the garden  for quite a number of months. When she was about four months or so, we went to stay at our static which is a five hour drive away. We stopped a few times, but she wouldn't go, but by the time we arrived she was bursting and had to go. Once her smell was on the grass there she was happy to toilet there.
Once she did start to wee away from home, she would only wee in a certain field for quite a number of weeks before she was confident to wee just about anywhere.
Give your pup time, mine had the odd indoor accident mainly because I wasn't vigilant enough and didn't spot the signs, still only a baby.

> xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">We've just been out onto the front grass on the lead and he tiddled - I get so excited,

It's a good feeling :-)

I wish they would not go on walks.

Not so much fun when your taking out 6 together stopping every few yards to do poo pick up. 

I agree and around here we have NO dog poo bins so you have to take the blasted bags on the walk with you and back home!

around here we have NO dog poo bins so you have to take the blasted bags on the walk with you and back home

But they do keep your hands lovely and warm in the cold weather :-D

Well 5.30am I was out in my nightie and coat on the front grass with him. He tiddled, which he seems happy to do on the lead. Came back inside and while I was taking my coat off he pooped on the hall rug. It would make more sense if he was returning to the same spot but he's not so it's not a smell thing - it's a tiddle is for outdoors and a poop is for indoors thing :-(

Am loving this thread !
x

> I wish they would not go on walks. 
>
> Not so much fun when your taking out 6 together stopping every few yards to do poo pick up. 
>
> Always seem to be in the first 15 minutes prompting the question to them, why oh why didn't you go at home.
>
>

I'm the same, as I take mine to walk/exercise, not poop/pee everywhere! I am lucky & have bins possitioned fairly regularly. I make sure I let them out before going but they know were doing walkies & are too excited :)

>But they do keep your hands lovely and warm in the cold weather :-D

LOL, Known in this house as 'pocket warmers', but have had friends suggest we have a problem with the drains when the porch has a certain 'odour' & I've forgotten to empty pockets!!

>But they do keep your hands lovely and warm in the cold weather :-D"

Sorry but no!! I just couldn't use it as a hand warmer!! No!! Even well wrapped my stomach turns at the thought.

I think you are perhaps 'expecting too much' re emptying off his property.   But being a male, especially with peeing, that should all change once he gets a tad older and wants to 'contribute' to the male messaging that goes on.  Pretty soon he'll be stopping to pee at every post out there - and again, much as it's not quite as easy, having a BM too.  Be thankful you don't have a bitch!!    My Whippet as only ever peed off our property here twice - and the first time, when we were away overnight, she waited 22 HOURS before she finally had to pee.   No BM since leaving home around 9 that morning, and getting home by around 6 pm the next day.   I wasn't too worried as she had emptied before we set off, and hadn't eaten much.   I was about to find a vet re the urination however.   The second time, another 24 hour away trip, she did pee around 9 pm that same day.   But again no BM.    Because I don't like this, I have tried everything to get her to go outside our garden (well at least it's the garden!), even taking her out front on a lead and walking up and down out there ... much to our neighbours' amusement.   Nothing

On the other hand, our Basset male pees off his property, and has a BM on his morning walk too, having had one first thing.

I think your lad may be getting 'up tight' about where he's meant to go, so for now, I'd back off and concentrate on getting him to empty outside in your garden.   Never mind off the property - there's always far more interesting things going on in the wide world after all.  Actually poohing should be easier to control - puppies on 3 meals a day for now, should need to have a BM that many times, maybe plus one.   Digestion in the dog usually takes about 4 hours.   So if you watch his 'habits', you should be able to know when he must need to have a BM, and get him out accordingly.  When you can't supervise, use the crate.