I wondered if I could get some advice on toilet training.

We have a 10-week old Labrador puppy that we picked up a week and a half ago. Since day one he's been absolutely religious about not pooing in the house, which we're very grateful for, but weeing seems to be taking a lot longer. I'm wondering if there's anything we're doing wrong. Here are the main things we're doing:

1) We've started to notice he sometimes lingers by the door. That seems to be a fairly reliable sign that he needs to go out, but he doesn't always do it, and even when he does it's quite subtle - he doesn't whine or anything - so it's quite easy to miss. If you're not there the moment he does it, he just seems to wee on the carpet.

2) He never wees (or poos) in his crate, but he is still waking us up once or twice a night. Usually, we manage to usher him into the garden, but sometimes he sticks his nose out, decides it's too cold and wees in the lounge instead! During the day he roams free inside and is supervised almost all the time. I suppose what we'd like is for him to react the same way in the rest of the house as he does when he's in the crate. The rest of the house is carpeted, which I suspect might be part of the problem (I think he was kept on a hard floor at the breeder's).

3) I've tried to teach him a generic command to wee or poo ("Bizzy bizzy," copying the Guide Dogs!) I do this by repeating the command while he's doing it and then giving him a small treat after each successful toilet activity outside.

4) If I catch him as he starts to go in the house I pick him up and take him outside. This has only worked once - the rest of the time he no longer seems to be interested in weeing by the time we get out there.

5) We've been cleaning the carpets anywhere he wees with an enzyme spray.

6) We take his water bowl sometimes between 7 and 8pm (before bed at half 10).

7) We always take him out within about 15 minutes of waking up and/or being fed. If it gets to about an hour and a half since his last wee we'll take him out regardless.

I've not had a puppy before. To be honest, the small amount of progress we've had so far is about what I was expecting by this stage, but two things made me wonder if we're doing something wrong. Firstly, he already seems to have pooing outside deeply ingrained (not just avoiding his crate but the whole house) and it seems strange to me that he so clearly 'gets' that doesn't have the same reservations about weeing. Secondly, the owners of his littermates all seem to have cracked toilet training and sleeping through the night, so our limited progress seems a bit conspicuous. We are having fewer accidents than we did before, but it feels like that's largely due to us constantly getting better at spotting when he's about to go, rather than him actually being any less inclined to go in the house.

When I have pups the first thing they do when they wake up is straight outside to do their business and I stay out there with them until they do, like you with a cue word and praise/treat upon completion.

I take them out more regularly than you though, every 20/30 minutes. They will need to poo within 20 minutes of eating. If you are having accidents it basically means you aren’t taking him out regularly enough so try setting a timer for 20 minutes and taking him out religiously at those intervals. Should help .

I wouldn't restrict water at all and he should have access to some at all times.
At night go outside with him and you maybe outside for 20mins before he goes.
Again when taking him out at any time go with him, don't interact or play with him and if needs be you could pop him on a collar and lead and just walk him around and round until he goes at which point mega high praise and treats too. He will get it.
Its pre epmting when he needs it, after waking, after eating, after drinking, after training, after playing etc. Labs are usually pretty quick at picking it up, he will get there and you've done really well on the poo side. Consistency and repetition with everyone in the house is needed.
So no shoving him outside and expecting him to go when it's dark, wet, cold and windy, grab your coat and go with him

I think a week and a half to potty train a pup is very ambitious (are you sure the other siblings owners are telling the truth!!) I seem to remember it taking a lot longer than ten days with all of ours! He’s still such a baby, just be consistent and he’ll get there - it sounds as if you’re making good progress.

> I think a week and a half to potty train a pup is very ambitious (are you sure the other siblings owners are telling the truth!!) I seem to remember it taking a lot longer than ten days with all of ours! He’s still such a baby, just be consistent and he’ll get there - it sounds as if you’re making good progress.

Ha. Yeah, I trust them... But I was surprised when they said that.

Sounds like we're on the right track.

I do always go out with him (which can be fun at 3am, living on top of a hill!) Might try the lead as he does spend a fair proportion of the supposed toilet break digging, chewing flowers etc. We've had times when he's just played in the garden for 10 minutes and then sat outside the door, only for him to wee on the carpet when we go back inside.

Do you know if the breeder used puppy pads with the puppies as this often makes them think that toileting indoors is fine and why they often wee on soft surfaces like carpets.

Otherwise you are doing all the right things and it’s just a matter of being persistent and patient. Perhaps take him out more often rather then expecting him to ask each time

> Do you know if the breeder used puppy pads with the puppies as this often makes them think that toileting indoors is fine and why they often wee on soft surfaces like carpets.

I doubt it was puppy pads as they were quite an old school working dog breeder, but I can well believe it was something along these lines. He very rarely wees on the patio, it's either the carpet or the grass.

The very first night he weed in the crate so we've put puppy pads down in there, but since then he's never weed on them.

It’s unlikely he will wee on the patio, most pups and adult dogs prefer grass/soil/the borders in your garden
He will get it eventually, my current dog caught on quickly but one of the previous dogs took ages (same breed)

Puppies don't gain full voluntary bladder control until around 4 months of age.

He is now like a human toddler, when he needs to go it's pretty much right now.

The only way to prevent too many accidents is vigilance. Take him out on waking, after any excitement or play, after meals and every half hour while awake.

We have a 9 week old springer spaniel pup. He’s our first dog although I grew up with Vizslas. We have found that he lingers at our back door and doesn’t make a sound (I don’t remember it being the case with my parents dogs). We have got a set of bells for the back door. Get him to ring the bells before he goes out or if he has an accident, he’s used them a few times but I think it was more of an accident touching them than actually meaning to do it at the moment. As for sleeping through we’re not there yet - our pup doesn’t like his crate although is getting a little better - we have at least 2 wake up calls through the night and he takes a while to settle after each 1. I know that we’ll get there it’s just a case of repetition and sticking with the plan we’ve been following.

At his age, when he needs to toilet, he needs to toilet now; he can't hold it for very long at all, so you need to be watching him all the time so that you can respond to the slightest hint he might give. He's still too young to be able to hold it overnight, so you must either get up to take him out as soon as he stirs, or expect messes (this is why I don't crate my puppies - I don't sleep well as it is and so I give them enough space to toilet on newspaper if they need to and I'll clear up in the morning. )

I think in general, you are on the right track.   The one thing I would suggest is, at this very early stage, you don't wait for him to ask yet - YOU dictate the going out.   As for bells - dogs aren't stupid and all too often, realising that ringing the bells, if you can get him to do that at all, means you come to let him out.... so he wants to be outside = he rings the bell.   Not because he has a need to pee, necessarily.

Going out more than once overnight (which you will need to be doing once, by around 3 am) - are you upping the heating a bit overnight.   If the puppy is warm and snug, he should be sleeping through.   If he starts feeling chilly, he will be restless, and once awake, need to be peeing at least.  If he goes to bed by around 11 pm he should be able to go to around 3 am before needing out.  Try to anticipate his need so he doesn't get the message he stirs, you come.   And that will also give you time to put your coat on so you can go with him out there to see what he does.

Mine have never had water throughout the night BUT they do until they go to bed, and again first thing.   Never has any gone straight to the water, so I don't believe they need it overnight - when they should be sleeping.

Rule of thumb.   Correct only in the act so the pup knows what you want and don't want.  Loads of praise when he empties outside.  If he doesn't when you take him out and you know he must need to (timing), bring him in but don't let him have the run of the house.   Keep him by the outside door, stay with him and the moment he goes to squat, say (don't shout or he may run) NO! and take him back outside.   You may need to be repeating this to prevent him coming back in and peeing.  Clean where he has his mistakes so he doesn't go there again.   You might keep some thick towels to hand to soak up any mistakes before it gets into the carpet.  

Feed his last meal before 5pm to give it a chance to be digested before bed.   If he has a BM soon after a meal, that will be what he had before ... digestion in the healthy dog usually takes around 4 hours.

Ignore what his siblings are able to do - each pup is different.   Be persistent, patient and consistent.   Housetraining will happen, but probably not totally until around 4 months unless you are very lucky!!