Hi, our 8 week old boxer puppy (Buster) sleeps with us,and hold his poo and pee all night long with no problem. We get up around 8 am to take him out, and he does both outside. So we praise him (good boy) and he gets back in the bed with us. I take him out before I go to work, and he goes potty again. We put him in his pet carrier before we leave, when we get off work he has pooped in the carrier. I'm wondering what we should do. Please help us because it gets really nasty, and we are going through dog shampoo like crazy.
Thanks,
ben 

You don't possibly expect an 8 week old puppy to hold its eliminations all day, do you? That's wonderful that he can hold it during the night, it really is. But being alone in his crate while you are gone, well, who can really blame the poor baby? I think you are doing very well so far, seeing as he is doing so well at night. But please, just take your time with him and be patient and willing to clean up after him in weeks to come. He is only a young baby and should not be expected to hold everything until you come home. He will learn soon to hold it, but only once he has full bladder control. I don't really have much advice for you, I'm sure someone will come along with that good stuff. But the advice I do have is this: be patient and love your puppy no matter what. He'll learn soon enough. :)

How long is your puppy left alone during the day? (I assume it is not all day as, at that age, he will still be on 4 feeds a day).

However, it is quite unrealistic to expect an 8 week-old to be able to control its bowels and bladder - when they've got to go they've got to go! Exactly the same as a human baby.This is why it is so important to have someone around to watch the puppy during the day and to take it outside for frequent toilet breaks.

If you are leaving the pup for more than an hour can you get someone to come in to take him out? This will help speed up the house-training and, importantly, will help with socialisation. When young puppies are not sleeping they really do need someone to play with them, to talk to them, and to provide them with mental stimulation.

I'm a little worried about the term "carrier" do you mean an flight type carrier? If you do this is not suitable for the dogs to be left in for more than half and hour of so. We don't know how long you are leaving the pup but an 8 week one will need to poo 4 to 6 times a day and as you are fortunate that he manages to go all night without, he will still need to go at least another twice if not 4 times more.

Perhaps if you give us more detail of how his day is organised we may be able to make suggestions because if we jump to the conclusion that you are leaving the dog most of the day as your post seems to suggest we will be accused of not being helpful and picking on you. So for more help please let us know, but how ever you and he arrange your day please remember an 8 week pup is like a baby and when it needs to go, it has no choice but to do so, and being fed 4 times a day will to some extent affect the times he needs to go.

How long is the pup being left in its crate? At that age an hour at the most, surely? My general rule of thumb is not to leave any dog unattended indoors for longer than I can last without needing to use the lavatory. This of course is for a housetrained adult dog, not a small puppy, because of course a pup can't housetrain itself - it needs to be taken outside at least every hour throughout the day, plus its meals and playtime. If you are out all day, can you ask the person who pops in to feed and play with the pup to make sure they take him outside and watch to make sure he's wee'ed and pooed before they leave.
:)

I Think you are very lucky with the night time, our pup is 12 weeks and we've had him for a week and a half and he can't hold it all night, we are just pleased he uses the paper at night instead of the floor. He certainly couldn't hold it all day although he is getting better.... will he go on paper? you could put some down at one end of the carrier if its big enough (if its not i wouldnt be leaving a puppy in it) It's not a solution but it would make less mess.

Does he only ever get put in the carrier when you are leaving him on his own in the house?

Tally has only just mastered not weeing through the night and she is 9 months!!! everyone kept saying that it would eventually click..and it did..eventually!! you are very very lucky

hi

mine is nearly a year old and still has relapes through the night

j