My 10 and a half week old Shih Tzu puppy has still got no idea about going outside, it's done nothing but rain for the last 3 days and he doesn't like getting wet, so the minute I take him out he wants to run back inside!! and pees on the floor.

Is it still early days?

Has anyone used one of those Pee Posts?

Whats the best thing to use to get rid of the scent after he's been indoors, we have laminate flooring so I've just been spraying with Dettox spray. But saying that he doesn't even go in the same place every time!

He's so tiny he doesn't even squat he just stands still long enough to do it!

any suggestions would be appreciated.

I had no problem house training. It was in Feb. very cold and wet but I took the pup out after meals, on waking,and anytime I saw her sniffing the ground. I stayed out untill she had done the necessary, sometimes for an hour. Loads of praise and hey presto it worked. The back door was shut and wether she liked it or not out we stayed. I had a jacket right by the back door for quick exits. She is a long haired GSD so towels by the back door were also necessary. We only had 2 accidents in the house and to be honest these were my fault for not paying enough attention. Hope this helps. 

Your pup is more or less the same age as mine :) They are babies still and the age at which each pup learns is always different :)

Start from scratch again and TAKE your pup outside and tell him to *hurry up, hurry up* in a high, excited voice. Once he performs, give her lots of fuss and praise and bring him back inside. Do this every 15-20 minutes as well as after every meal and drink

When he has an accident inside, say nothing, just pick him up and repeat the above :) When you go back in, use biological soap powder dissolved in hot water to clean the soiled area up as this will get rid of any lingering smell

HTH :)

I have heard that smaller breeds take longer to house train than larger ones.

Not having had any experience with Shih Tzus I can only generalise but I would say that at 10 half weeks you can't expect a lot from your dog as he is still so young and his bladder and bowels are not fully mature and accidents are inevitable but he should be starting to get the idea if you are training properly.

You need to put him out When he's eaten, when he's playing, when he's woken up, when he's had a drink, virtually after every movement ;) Yes, this adds up to a lot of times a day but it's worth it in the long run. I got both of my current dogs in February and yes, the weather isn't nice but you have to be firm and make sure he goes on every outing no matter how long it takes. Leave the door firmly shut so that he doesn't dictate when you go indoors. As he's going praise him and then when he's finished give a tit bit.

My youngest is now 5 months old, admittedly a different breed, but she is now 100% house trained and will kick up a hell of a fuss if she wants out.

The best thing to clean up is biological washing powder, this takes away the smell and then when dry wipe over with white spirit to clean up fatty acids.

HTH

You could be right about smaller breeds being slower, My labrador was clean in less than a week, My puppy has only been here a week so I guess I'm probably expecting too much, He doesn't seem to do the usual sniffing and circling so I'm wondering if he maybe a little immature in the bladder control still.

Thanks for the tips on Biological washing powder, I've just washed the whole floor with it.

Keep the encouragement coming, I think I'll be needing it!! LOL

My 11 week old CKCS loves going out in the rain to run through the puddles and drink the water sitting on top of the manhole cover! but comes back in to wee!  She's clean during the night and I would say goes 8 times out of 10 when we take her out in the garden, but we're still having the odd accident indoors.  The other night, 15 minutes after eating her tea, I took her in the garden, stood for 50 minutes with no distractions, no toys, no interation other than telling her "quickly, wee wee" ........ nothing.  Got in the house and 2 wees one straight after the other.  We're going with the "ignore the mistakes and praise the good things" method.  Some days are a bit hit and miss, but I feel we're doing well for her age.

Can't comment on Pee Posts, we did try the puppy training pads, putting one by the back door in case the door was closed and she got there before us, but she didn't want to know, she'd just come back in the lounge and go on the carpet.  Like your dog, she doesn't go in the same place each time, so our beige carpet it looking a bit of a mess!  We'll be hiring a carpet shampooer once she's trained.  Luckily for us she always poo's outside! (touch wood).

Just remember he's still a baby and he will learn, providing you don't change your training methods and confuse him.

Good luck

The rain has stopped and its drying up and he's done 2 wees outside.

Can't help feeling I've got a fair weather puppy, he's a bit like a mop he soaks up the water coz he's got such a thick fluffy coat.

Good luck with the beige carpet, sounds like fun! At Least we are all laminate flooring.

Buffy the PRT is six months now bit we didn't get her till she was 3 months, she wasn't house trained, but within a week she was at home and she is very good out and about at other peoples houses, though she did have a poo at mum and dads office on friday, right in the middle of the floor! in front of everyone- very proud of herself!

We did the going out after every possible activity eating, sleeping, playing etc and just kept saying 'wee wee', i think the neighbours thought me mad as they could just see me standing saying 'wee wee' all on my own!

she's also really funny in the rain, and will hold on for as long as possible, then she will sit by the open back door, make a run for it then belt back in at 90mph! then roll in her bed to dry off!

puppys are so much hardwork but when they do something to make you smile its sooo sooo worth it!

Well my puppy is 13 weeks old and sometimes he pees on his 'emergency paper' (for night times) before he goes out!  He just seems to go when he needs to and if he's outside then all well and good but if he's inside - well thats fine by him too!  It doesn't help with us that we are in a first floor flat and although he does whine he doesn't give us much time and its all over before we get him out!  But he's still a baby, soon he will be able to hold it a bit longer, at least he's going on the paper now and not the floor.  i feel your pain! 

Well Oscar is 11 weeks tomorrow and I can see some improvement, he seems to be able to hold on a bit longer now. I would say he does 50% outside and 50% in the hall (as opposed to 90% in the house, last week)!! so we have blocked of the hall now and hopefully he will start to go outside more.Yes I am taking him out lots and praising like mad but he seems very unsure of going outside still.

He goes 8 hours at night in his crate with no problems so I'm still quite hopeful it will click with him soon!!!

All dogs seem to be different, although in my small amount of experience i assume the smaller breeds are harder. Our lab arrived at 8 weeks and was perfect within a week, our westie also came to us at 8 weeks but took three months to be nearly perfect. Even now after 6 months he asks to go out but i get that feeling hes thinking IF YOU DONT HURRY IM DOING IT RIGHT HERE. Good luck your doing all you can.

Thanks Martin I need all the encouragement I can get, especially as I have a husband who was adamant he didn't want us to get another dog after we lost our Lab in February.

Luckily Oscar is such a little character he seems to have won the Hubby over.

I guess I just want Oscar to be the perfect dog so my Hubby can't turn round and say " I told you so"

I know how you feel, when we brought our westie home we sat down to try and think of a name, after a few sugestions my oldest son lowered his newspaper and said "how about ONE DOG TO MANY".

I have a 14 wk old pitbull and from the first time I took him out I said "Go pee!" over and over in an excited tone. As soon as he started peeing I said "Good pee!" over and over again and when he was done I gave him a treat and gave him a good belly rub. When he occasionally relieves himself in the house, I say "Shame" in a dissappointed, but not scolding tone and take him out immediately. This method has been working very well. And I'm happy to say he hasn't peed in the house for quite some time. Hope this helps!
Stephanie

Well just to update you Oscar is now 13 weeks old and doing very well we haven't had any mess in the house now for about 3/4 days and amazingly when I ask him to do a wee wee he does one, so all that standing around saying wee wee oscar every time he did a wee is starting to pay off now!

Thanks for the support everyone, it really helps knowing other people are going through the same thing.

Hi Caz,
I too have a 12 week old shih tzu.  We are winning a bit on the toilet training until this morning when I started to do some work on the pc, he decided to leave me a prezzie on my rug in the lounge!! Wish you all the best. Are you also aware of the Off the leash forum? Very informative information in relation to Shih Tzu's. There is a caz and oscar on there are you the same person? We seem to be doing the same research for our puppies!!! Tams.

Hi Tams yes we are the same Caz and Oscar, it's a small world in internet land :-)

we should compare notes

My Bichon frise took almost a year to toilet train!!!!!!! Not matter how long I waited out with her, There was no way she would wee outside, After about 11 months she started going outside if no one was around!!!!

Hi Caz,
How s things going?  Taffie's great, little darling! I Bet Oscar is too!! Boy time goes quick doesn't it , I am already missing the little sleep cuddles as Taffie was at 9 weeks, He's so much livlier now.  Persistence is the key with the toilet training, but have found Taffie to be a bit cheeky, he left a prezzie for my hubby last night as i was at a presentation do for one of my girls, as he was being ignored. Hubby was not impressed, opps! Now , this morning we have had a trial walk outdoors, not very sucessful, we managed about 25 ft  before he decided to plonk himself on the floor and not move!! The return walk to the house involves him running back in haste to the front door. Hmmmm! hope i dont have an agraphobic puppy!!!Then a lovely play in the garden, he seems to be eating everything including a bee who stung him on his lip ( really scary! but he's ok!) and as I sit here he's taken himself out to the garden for a wee and a number 2. Yippie! it's working. Keep going Caz it's worth it! Can't wait to tell hubby!!!!Has Oscar started his new trick of digging holes in the lawn as Taffie has? Any adivse on this subject?!!!!

Can't help you with the lawn we had our whole garden paved,when we had our Labrador and the kids being young we didn't think grass+kids+dog was a good idea.

Oscar and Taffie sound at very similair stages.

Oscar has been out walking for about a week and a bit and seems to know his way to and from school already! The kids at school love him.

Took him out late last night but he was easily spooked by things, don't think he likes the dark yet :)

He is always reluctant to leave the house at the moment and I have to pick him up and take him out the door, but he's ok once he's outside.

The puppy trainer says he is the sort of dog who likes to weigh things up before he does anything new, does Taffie do that? Oscar is by far the most calmest puppy in his class, but doesn't seem to mind when he gets mugged by a passing lab pup!!!

Hi Caz and Oscar,
Well at least Oscar uses his legs!!! Everyone walks past him laughing!! I have tried everything, Chicken, rattling my keys behind him, crunching a plastic bag behind him getting the girls to walk ahead of him, but no he just looks at me as if to say Yeah Right , I'm in charge and not budging one inch. I agree Taffie is really spooked at night walking as it has been soooo hot i have tried taking him late in the evening. He doesn't seem to like the lights on the cars.  During the day he's quite happy to just lay and watch the cars people bikes go by and observe!! Taffie is also quite calm but has his mad moments then flops and sleeps!! He's very good with my nephew 20 months. May be Taffie just needs another dog to show him the ropes, this should be interesting this evening!!!

Hi caz, your pup sounds adorable! you definatley sosund like you are on the right track with him!!! if its any consolation my basset wasnt dry properly until 16 weeks then it virtually clicked overnight. My sister got a yorkie pup same time as me and her yorkie was dry 3 weeks earlier than mine so dunno about the small breed thing!
anyway hope you've turned the corner with him now he sounds like he's doing well ;-)
Deb

Hi Deb

Thanks for the encouragement

I used to know a Bassett that came on the field where we walked and it was such an amusing dog, it used to run after all the other dogs barking at them in this really deep bark as if to say 'hey guys wait for me'

She had to have it rehomed in the end, can't remember why, but we all missed him, he was called 'Fred' :-D