My German Shepherd dog Jack is 20 weeks old, and quite happy to pee and poo outside.  The problem i have is he won't bark to to out and while this isn't a problem as such during the day as i am with him, but saying that i think he would "go" in the kitchen if i didn't see him looking at the back door! Because of this i still put paper down at night and there's always something on it( we've had 3 clean nights since Christmas Eve). Am i confusing him by doing this and taking it away would help, or i am just going to have to wait until he matures a bit more.

Jack29

TBH I wouldn't use paper as this can teach puppies it's ok to go indoors

I religiously take puppies out everytime they wake up, after a meal & every hour at first then every hour & a half etc & everytime I take them out I ask them "Do you want" & add the toilet command in my case it's "be quick"This means if the puppy goes out of sight I can ask the question & usually it brings them back in sight & from their body language I get an idea if they need to go

Mine never bark to go out but usually learn to come & get my attention by sitting in front of me & then going out of sight & back again. Except JD who takes himself out via the catflap :)

Personally, I don't have a problem with putting paper down if it makes it easier to clean up......  It's not as if you're actively encouraging him to use it, and then having to retrain to outside.

Had you thought about training him to ring a bell hung near the door to let you know he wants to go?

I agree with Moonmaiden - ditch the paper.

You want to train the dog that it is NOT ok to go inside.  By putting paper down, inside, you are communicating that it IS ok to go inside.  Paper training leads to all kinds of problems, like dogs which wee over the Sunday post when you put it down, even though they are about 3 yrs old by then!  Some dogs even generalise and start to think that any absorbent surface is a wee-place - including cushions and soft fabrics.

You have to remove the paper at night before he will ever want to be clean - your removing the paper comes first!!  If you continue to put the paper down, he will quite happily pee on it until he's age 5 (for eg), because you've trained him that it's ok to go there!!

Take the paper away at night and get up in the middle of the night to let him out to toilet. 

Give a treat any time he toilets outside (have a pot of treats by the door) - this way you are making a bigger difference between toileting inside (nothing happens) and outside (he gets a treat) - soon he will hold on to go outside, just so he can have a treat.

mine used to stand looking out of the door and after a few months i assume he had been standing there a while one day and i didnt notice so he starting giving a single bark. it may be that because you are always attentive to him that he hasnt felt the urgency to bark yet?