Hi All

My friend is looking at getting a westie puppy and has found a litter locally to her but they are ready to go in 2 weeks time, she is concerned that housetraining will be harder in winter than in spring/summer as the doors are not open all the time this time of the year and also evenings are darker, i cannot help her as i got my dog in April time when the weather was nicer and i could leave the doors open for him, i would have thought the pup would have been slower to train this time of the year but thought i would post on here to see what you lot thought as some of you surely have had pups at different times of the year.

Thanks
Helen

It doesn't really make any difference because you have to watch the pup for signals it needs to 'go' and go out with the pup, whether or not the doors are open anyway. In fact if the pup's outside because the weather's nice and 'goes' while it's out there, it hasn't learned anything about housetraining because it just did it when it needed to; the fact it was outside anyway is irrelevant. They need to learn to ask to go outside, and they don't do that if the door's open ...

Hi Helen,

it may be harder on your friend in that it is more likely to be cold, damp, dark a lot of the time ;) but IME shouldn't make any difference to the puppy :)  

Trips to the garden should always be accompanied and not left to the puppy having free access through an open door - only by going with the puppy every time, encouraging to perform by use of a word like "busy" for example, and then lashings of praise will the puppy make the association of toilet duties are for outside only!

HTH, Teri :)

Snap, Teri! :)

LOL - vivid memories of weather beaten looks :D  Most of mine have been winter babies :D

Very true both of you. I got my Papillon in the summer (last year) and the patio door was open all the time and within a day or so he went outside ALL the time. Until it got cold and we closed the door and he didn't know what to do, then we had to start house training him!! He's completely reliable now, but letting him go outside all summer was with hindsight NOT house training him at ALL.

Spring/Summer is definitely easier for me my pups learnt so quickly to toilet train with the conservatory doors always open and me calling puppies, puppies for our runs into the garden, most of them learnt to go outside extremely quickly even without me playing mother goose.

Winter is harder for me, as the early work of follow me is not then followed up by them being able to go outside themselves as the door is closed.

But that is as a breeder as a new owner it does not make a squat of difference as a new puppy in a new home will not have the same set up as my house and a new owner will have to follow a new pup around watching for signs of an impending pee or poop :-D Summer or Winter, as soon as the pup sniffs the ground your friend will have to shoot to the back door with puppy in tow, the only difference will be she will have to take the extra second to open the door as opposed to it being open in the summer and of course keep an umberella by the back door too.:-)

The plus side and best side to a winter pup is with it being dark the pup will sleep in longer and you don't need to do those nasty muddy walks as the pup will only need 10-15 min walks to start with after inoculations, so by the time the pup is 4-5-6 months the weather will be Spring/Summer and you will enjoy the longer and better walks in good weather.

If the pup is the right one for them, the time of year does not matter.

I have a nearly 10 week old pup that I've had for 2 weeks, and had 3 accidents (just wees) in the 1st week and none since - she always goes to the door to ask to go out. She's learnt very quickly despite it being winter, I don't think she's typical though!

I personally think it would be quicker to train in the winter than in the summer. We had a winter pup and spent many a cold wet time out in the garden but he cottoned on really quickly and we only had one accident when we weren't paying attention properly. As you have to go out with them anyway in order to be able to praise the "moment". In the summer when the door is open all the time it would be very easy to miss them toileting whereas in the winter when you are standing out in the cold and wet you are watching them like a hawk anyway in the hope that they go soon so that you can get back in the warm really quickly. :)

Never had a problem in any season as have a Dog Flap :)

Within a week the puppies have always sussed what to do with the help of the oldies ;) :D

Well on the humans it is.

My quickie opinion is in winter they also learn to make it snappy and not hang around too long before getting down to business.. My ones done in winter definately are quick to go and come in now what ever the weather. The ones in summer learned to wander around and some times forgetting why they were there.

I think it's easier and quicker for the pup and their humans to housetrain in the winter. Neither of you want to spend any longer than necessary in a cold, damp garden! Certainly there's a huge danger in assuming that summer trained dogs are, in fact, trained if they've simply availed themselves of a constantly open door to the garden.

My winter pup was MUCH quicker to train than my summer pup. And if I get another one in summer I am keeping the door shut except for taking out time, as I am sure that having the door open all the time was the problem :) And I think in the winter cold puppy was more keen to learn about performing quickly and getting back into the warm  (for which I was very grateful!) :D