How do you teach a pup to ask to go outside when it needs to do its thing? Is this something that just comes naturally once they figure out that outside is the place to go? My pup is fine when we bring her out, but when she needs to go she needs to go, be it inside or out. Hence - accidents.

Maiko

Toilet training doesn't come naturally at all. The only thing that is usually natural is for them not to wet/soil their bed!! YOU have to teach her where she should go. Any puppy will have accidents and depending on the breed/consistency of the training - it could be over 12 months before they are totally house-trained.

With a new puppy start by putting her outside every time she has eaten, had a drink, a sleep or played for a little while and when she does something give her lots of praise and cuddles. Also look for the signs that she might need to go - sniffing the ground - going round in circles. It takes time but you'll learn to see the signs. When she has an accident indoors only scold her if you catch her doing it. After the event is no good as she will have forgotten. In this case - just clean it up with the right type of cleaner and be more vigilant.

If you do catch her - pick her straight up - say "NO" very firmly - no smacking or rubbing of noses - and put her outside and wait for her to finish - then lots of praise.

As for getting her to ask, this can be harder. What you could try is to get her excited by the door before opening it and trying to encourage her to bark. Say "do you wanna go out?" in a really jolly voice and as soon as she responds - praise her and open the door. It might work;) :D Again - you need to watch for the signs of when she's likely to need to go and encourage her to ask for the door. My boys will sit by the door - they won't ask - duh! but wait patiently until someone opens it:rolleyes:

hth

Pam n the boys

Hi pam

you got dead right, I couldnt add to that.

Mick

Only one of mine barks at the door, or more often at me from near the door, a my kitchen leads from my living room. Two others just stahnd and stare fixedly at me until I notice them, and then wag theri tails, they wait for me to work it out. another will just wait for an opportunity to go out when the back door is opened, or goes when I tell her to go out for a wee. she never actually asks to be let out, but as the back door is always open unless it is very cold, or late, tyhen they usually have plenty of chances to attend to their needs.

With baby pups I watch them liike hawks, and hike their little buts out if they so much as sit down!!! About every half hour to hour during waking hours, lol!

It is also important to remeber that a pup does not develop full bladder control until it is at least 5 months old, so when it needs to go it needs to go now, they just can't hang on!

Hi I'm new at this. But I have a problem.. I have a 2 year old male Chiduahua..And I have a problem with pottie training him...I will admit some of it is my fault.(I should walk him more than I do).. I don't (and will NEVER hit him)... but I have been in 3 car accidents in the past six years.. and with all the meds that I take it's hard for me to get up early in the morning to walk him.. So you see it's not really him.. But when I am up during the rest of the day I can't tell went he wants to go out so I just take him when I feel he needs to.. But now the REAL PROBLEM is my dad just passed away amonth ago and I had to move in with mom and her house is a castle..She just told me that I can bring LUCKY (that's my baby boy) to the house..I told her about the problem..and she said that I better keep a good eye on him... The only thing that I see will work from moving in with mom is that she gets up very, very early and she can walk him.. But what do I do if he has an accident.. If I TRY very hard to work with him... (which I plan to because he is my life) IS IT TO LATE to pottie train him. Mom also said that we can NEVER leave him alone in the house ... She has a big lania/with pool area... I told her that we can get a I think it's like a fence and put it in the shades area with of cause food and water.. but she says NO.... HELP... This is a big change for me also.. Having to leave my own home..Not looking for pitty..Just help with LUCKY..I can't go a day without him

Have you looked into the new products that are basically a "doggy litterbox" system? They look easy to use, and without the same mess as kitty litter :rolleyes: For a chihuahua, I can't imagine a huge amount of waste to clean up from it and it could be more efficient and easier for you to attempt this method of tt. I haven't ever tried it, but it could work for you.
hth
good luck,
toodles

Also with a dog so small even a medium size wire crate would be like a playpen.

If you got say a 2foot wide by 3 foot long crate, and put his bed in one end qand laid paper in the rest, atach his water and food dishes on the hoops that you can get for the cages, he should have a safe space for when you cannot watch him.

I have looked after a Yorkie like this, as she was not very toilet trained, but being so small a puddle or a little poo on several thicknesses of newspaper were really easy to clear away.

Only thing to add is that pups don't ussually have control until around 12 weeks of age...so it's a bit hit and miss before that anyway.
But go with the posting above, it's spot on.

:)

Thanks :)

Is it my imagination or are there an awful lot of house training problems around, could it be connected to weather i.e. chills from all the wet weather. Or perhaps reluctance on part of owners to get wet too often?? :-D :-D Anne

For me, 'outside' means the enclosed back varandah as we do not have a backyard. No getting wet there! Maybe it's just the amount of young, toilet-training-stage pups around right now :)

My 7 month old dog puppy has just started going to the door and whining or scraping at the door, my other one jumps up and licks my face when she wants out ive also got a new puppy, who, so far has been really good, ive put her cage in the bedroom at night with a puppy pen on but for the first time last night she actually started whining at 3am this morning im out in the garden and she did a pee and cleaned herself, she is only 9 weeks old, so hopefully this will continue, she has been really good, at first she was soiling her bed and sleeping on the newspapers in her pen, hoopefully she will learn the bedding is for sleeping on and I will remove the papers and the pen next week once I find out she is getting things together especially at night.

I have this fanciful notion that my 11 week old BC pup has actually started looking to see if the door is open for her now! I'd swear she checked the back door then the patio door this evening! Of course, she'll still wee on the carpet for the next few months just to prove me wrong;)
LynnT

Mine's in her cage at night in my room so if she needs to go out I can hear her whine and I'll take her. When she's inside during the day though it's just a matter of taking her out every half hour or so or when I see her sniffing suspisciously :) At this stage I'm still carrying her out cuz I know that if I asked her to follow she'll just turn right back around, play a bit, then do it on the carpet :-P

Of course, then you have the girls that get soo excited when anyone comes in, that they wet "their knickers" (Loki & Gypsy!!!) :-) - it's gret fun, greeting people with the mop & bucket in hand!