Hello (again...!!)
Can anyone advise please.

My 13 week old Whippet pup was doing great at toilet training with very few accidents.  He is drinking fine, showing no signs of illness or anything at all.

The last few days he has started going for a wee in the house, not when he wants a full bladder emptying, but more marking (probably a tablespoon or so)  (sorry for the TMI!).  We have done the usual 'as soon as he looks like sniffing going outside with him', but its still happening.  Yesterday he went out did a wee, came in, and did another small one on the lounge carpet.  Arrrgh!!!!!!

This morning, he has been for a walk, had breakfast and as I work from home most of the time, he has access constantly to the outside - we live in a townhouse so the ground floor is my office, loo, and utility room, which leads to the garden, the door is open.  I have also over the weeks since we had him, gone outside with him, encouraged him to go, praised him when he does etc etc etc.

Just now, with the door open, he has had a wee (small one) in the hall, literally 3m from the OPEN back door!!

I am now back to putting Puppy Pads everywhere again, although that is a game for him when the mood takes to rip them up!!!  I have one 'holder' but at £10 a time, they are an expensive luxury!!!

As I said, no sign of illness, nervousness, fear (we have been for some great walks and he is well socialised etc etc) Other than this particular issue, he is a great dog.  He barks at the door to go out for number 2's (sorry!)if he needs one outside normal walkies, just struggles with his numbers 1's most of the time!!!!
I am at a loss of what to do.

Please can anyone help. Thank you.

A 13 week old puppy will not be house trained.  He won't ahve much in the way of voluntary bladder control until about 5 months.

When you encourage and take him outside eh goes there as he happens to be there, the times he has an accident he feels a sudden need to go and does, where he happens to be, as he sees no reason not to.

This is just like toddlers who are playing and then pee their pants, even though they only recently went.

As th training progresses and his bladder control increases the penny will drop that outside and only outside is the place to go.

The puppy training pads will only set you back, because in effect your telling him that inside is also the place to go.

What are you cleaning accidents up with?  If it is disinfectant or any product with pine or ammonia it will only encourage him to go there again.  A solution of biological washing powder/liquid will remove the faint traces that will attract him to that are.

The more accidents he has indoors the longer the house training association will take.

He needs to be watched like a hawk, and when you can't then he needs restricting to a small cleanable area.  this will have two effects, limiting the accident areas and encouraging him not to go as he won't want to soil his bed and the immediate vicinity.

Snap - we thought we had it licked with ours with just the odd wee in the night - he went four times on the carpet this weekend and even pood in the lounge!!!!!

he is 14 week GR - we are going back to basics and watching him like a hawk or putting him in his crate if we need to leave the room for a while.

Hi

Thanks for this.

The only fly in that ointment is that he will go in his crate in the night (and he often does) he has never cried in the nights at all (and believe me I have and do wake up in the night and listen for him!!!)

I have put a puppy pad in his crate is this the wrong thing to do, and therefore should I be setting my alarm in the middle of the night and making him go outside to create a routine, or is that the wrong routine....?

And we do watch him and take him out, and sometimes he will come in after doing one but still do it.   Is this just what puppies do (notwithstanding taking him all the time, watching him carefully etc etc etc etc)

Brain surgery seems easier than puppy toilet training !!!! ;-))

His wee is also quite strong and can stain (our carpets are cream - not our choice they were here when we bought!!!)  I am using a stain and odour remover spray from Pets at Home???....

We have decided to remove our carpet and put flags or slate tiles down in our doggy areas lol :) It will also save always washing paws!

We have quickly learned that you aint never going to have a show home with a dog! If it's not dog hairs, its ripped up newspaper, mud, chewed sticks etc etc. Ah well at least the upstairs is tidy - until he masters the stairs of course :)

Definately don't put a training pad in his crate, in fact, as Brainless says, don't use the pads at all. Either don't shut him in his crate, so he can come outside to go, set your alarm at regular intervals, or put the crate by your bed so if he does wake you can hear him.

I believe it is possible ot have some degree of toilet training at a young age, it is just they really can't hold on for long until 5 or 6 months. You need to remember to g outside with him when he toilets, take him out at frequent intervals and watch him like a hawk. The aim should be to never let him go in the house (unless you chose to put paper down at night and leave his crate open) an dif you take him out often enough, he won't go in the house.

Toilet training is a full time job.