Our 3 1/2 month old Golden Retriever is being housetrained by the crate.  He goes all night (usually) and then when let out goes straight into the garden to do his business.  A couple of times he has been in the kitchen and has just peed in the spot where he peed when we first had him, but without sniffing or giving any of the usual signs that he wanted to go.  Its been a few weeks since he had peed in that spot and the floor had been cleaned a number of times with "Simple Solution" and biological washing powder solution.  Its not that he had an accident but that because he won't go in his crate and then goes straight outside once the crate door is open, I'm wondering how he is supposed to let us know when he wants to go when he's not in the crate, simply in the house.  Because we don't seem to be able to tell this, he's not getting into the lounge much (only room downstairs with carpet!) and we're really looking forward to him in there with us more. 

At 3 and half months he is a bit to young to know he wants to go, they are usually about 6 months before they become 100% reliable. Keep up the training and take him out after food, after waking and about every hour in-between. Don't forget to praise when he goes in the right place, scolding is of no use and may be counter productive.

We had the same problem with our youngest.  Some pups take longer than others.  Be patient and as has been said, continue with what you're doing with the letting out frequently.  It will come eventually.

Hey Goldenz, I can't offer any specific advice but would just say keep up everything you are doing - it just takes time!  You have to be 100% vigilant and do his thinking for him at the moment - try and stay on top of when he's likely to need to go, and direct him outside at the right time.   You won't be right all of the time, but never mind....practice practice practice, reward reward reward!!  As Nova said, don't bother scolding him when he pees on the floor, he won't understand what you're on about and might start peeing somewhere else where you can't see him. :)  Its difficult not to bolt across the room squealing NOOOOOOOO though is it, I became quite gazelle like at vaulting over the furniture to reach my peeing puppy. :)

Nellie went through this stage too, the two steps back after so many steps forward - I was utterly frustrated and thought we'd done something wrong in her training, but we stayed with it.  She is 100% reliable at 10 months now, so take heart!  I kept a bag of treats by the door, and every time she peed/pooped out on the grass (and not by the television in the living room), I gave her a treat the moment she'd finished peeing (not before, as sometimes they don't empty their bladder fully if you interupt them) then jumped around ecstatically whooping and cheering and telling her how clever she was.  The neighbours must have thought I was barmy, but it worked!

Good luck and stick with it.

Suze

Very few of mine ever ask to go out.  From when they are tiny they get given the opportunity to go, and as their bodies get more able to hold on they simply wait to be allowed out.

Only ever ask if they are desperate, but that is usually as adults, before that it's a question of giving ample opportunity and being vigilant.

Personally I do not want a dog that asks to go out as they can get very cute and ask all the time simply because they want the door open.

At 3 1/2 months a pup is still like a toddler who tells you they need a wee and their pants are already wet.  About five to 6 months before any realistic control on the wee front.

I trained my dog to go outside by keeping him very very close (put a lead attached to my belt, sometimes), and picking him up and popping him outside as soon as first sign he was weeing detected - usually sniffing or circling, but sometimes he'd be actually beginning to wee. But mainly i always went out with him  first thing in the morning, last thing at night, after every meal, and about every hour or two apart from that. I always went out (even when it was raining) so i could see and praise him when he did it outside, this is also the time to give him a cue word (i say 'hurry up') for your convenience later on.
I still let him out first and last thing, and after his meals (he is nearly 3 years), otherwise he will very occasionally (about 2-3 times a week) go and sit by the door and when i let him out he pees on command, but he might not really need to go, he might just fancy a wander in the garden.

[b]Personally I do not want a dog that asks to go out as they can get very cute and ask all the time simply because they want the door open

That is so true!!

Our Mitz will trick us and then have a quick scarper before coming back in, cheeky girl lol Funny thing is, if she showed she wanted to play I would have just let her out! Think she likes the power lol

Ditto RReeve I did exactly that with both of ours. Now they both "ask" but Jake will "ask" and then go for a mooch or pee a thimble full!! but no mistakes for months and months and steam cleaned carpets so we are all singing in tune. Now if I could just stop it raining...

Different strokes I guess, I want my dogs to ask me to go outside and both will stand at the door if they want out. My 3 YO dog will even bark once if he's been waiting awhile and no one is downstairs to let him out. He rarely needs to go out during the day but he does know how to tell me if his back teeth are floating. Thankfully he doesn't really do much snuffling around the garden unless we're out there too so I'm not a revolving door for him.

I have 2 dogs and used the same system. I never used a crate for house training but kept the pup with me no matter what room I was in. With both of my dogs from day one I encouraged them walk out of the door themselves instead of carrying them as much as possible. I always said the same thing at the door "go outside" then took them out and praised them as you normally would when relieving themselves. (little ones were sometimes hustled out too quickly in the beginning) Both dogs were fairly reliable by 16 weeks and would ask to go out themselves if they needed to. I still had to watch for any sniffy behavior, then encourage them to 'go outside' but that system worked for me.

Thanks to everyone for the encouragement.  (I haven't figured out how to "reply to all").  We don't scold but I am rather amazed at how fast I have become in crossing the room when he does go! x

I found my lab pup was not making the conection to go outside at 4 months. I had read that they should have developed enough bladder control at 3 months.

I did all the positive reward training when he went outside. He was still peeing inside but never in his crate. If I caught him in the act I would do the 10 yard sprint and pick him up and take him outside and give loads of praise when he finished his wee.

When I found a puddle I would pop him in another room and clean up without a fuss. It was still not working. So I decided I needed to try something else. If I caught him in the act I made my disaproving noise but did not make a big fuss and took him outside to finish and then gave loads of praise. He got the message within a few days. He needed the simple correction to make the conection.

Ad and Dexter

> I want my dogs to ask me to go outside and both will stand at the door if they want out

Same here :) The pup, I think, has picked this up off the old dog, if they need the 'loo' they will stand at the door, if nobodys is in the room old boy will bark and pup will come to find me and nudge me with his nose :)
Now the old dog is getting on (over 14years ), very occasionally he can't wait 'till morning so he will bark to wake me up to go out. By the time he has managed to wake me up his little legs are nearly crossed, he really can't bear the thought of having an accident, bless him, he would be mortified if he didn't know that he could 'tell' me to let him out.

To the OP, my pup seemed to take forever to pick up on toilet training, he would just wee even at 5 months old, without showing signs of needing to go beforehand and would even do it while he was laid down and always seemed very suprised at the fact he had wet himself :( He was taken out hourly and after food/drink/playing/waking etc and praised for doing it outside, but he got it in the end, one day he just seemed to realise that he needed to wee before it started to come out and it all fell into place- HOORAY :) (he had been checked by the vet, because the weeing while sleeping/laying had me very worried, but there was nothing wrong)