My puppy goes to the toilet as soon as we get back inside

Hi there

At 2 months old, a puppy needs to feel secure in their environment. The outdoors can be quite scary for them.

Between 3 and 6 months, mine was allowed to do his business on the balcony or in the crate I'd bought for him (which he used strictly as a toilet). I had shown him how to do it.

At this age, they tend to poo or pee at set times. You just have to keep an eye on them and correct the behaviour.

I don't think they enjoy long walks before they're 12 months old. I remember getting frustrated because we'd go for a 2-hour walk and nothing would happen. Then we'd get home and—splat—an accident. I kept a close eye on things and kept a diary of his activities so I could remember his routine and act accordingly.

So, whenever I saw he was about to go, I’d scoop him up and take him downstairs to start a short walk. Once he hit 18 months, I introduced hand signals for "poo" and "pee". That way, I can use the sign to remind him to go (if I'm in a bit of a rush).

Finally, for about 15 months, he had a washable puppy pad for weeing (when I wasn't home). I phased it out gradually and made the walks longer. I never give treats during walks. Walkies isn't time for eating. That way, we stay on a good schedule. I’ve since got a second dog, and the older one actually did the training for the little one (there’s a 2-year age gap). The older one did it all spontaneously, so I didn't really have to step in.

It took me 2 years to get him fully trained. It doesn’t all happen at the same time; it's a question of maturity.

For example, he’s had to wait for my "go-ahead" before touching his food since he was a tiny pup.

On the other hand, he was only pooing outside without any stress at around 8 months. Before that, it was a bit hit and miss and quite irregular.

Hello,

I don't think your dog needs a trainer to teach him how to go to the toilet. He does that naturally. And when it comes to cuddles, that’s down to you to lead the way.

If it’s your own behaviour you’re worried about, you would need to contact a pet behaviourist (not a trainer), but from what you’ve written, it’s completely unnecessary at the moment.

Your dog's behaviour is perfectly normal. He’s just doing his business in a place where he feels safe. The most important thing right now is to build a bond through play and cuddles, so that your puppy feels completely safe when he’s with you.

Be patient; by doing this, he’ll soon realise that the garden is a safe space when you’re by his side, and that’s when he’ll start going there.

At 그 point, you can start making him understand that you don't want him peeing or anything else indoors.

Hi there!

Don't lose hope; my spaniel puppy was exactly the same when he was nearly 4 months old.

We had our ups and downs. Sometimes we’d wait outside for half an hour, only for him to wait until we got back inside to go; other times he'd go every 20 minutes even though we'd just taken him out and he'd already been! A little while ago, I was at the point of taking him out every single hour.

Honestly, it was a nightmare, especially considering we had three flights of stairs to go up and down carrying him every time...

Now, after just a few weeks, I can stretch it to about 3 hours between walks, and apart from a few accidents (if we're out too long and he can't hold it, or if he's suddenly drunk loads of water), he hardly ever wees and never poos indoors anymore. He’s only 4 months old, so I reckon that's not bad at all!

Here’s what you need to do (some of this has been mentioned already):

- Take her out every hour or two at strategic times (after naps, playtime, and meals).

- Make a massive fuss of her and give her treats to praise her—lots at first, then gradually fewer.

- Don't scold her, and just ignore it if you didn't catch her in the act; she won't understand why she's being told off.

- As soon as you see her squatting because she's about to go, scoop her up quickly and run outside so she finishes there.

- Clean up with water diluted with white vinegar—it’s the best thing for getting rid of smells! :)

- When you're outside: let her sniff around until she goes, and only AFTERWARDS go for a little walk or let her play. That way she thinks, "Brilliant, I've done a wee outside, I’ve been praised, and now I get to run around!"

Just remember she just needs time to grow up. Two weeks ago, mine would HOWL if I left the room, even for less than 5 minutes. Now he doesn't make a peep; he just stays there quietly playing or sitting until I come back.

Anyway, HANG IN THERE! It just takes loads of patience and attention!

You’re absolutely right, you’ll never build a bond of trust with a dog if you’re telling them off unfairly – it’s just as harmful as parents shouting at a newborn baby for not being able to control their bladder.

The best thing you can do for a puppy that was taken from its litter too early is to set them up for the future by giving them massive praise for every wee outside, and just ignoring it whenever they have an accident indoors.