[sume747]

Hi. I have wonderfully smart 12 wk old. We got him at 8 wks and have had him on a very tight schedual ever since. Right now he goes potty every time we take him. We have had pee accidents though they are very few and far between. No poop accidents ( knocking on wood ). The few times he has had accidents it is when we have given him a little more freedom. He has never indicated when he has to go ( sniffing, going to door, ect.). He could be playing and pee right where he is and then go right back to playing like it's nothing. My question is since we do have him on such a tight schedual is ther a chance he wont learn to let us know when he has to go? He clearly knows what it means to "go potty" because he does it on command when we take him out. We have been at this for over 4 wks and although it has been a while since we have had a puppy (12 yrs ) it seems like I had my first GSD potty trained in like 1 wk.

 

[scannergirl]

Personally I would not give any freedom at all to a pup that age, especially one not housetrained. My pup swallowed a sock that had to be surgically removed from her stomach after I had her four days- I learned that you never know what trouble they can get into. Thank GOD she was OK.
My pup also did not indicate when she had to pee. I think a schedule and a crate are your two best friends in potty training. I caught her in the act (because she was supervised so closely) and simply picked her up mid pee and carried her out. When she finished up outside I acted like she was the smartest, most wonderful doggie on the planet. She would not go in her crate either.
Don't depend on the puppy to let you know when he has to go. That comes later, IMHO. I think first they make the connection that they are to do their business outside, THEN they are able to let you know they need to go. Sounds like he isn't quite there yet.

 

[tracyc]

My favorite techniques to help with potty training:

tethering--put the pup on his leash and tie it to your belt indoors. Then he can follow you around, have the feeling of "freedom" (sort of) but he can't wander off and pee. And you can see him get into position and scoop him up and run outside.

bells---rig up a bell (or string of bells) on the door that the dog goes outside. Some people use "jingle bells" like you find at christmas time--or it could be a simple little bell on a string--anything will do. Hang it on the handle of the door, at a level that the pup can reach it with his nose. When you go outside, YOU ring the bell and say "want to go outside?" and then go. Ring it every time, and he'll catch on. ring the bell means go outside. He'll start ringing it. (the only danger here is that he will start to get real funny and ring it just to make you get up from your chair and run to the door. So at some point, after you KNOW he's housebroken, you'll have to yell--stop ringing that bell! You just came in!!

 

[sume747]

LOL. The bells are a good idea. When I said "freedom" what I really meant was my definition of his freedom is tied to a lead and very closely watched and every time he had a accident I did catch him mid stream. I think it's just wishful thinking on my part to want him done with this part. You know what I mean?

 

[chevysmom]

Sounds like how my little guy was! He is 16 weeks now and stopped having accidents in the house around...12 weeks I want to say. He would do the same thing, play, give no indication he had to go outside, pee and then resume playing. Drove me batty. Then one day he just got it and hasn't had an accident since (knock on wood). He will scratch the back door when he has to go outside now. I've heard the hanging a bell on the backdoor from many people who swear it works. Good luck!

 

[doggiedad]

my boy came home at 9 weeks and he was house broken by 11 weeks. he did the same thing. he would play and then all of a sudden just go. i think when they're playing they hold it untll they can't hold it anymore. when he's playing stop the play and take him outside. bring him back in , let him play and then take him outside. my boy started going to the front when he wanted to go out even though we used the back door all of the time to let him go in the yard. then he started sitting beside the back door. it sounds like he's pretty much house broken. i think you need to take him out a little more often and don't wait for him to tell you he wants to go out. since he does it while playing take him out in the middle of play. i bet you he'll start giving you a sign soon when he wants to go out.