Yelling no, causing him to run away, isn’t necessarily going to teach him not to pee in the house. How is he supposed to understand that the problem is not what he’s doing, but where he’s doing it? The fallout could end up that he becomes afraid to pee in your presence, either indoors or outside, which is going to set back your house training efforts even further.

How often are you taking him outside? What do you do when he pees where he’s supposed to? Have you considered keeping him on leash in the house for now, a lightweight drag line that you could quickly grab the end of to run him outside the second he starts to go?

 

I just had him out, he pees fine outside if I am there or not. I gave him lots of praise and treats. I try to take him out once an hour, and after he wakes up. Look I’m not trying to scare him. Im trying to sound stern without raising my voice too much. I’m just trying to get the message across


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Catch him in the act, pick him up, carry him outside....

 

I’ve done that. When I catch him.


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So, have you had him checked for a UTI? I think this is training but I would rule this out as well. Tether him to you. Take him out every 15 minutes If you can't do that, put him in the crate. Put a big sign up warning of impending doom if your instructions are not followed. Duct tape a child to the wall as a warning to others.

 

So, have you had him checked for a UTI? I think this is training but I would rule this out as well. Tether him to you. Take him out every 15 minutes If you can't do that, put him in the crate. Put a big sign up warning of impending doom if your instructions are not followed. Duct tape a child to the wall as a warning to others.

That made me laugh. Thank you. He just has a vet check. He’s good.


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Well, he's four months and a boy.I hear boys are harder than girls. I would pick him out and take him outside when he pees in the house, even though he has just gone. I think it helps make the association. Sounds like you are doing everything right, taking him out every hour. I think he will eventually get it. You are cleaning the places where he pees really thoroughly right? So the smell doesn't encourage him to go there again? Do you always take him out the same door? Does he signal you yet when he wants to go out, and how does he signal you? Does he jump on the door or (my favorite) I hang a string of bells and the dog usually brushes the bells with his nose or body when he's near the door, alerting me that he wants to go out. If he's timid (and if he's runnng from you at a no, he seems submissive) he might be afraid to signal to a person, but he could get in the habit of ringing the bells. So I'd do those two things ,pick him up every time he pees in the house (No, no, just pick him up and take him out) and hang a string of bells on every door that you use to take him out. Xmas bells riveted to a big leather strap that have a big ring on the end of a strap are good, but any string of bells is fine, except you don't want anything a dog could catch a paw or leg in if he jumps against them.

 

Well, he's four months and a boy.I hear boys are harder than girls. I would pick him out and take him outside when he pees in the house, even though he has just gone. I think it helps make the association. Sounds like you are doing everything right, taking him out every hour. I think he will eventually get it. You are cleaning the places where he pees really thoroughly right? So the smell doesn't encourage him to go there again? Do you always take him out the same door? Does he signal you yet when he wants to go out, and how does he signal you? Does he jump on the door or (my favorite) I hang a string of bells and the dog usually brushes the bells with his nose or body when he's near the door, alerting me that he wants to go out. If he's timid (and if he's runnng from you at a no, he seems submissive) he might be afraid to signal to a person, but he could get in the habit of ringing the bells. So I'd do those two things ,pick him up every time he pees in the house (No, no, just pick him up and take him out) and hang a string of bells on every door that you use to take him out. Xmas bells riveted to a big leather strap that have a big ring on the end of a strap are good, but any string of bells is fine, except you don't want anything a dog could catch a paw or leg in if he jumps against them.

He will just stop and go. No alert. I think I’m noticing this is often when he is in high play mode. So I think, like a toddler, he doesn’t want to stop his play.


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No warning. No sniffing. He will just stop what he is doing and pee.

Maybe he just gets too distracted and doesn't realize he has to pee until he really has to go. He has a 4-month old puppy brain.

 

I’m starting to think this is the case


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If it helps…I used to set up alarm and take the puppy out every 1-2hrs or so. With every month…their bladder gets better and I think the time can be extended by 20mins. And definitely take the puppy out before starting to play and 20-30mins after a drink of water. It is harder to catch them in the act so this routine helps in clearing out their bladder. You have to do this consistently for them to get the habit of going out to pee. If one of you forget and he goes inside…that sets you back again in your training. The alarm notifications help. Their bladders are tiny at this point and they will pee when they are excited.

 

Set a timer and take him out. Any mistake in the house by a puppy is the owner's mistake for not taking them out soon enough.

 

Puppies have to pee:
-Right after they play
-5 minutes after they drink water
-When they wake up from a nap.
-After they eat.

You have already been told to teather your pup. Do not let your dog out of your sight. If your pup is on a leash, you will most definitely catch him. If he squats, or sniffs around, instantly pick him up and take him outside. Don't bother scolding, the disruption will be aversive enough. He will stop peeing the instant you scoop him up.

Take him outside to the spot where you want him to pee, use a trigger word, ( I use "hurry up"). just say it softly while he sniffs and reward when he finishes peeing. Soon enough, he will pee as soon as he hears the trigger command.

If you can't teather...then it's in the crate. No freedom until he becomes dependable.

 

Everything Jorkski said.

He is 16 weeks old. He should not be loose in the house. You can not stop this behavior until you stop allowing him to be loose in the house. Stop chasing him. That's not helpful. He doesn't know what he's doing wrong because you haven't taught him what he should do. Just make a loud noise to disrupt him, like clapping your hands together, so he stops peeing and get him outside, praise him like he's the King of Siam and it's his birthday. Wash, Rinse, Repeat until he's successful.

 

He is 16 weeks old. He should not be loose in the house. You can not stop this behavior until you stop allowing him to be loose in the house.

I had forgotten this! When Frankie was that young he was in an x-pen whenever I was not doing something with him. How quickly we forget now that he is 15 months old.

 

It shouldn't be much pee, if you're taking him out every hour and you took him out before you started play. But babies may not have a lot of control over their bladder, and excitement may make it hyperactive. If you are worried it is setting back his housebreaking, then I'd take him out before you start any play games. Do you say "good potty" or whatever when he pees? Then you can use those words to get him to pee on command when you take him outside. If he empties out before he plays, that should help alleviate the excited playing pee mistakes.

 

Ditto on everything suggested. Also, are you using an enzyme cleaner on his pee spots, like Nature's Miracle, Simple Solution, or a similar product?

 

ummm. question - Is it the same spot he pees or is it random? What are you using to clean up after him? Check the bottle - NO ammonia (it's a component of urine, to him that smells like the right place)
We bought some pricey stuff with Duke The Brainless from Simple Solution called Extreme Stain and Odor Remover at Petsmart. Says on the blue bottle "helps prevent repeat marking" I still have most of the bottle left. Pine Sol is good, too. Take him out of the crate, pick him up and carry him outside. Take him to a spot he's already marked and just stand there until something happens, then it's all hugs and good boys!!! Just keep taking him out regularly (a schedule is important) and don't make a big fuss when he does accident. It's like rewarding him with attention. He doesn't care whether the attention is positive or negative, just attention. Eventually he'll get it. And don't make a big deal out of taking him out - he needs to understand it's a business trip, not happy walk or play time.
Have luck, I know it's frustrating but he'll figure out what you want.

 

One time I read this: "get a rolled up newspaper and hit yourself over the head when he pees inside". Every accident is because he wasn't supervised enough. My pups don't have any freedom at that age. Maybe a few minutes off leash play with me after pooping and peeing outside. Then it is back to crate, pen or tether. The dogs I raised this way hardly had an accident. Two of them actually never. Also I never reward them for going outside; just pair it with Go Potty.
Edit:
The exception was WD who had several UTIs as a pup; the first symptoms of his autoimmune disease 😢

 

Key potty training take-away...Mistakes are your mistakes not the puppy's. Your Job is to prevent accidents, not to correct them.

 

well, not with my current puppy, but with my last puppy he did go potty outside and once as we were playing just after we came inside, he piddled again. As you say, just stopped playing and immediately crouched and piddled when he had just pottied and I thought he was empty. It happens. I don't think you need to beat yourself up about it or consider it your failure. And I think it is just puppy excitement. I'd just take your boy outside every hour, take him out before you play inside. He will get it.

 

how's the puppy doing, potty training wise?

 

He still does it but it seems not as much. So it’s still a work in progress. I can tell when he gets restless and he needs something to do. I’m picking up on those cues now. I noticed that this seems to be when he does it. Or right after play and he’s amped up. We are on top of him watching him like a hawk.


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Do you keep him leashed inside the house? That's key.

 

^^^THIS
You say he is still peeing inside...but less. Each time is reinforcing this behaviour.

You probably need two weeks with ZERO accidents to break this habit. At this point this is only achievable with 100% of the time either on leash or in the crate.

 

House training really is common sense: no freedom unless the 5 minutes AFTER they pooped and peed OUTSIDE. When done right away after getting the pup, it's done in 2 weeks. In the meantime you keep that rascal busy with play and gentle training, exposure in the world etc. I don't trust them for the first 4 months, even after 0 "accidents".

 

Some dogs catch on some things, quicker than others. My current pup (4 1/4 months) caught on the first day with potty training, but he's still a landshark at times and has trouble finding his off switch. What you lose on the swings you can gain on the roundabouts sometimes.

 

He’s doing great with no biting humans. So that’s a plus! He still occasionally takes things he shouldn’t. We are working on that.


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