Caboose
New Member
Our new puppy is 8 weeks old and a crazy ball of energy (of course!). Knowing that he's going to be a big guy, we are anxious to start his training ASAP. Of course, potty rules are tops on the list! The people we got him from said he had a decent grasp of outside=the place to potty but he is really resisting over the last day and a half since he joined our family.
We have been taking him out regularly. At least every hour during the day and as often as every 15 minutes at times when we know he is likely needing to go (after naps or play time, before and after meals) but he will run right back to the door to be let in. This may be in part because it's cold out there as we live in Ontario, Canada. When we open the door to take him out, he backs away as soon as the cold air hits him! Anyway, once he's out, he goes straight back to the door and sits to be let in. Even trying to play outside a little only distracts him for a minute or two. And then he will sometimes pee on the carpet within minutes of coming inside! Talk about frustrating. Even if we catch him as he just starts to dribble and rush him out, he will refuse to finish his pee outside.
Now, he is not our first dog... and our last dog (whom we had to put down last summer) had a lot of issues near the end of his life, bladder control being one of them, so we're not new to puddles! I certainly don't expect Caboose to train in a day. But it almost seems as though he is confused and doesn't realize that outside is where we WANT him to go.
Does anyone have any tips to make this process easier on him and us?
We have been taking him out regularly. At least every hour during the day and as often as every 15 minutes at times when we know he is likely needing to go (after naps or play time, before and after meals) but he will run right back to the door to be let in. This may be in part because it's cold out there as we live in Ontario, Canada. When we open the door to take him out, he backs away as soon as the cold air hits him! Anyway, once he's out, he goes straight back to the door and sits to be let in. Even trying to play outside a little only distracts him for a minute or two. And then he will sometimes pee on the carpet within minutes of coming inside! Talk about frustrating. Even if we catch him as he just starts to dribble and rush him out, he will refuse to finish his pee outside.
Now, he is not our first dog... and our last dog (whom we had to put down last summer) had a lot of issues near the end of his life, bladder control being one of them, so we're not new to puddles! I certainly don't expect Caboose to train in a day. But it almost seems as though he is confused and doesn't realize that outside is where we WANT him to go.
Does anyone have any tips to make this process easier on him and us?