Advice re puppy and toilet training please.

[NigellaEllaElla]

Hi, we picked up our puppy on Wednesday. He was 9 wks old yesterday.

I bought a tonne of puppy pads but he refuses to use them. He had a few accidents in our hall where his bed is in the first day or so and at night, as expected. But generally he was doing well going outside. I've fully disinfected whenever he has had an accident and also steam cleaned the floor so there's no trace of his urine. But in the last 24hrs he has regressed and has started making his way to the hall to actually use it as his toilet!

So how can I break the habit? I'm struggling to get to him in time to put him on a pad and I've read a few times since that pads aren't really recommended.

I just want to try to stop him thinking the hall is now his toilet as his default reaction!

Thanks

[bakingtins]

Put him outside, repeatedly. As soon as he wakes from a nap, after every meal, at regular intervals during the day, as late as possible at night and as early as possible in the morning. When he 'performs' in the right place go overboard with the effusive praise and treats. When there are inevitable accidents clean up without comment. Don't use anything with bleach/ammonia compounds - they smell like urine. When you can see him starting to go you can introduce a command word, then reward after - eventually you'll be able to tell him to perform next to the poo bin rather than doing your whole walk carrying a bag of poo.
Be consistent, repeatedly give him opportunity to get it right and reinforce going in the correct location.

[CaTsMaMmA]

you need to be taking him outside, he HAS to make the connection between outside, peeing and praise, and then that will lead to him realising that to get praise he needs to ask to go out.

take him out more often than you think possible, before and after sleeping, playing, eating, changing his mind, just because the sun is shining....Just.Get.Outside.

try not to have too much fun out there until he performs, try to attach a word to the action....it'll make your life so much easier on car journeys if they at least have an idea of peeing on command.

[bakingtins]

Are you using a crate? most dogs will be reluctant to foul their bed, but you need to understand how limited his bladder capacity will be, he won't hold on all night yet.

[NigellaEllaElla]

Brilliant advice, thank you so much. I'm on it!

What do you use as your command word? "Pee!" Seems a bit controlling

[NigellaEllaElla]

Bakingtins - I have got one but haven't used it yet. He's been really good at bed times in terms of sleeping and I thought I'd only have to get him out of it at some point so I decided to only use it if needs must. I feel like I'm failing a bit tbh. We had a dog for 13 years but he was a rescue dog from 2 and he was already trained beautifully.

[CaTsMaMmA]

i puppy walk...so guide dog lingo is "busy busy" but anything really. It's more an instruction than a command....if we say busy we don't expect an instant puddle, but it certain makes sure they know what they are out there for. :o

[insanityscatching]

Eric's word was quickly because once he was fully immunised and out for walks I was embarrassed to be doing the sing song pee pee command I had done in the garden.

[BirdyArms]

I used a crate and I do think that was helpful, particularly at night, he only once ever had one accident in the crate. I can't imagine it being a problem getting them out of a crate later, ours is now 5 months and think he'd be more than happy to move to a comfy bed. Do you know anyone that you could borrow one from? I've had 3 of differing sizes on loan, lots of people buy them and don't use for long. And it's still handy on occasion, mine lives in the kitchen diner and jumps up at the kitchen counters so sometimes when I'm cooking and he's driving me mad I shut him in the crate with a treat.

My pup is very food motivated, much more so than by praise, so I gave him a food treat immediately after he used the toilet outside (as well as praise). Some people think that you shouldn't give them a treat for going to the toilet but it worked really well for us.

But I think at the end of the day you need masses of patience and vigilance at the start. A few times I sat in the garden waiting and waiting and then gave up only for him to have an accident as soon as we came in. At least you have nice weather for it!

[BirdyArms]

'Hurry Up' is what we use.