Missing pup's cues to go out?

[PintOfMineralWater]

We have a 10 week old mastiff X. He seems really smart - he's learned to come, sit, shake paws and pee on demand. Crate training is helping with the toilet training. But he is still wandering off to do the odd poo in his two favourite spots (one on the carpet, ugh!) despite being taken outside all the bloody time and rewarded lavishly for "going" outside!

What are we doing wrong? I'm beginning to wonder if he's been trying to tell us he wants to go out and we're missing his cues? How do you train a dog to ask to go outside? I read something overly complicated online about training them to ring a bell. Surely there must be something easier!

[BiteyShark]

10 weeks is still very very young. Lots of puppies take weeks and months to be toilet trained.

You need to watch them all the time at that age. Make sure you clean up with special cleaners to get rid of the smell inside.

[missbattenburg]

At 10 weeks old he won't be giving you any cues and won't be getting much warning himself that he needs to go. I don't think they have any real control over their bladder/bowel until about 12 weeks - though this can vary by breed/dog.

You MAY see him pace about, pant, start to take an interest in the floor but a much more reliable way to do it is to take him out very regularly. At that age, I was taking mine out every hour he was awake, at least, plus anytime he looked vaguely like he was doing any of the above (even if he'd only just come back in). He still didn't stop accidents on the house until about 16 weeks and took a little bit longer than that to start giving me a signal he needed to go out.

[ButFirstTea]

He's 10 weeks, surely he can only have been home for a maximum of 2 weeks at this point, which is nothing!! Be patient, you're doing everything right, but it's really not going to be this easy unfortunately. It takes time, some dogs still go indoors occasionally when they're 6 months old! He's just a baby and he needs time to learn.

[CMOTDibbler]

10 weeks is no age at all! I do bell train my pups (I foster for a rescue) and you'd be surprised how quickly they work it out, but you have to take them out super regularly, stand there with them, and watch them like a hawk

[YetAnotherNewName1000]

At 10 weeks he may be sniffing the floor and circling a bit, but equally he may just be going! I have found that taking them out frequently (as you are), and then if they haven't pooed and you think it's time for one, contain them in their crate (if he has one) for 15 mins (set a timer), then try again in the garden. By using his crate you are preventing him from sneaking off for a crafty 'secret' poo, and they are unlikely to soil their bed, assuming they are allowed out regularly.

[tabulahrasa]

Mine started sort of looking in that direction at about 12 weeks and actually going to the door at about 14 weeks, by 16 weeks he’d bang on it with a big paw if he wasn’t immediately attended to, lol, up to that point it was very much just try and catch it by being outside when he happened to need.

[geekone]

I think it depends on the breed mine has pooped in the house only with an upset tummy and then there was no holding it in. Other than that from day one he has gone outside. Pee is a different story however and we still have the odd excited accident but he is only 11 weeks. He definitely has queues he sniffs a lot and in a different way and starts to squat but I have him in sight pretty much all the time.

[PintOfMineralWater]

Ah okay,so it's just his age then. We've had him for a month (we got him from the spca, he'd been dumped, alone so no mum). He goes all night in his crate without accidents so I thought he had better control.

Thanks all!

[PintOfMineralWater]

He is in my sight pretty much 16 hours a day so I can reward him each time he "goes" and I'm finding it hard going. I know it's not forever. But man, I'm so glad I didn't get a pup when the children were any smaller!

[BiteyShark]

He goes all night in his crate without accidents

Night is a bit different as they aren't moving about and sleeping.

[PintOfMineralWater]

Very true.