Toilet training help please

[No52]

Hi it's more of a what would you do question really.

We brought home an 8 week old Lab cross this weekend who has settled really well and luckily he had very few accidents indoors.

To get out to the garden pup has to go out a door from the kitchen to a corridor and then through another door to a covered outside area, this area has had false grass laid on it. Out of a 3rd door (all doors left open) leads you to some steps which take you up to the garden which has also had the false grass laid.

Due to pup being so small we have been carrying him up the steps so he can go to the toilet outside in the uncovered garden area, this is also the area we socialise as a family if in the garden.

Pup has today started to take himself off to the toilet but is reaching the covered area with the false grass and doing his business there even with us right behind him ready to carry him up the steps.

So to get the question, sorry it was so long... Would you place puppy pads over the section he walks through and has taken to using until big enough for the steps, cover it with towels/carpet cut off or just keep lifting him as we are now and hope he learns to wait for us to do so?

Can you put a ramp on the steps to let him get up there by himself?

What's wrong with him going on the covered grass?

Thank you Valla I will speak to DH about that idea.

Adaline it is where the children do gymnastics and similar so I have blocked access to the majority for hygiene and pups safety but he is now using the walk through section which is not ideal. Sorry I could have explained it better in my first post.

At 8 weeks pup is really young, at that stage I'd be going out with pup once an hour (and within 10 minutes of eating) to the area you want and ask him to preform there and praise when him when he does.

Hard work now but worth it in the long run.

Thanks Eeeeek2, we are taking him out hourly and up the steps to the main/actual garden but he's trying to go it alone bless him and only making it so far out.
To be fair it is a long journey to a tiny pup just for a wee.
I appreciate the help, next step is getting him to enjoy morning cuddles at a slightly more reasonable time