Toilet training tips

[Livelovelife35]

We have had wee bailey 4 nearly 5 weeks now he will be 12 weeks on Wednesday
And despite thinking have we done the right thing we are genuinely in love with him and noticing small changes
He has learned sit and is now giving us paws and in the middle of tackling the bitting and chewing and picking stuff of the pavements

Really need tips on toilet training
We have pads dotted about and they mainly lead towards the front door now he will use them other times not
When hes out he will most likely do a wee rather than a poo any helpful tips to help with doing the toilet outside and not inside so we can get rid of the pads

Personally I would get rid of the pads because they can confuse some puppies.

If you don't want them to toilet in the house then encouraging them to go on a pad is saying yes you can but only in some circumstances (pads/carpets/mats etc which is why it can be confusing).

I would take him out after every meal, drink, sleep, play and frequently in between. Make sure you praise like mad when he dies go outside. Start using a command when he toilets so eventually he associates that command with toileting. Clean up all accidents inside with a special cleaner so he isn't encouraged to go again in that spot.

Toilet training can take time but the key is to try and get them to go outside as much as possible while minimising accidents inside. Taking them out frequently tips the balance in the right way.

IME you need to swoop the second they start to run about a bit frenetically (often in a circle), pausing to give the floor a thoughtful sniff. After sleeping is the classic time; I find it takes about 20 mins - half an hour after a meal for a poo to make an appearance.

And then when you time it right and the pee or poo ends up outside not inside, lashings of praise as Bitey said.

Ditch the pads, you don't want to confuse your pup by letting him toilet indoors.
Take him out on the hour, after every sleep, every meal/long drink, every time you see him sniffing or circling. Stay with him, don't speak. Wait for about 10 minutes to give him chance. When he wee/poo quiet praise and a high value treat, tiny sliver of chicken, cheese, ham, hot dog sausage and straight back indoors. If you see him weeing indoors, take him straight out but he isn't likely to wee again at that point. Never get cross or shout if he toilets indoors, or he'll likely be wary of doing it in front of you outdoors.

After a few days, he'll be toiletting fairly soon after you go out. Then you introduce your target word as he does the action, I use wee wee (I know, sorry) as the pup wees/poos. The idea is to get your pup to associate the action with the words. Don't use the word to encourage your dog to do it in that first phase because he won't yet speak English. You need to only use the word with the action or you're teaching him to ignore you.

This method is time consuming in the early weeks but it works. You may need to keep some shoes and a brolly by the door -best of luck

Toilet training is really about forming a habit.

Your dog doesn't learn going outside is 'correct' and going inside is 'incorrect'. Instead, when they mostly ever go outside then that's the place they feel comfortable going. It's also the place they associated with the sweet reward that is the feeling of relief after peeing/pooing.

Much like we tend to pee on a toilet so, if you've ever had to pee in the wild, you'll know it feels slightly odd/strange to do so. That's what you're aiming for - for it to feel odd to wee inside and normal to wee out.

The reason I call it out is because when you understand this, you can see the way forward. Do whateve you can to ensure your puppy only ever has the experience of peeing/pooing where you want him to. Do that often enough to form a habit and you're there :).

At this age he has virtually no voluntary sphincter control. When he needs to pee/poo, he has hardly any warning himself and cannot hold it deliberately. So take him out every 30 mins or so, plus immediately after he has fed, played, slept, drunk plus whenever he starts to look like he might want a wee (he starts pacing or looking around).

You can treat him when he pees outside, but I honestly think it is a waste of time because the act of peeing (or pooing) is already inherently rewarding. The treat is surplus for most dogs.

A target word is a great addition, again it forms a habit that when he hears the sound "have a wee" then it feels good (relief) to wee.

Never scold or be upset if he has an accident indoors, you do not want him thinking that peeing/pooing leads to bad things - regardless of where he is.You risk him trying to do so when you are not around and this makes it all harder.

Clean any accidents up with a dedicated enzyme cleaner to prevent lingering smells that might confuse the dog into thinking inside really is a toilet (dogs are more likely to pee where they can smell pee).

Be patient. It will - most likely - take longer than you think. Voluntary sphincter control comes at around 12 weeks, but most dogs are 5-6 months old before they are reliably clean in the house and many have the odd accident up to a year old.