How Long.......
 

Does it take to train a puppy. Our pure-bred German shorthair pointer will not give it a rest. You just have him out - he comes in, promptly squats and pees - he is 11 1/2 weeks old.

We have better luck with pooing outdoors but not always.

Could tear our hair out.

I'd love some reassurance - any reassurance!!!:cry::cry:

well it took around 2 days with my puppy, but it takes time and accident happens :)

dont give up!

How Long...
 

Your pup should be taken outside every 2 hrs. and immediately upon waking-up, after drinking and eating. He should not be given free run of the house and should be watched closely when not in his cage. As soon as you see him sniffing the floor or circling take him out, ask him to pee and wait until he goes then give him lost of affection and a small treat. He's still a baby and they take alot of patience.

I'm no expert - I just got my 4-month old puppy... But in the first couple of days, I experienced the same thing. I'd take him out and he would NOT go #1 or #2, he'd just play. Eventually I got tired of it, and brought him inside. And boom, he'd go. It's like he thought outside was for "play" and inside was for "pee". I learned that I had to stay out with him until he went, no matter how long it took.

Also, I give him treats when he goes #1 and #2. When he goes in the house, he gets in trouble. It didn't take him long to figure out that going inside is bad and going outside is good.

Finally, consistency - I took him out every 2 hours no matter what. You'll have to figure out how long your puppy can hold it, and then take him out before that time. He'll learn!

Every dog is an individual - have you toilet trained children? Everyone has their own success rate over the first year of training. Some dogs seem to get it the first day and others can't be trusted for a full year.

Much of the success depends on your consistency and the bladder control of the individual. Dogs need to learn they are not to soil your territory(house) but that soiling outside is greatly appreciated. They also need to learn to recognise the need to go in a timely manner and be able to hold it until a person can let them out. This part can be tricky for a young pup. Just like kids they don't often realize the need until the urge is too great. So you have to give them lots of opportunities to go out and relieve themselves.

Often people complain that they just watched the puppy soil outside and when they came in the dog did it again. Understand that a puppy might have to pee a few times and poo a couple of times before they are done. If you are still getting the 'going inside 5 minutes after we came in' scenario then that means you should keep the puppy confined, diligently watched or on a leash for 10 or so minutes in the house and then let the pup out again for one more try.

Any mistake a puppy makes is not their fault. The adults are responsible for training, and guiding a puppy through their potty training. Think about it - if you had a child with no diaper on - running around the house you would not let them out of your sight and you would be escorting them to the bathroom at every opportunity. You would be diligent and consistent - you need to be the same for you pup.

Hope this helps.

That's a [B]really [/B]young pup. Expect accidents for a while (like, months). Just continue to be consistent about potty time...after every meal, nap, play time, when you get home, when pup comes out of the crate. Put the leash on, say "want to go out?", and cue pup to potty with a command ("go pee"), and praise like crazy when pup goes.

Tenderfoot and Bendyfoot are absolutely right. The pup is a baby and as human children it takes time, patience and diligence.

Every dog is different, and there is no set time that a pup is perfectly house trained. It all depends on your routine and re-inforcing the training without fault or deviance.

I am afraid that you may be pulling out your hair for a while - even if the dog is half way there, there is more training ahead.

Good luck.

What to do for a punishment...
 

So what do I do for a punishment when he soils inside. I have discovered that he has [B]NO[/B] timing mechanism - inherent or otherwise. It could be every 5 minutes for an hour or not for 3 hours.

I'm not sure what type of punishment would be best.

Any suggestions?

Punishment is not the answer when training a puppy. First of all never use his name and 'no' at the same time.

I would use the umbilical cord training with him. Everytime you notice that he is about to squat you say 'outside' and immediately bring him outside to start or complete his business. You must also praise him once he finishes.

Are you home all day?

You can only "punish" if you litterally catch them IN the act...even 5 second after it happens is no good...and it's really not punishment, it's showing him the behaviour you WANT him to display (i.e. go outside). NEVER rub his face in it or shout at him if you find a puddle/pile...you're likely to make him scared of you.

So, if you see him squatting, say "NO" firmly, scoop him up, hustle him outside, and give the "go potty" command, and praise like crazy when he gets it right.

Honestly, housetraining doesn't happen overnight, or even in days, or weeks. It's many months of consitency and patience and paper towels. Lots and lots of paper towels. This is all part of the puppy package.

Are you using a crate as part of his training? If you're not, you should be...it'll accelerate the success of this process immensely.

Training not to pee...
 

Not home all day - Tues - Thur not home from 8 to 8 but my husband is. He's good in his crate - not a problem. Problem is only when he is out. I have tried to catch him when he squats but he just runs and pees elsewhere before I can get him.

Then umbillical is the way to go. Tie his leash to your belt. Not only will he learn to watch and follow you and therefore look up to you as a leader, but he won't be able to sneak off and pee when you turn your back or run away if he gets caught. You'll get to know the subtle body language that indicates he's thinking about going (often sniffing, circling)

eta: the fact that he's running away tells me you've likely been shouting at him or freaking out when you catch him. Be calm, but authoritative. Don't yell, but use a firm voice when saying "no". Don't lecture him on the way outside...quietly and quickly escort him out and then make being (and peeing) outside as positive an experience as you can.