Progress Update.. Romeo

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DEEDEE83

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So at 12 weeks old and adopted from the Mayhew animal rescue, Romeo come home to us on Saturday.

Saturday night I kept taking him to the garden to do his business and as expected it was hit and miss. I gave him his last feed at 8pm and took him to the garden about 20 mins after. He did a poo and a wee and lots of praise was given. I then went to bed about 11 and took him outside before going to sleep, he slept outside my bedroom on Saturday. I got up at 2am and 6am no accidents at 2 but a poo and a few wees by 6am.

Sunday night I let him sleep in my room, not in my bed but on the floor with the reasoning I am a light sleeper and any movement I would be ready to run to the garden. I went to bed at the same time as before he went a poo in the garden at 9pm and did a wee last at 11pm. I was up at 3am and 7am he immediately pees when I go out to the garden. He had messed in the night but had gone downstairs I didnt hear him lol.

Monday night same routine and no mess at all in the night! He peed as soon as I took him to the garden n the morning and did 2 poos before I went to work.

I feel he is doing very well, I am shattered but we are having minimal accidents in the house. I feel he is grasping his business is to be done outside but he wont go unless I go out there and he wont ask or show me he wants to go. Obviously for only being home since saturday he is doing brill, I think? I dont want to expect to much and I'm fine with waking in the night if it equals no mess in the morning but how do I teach him to ask to go or will it just happen?

Sorry for the essay I'm very pleased with my boy but would like to know if I can do any more to progress.

Also If he does go inside he picks the same spot, totally the other end of the room to where the garden door is. Do i put newspaper down on that spot? If not because its wooden flooring its going to seep through and stink! Like I said its minimal accidents but if im at work for 3 hours I have to expect it may happen.

Chocolate brownies to everyone who managed to read my essay x
 
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hello from Romeo
 
What are his sleeping arrangements like? My dog was crated as a pup but appreciate not everyone wants to do this. However if his sleeping area is reduced then he is less likely to want to poo or wee near it (most people don't want to go to the loo on or near their bed!!) and will ask to go out in his own way.

You need to thoroughly clean any areas where he is going in the house as he will return to a spot with his scent on it.
 
I think he's doing fine for just a few days in a new place and settling in to a new routine. My rescue (and she was older at 9 mths) was very anxious when i got her, kept drinking loads and of course that resulted in a lot of weeing! I kept mine shut in the kitchen over night though so any accidents were on tiled floor and hence easier to clean up and less likely to leave a smell to encourage them to do it again. Mine didn't chew/destroy anything so I didn't feel it necessary to crate her.

I am not a fan of dogs sleeping in bedrooms to be honest but then others disagree. I just think being able to separate the dog from you when they are younger helps prevent separation anxiety issues as they grow up and they get to know where's 'their place' as it were - less confusion. Also, it limits the mess area!
 
For the last 2 nights he has slept next to my bed, he has not ever messed in my room. He goes downstairs to his "spot" which is the other end of the room to where the garden is. I have thoroughly scrubbed the patch where he goes and have resorted to putting newspaper on for fear of it perm staining and seeping through the wood. If I don't actively take him to the garden during the day, he would choose to go to the spot. When I take him to the garden its almost instant that he wees or poos then he will go straight back indoors, so he knows that's all he is going out there for. I dont ever tell him off or get upset when he has accidents and give major over the top praise when he gets it right (even when its 3am and im in my pjs freezing and tired in the garden! lol)
 
Yes ideally he would be downstairs but because I work for 2-3 hours a day and he is left on his own then I feel (rightly or wrongly) he is separated from me then and is having to deal with that. There is a stair gate on the lounge when I work, he has free run of the house at night and never messes anywhere but on "the patch"
 
If he is not going to be sleeping in your room long term (IE as an adult) then I would actually stop this, you are making it easier in the short term but not in the long term if you ever want him to have to sleep downstairs. Is he going downstairs of his own volition and pooing?

You could also try attaching a very light line with no hand loop to his collar so you can physically steer him away from the indoor spot when you see him moving to pee or poo there and take him outside.

You may think me a control freak but I think it is good to teach dogs that they have to stay in a certain spot for certain periods of time rather than bimbling around the house wherever and whenever they like, especially with big large breed dogs, if you get control as pups it is much easier than when you are rowing with them at 9-24 months!

As before, if you don't like crates, even something like a door gate or stair gate to keep them in one room or a puppy pen with moveable sections.
 
Being alone for 2-3 hours a day will not kill him :) I think it is good to teach dogs to spend time alone, even if you are at home a lot, God forbid, people have to be rushed to hospital, might have to stay on late at work, etc etc etc.
Being with them all the time can make a rod for your own back.
 
ideally I dont really want him in my room but so I should knock it on the head. I have the option of putting him in the kitchen over night and when im out which is tiled
 
Yes he goes downstairs every time he has never messed up stairs. Im pleased with his progress but i guess ive learnt im possibly confusing him long term. by shutting him in the room where his pee spot is im actively saying its ok.

Thanks for the advice so far x
 
Tiled area is ideal and you can, as mentioned, section him off in a 'bed' area.
Lots of dogs, especially young pups, appreciate the security of a closed-off area as opposed to a big wide-open space to sleep/rest in.
 
Yes will start from tonight. Stair gate on kitchen which is quite small. Bed and his water will be in there and ill wake up twice in the night at set times to take him out. Hopefully he will learn when he is going out and wait rather then sleeping next to poo and wee. Kitchen is about 7ft x 5ft floor space. He clearly dont like messing where he sleeps as he goes all the way downstairs if he does go.
 
Confining him to the kitchen should certainly help as he is showing he doesn't like messing his sleeping space by going downstairs. It sounds like he is making good progress so far, no doubt in the rescue kennels he won't have had any sort of house training so it may take longer than getting a pup straight from the breeder but as long as you are consistent he should soon get the idea.
 
Hi, I like your little progress reports on Romeo ... I have a 6 month old puppy and have posted in here previously about toilet training etc as I found it hard work with him than my previous dog, but it was December / January / February time - would you want to go out in the cold to squat !!

However, he has now cracked it - he asks to go out by either barking or putting his paw on the patio doors (am thinking of getting shares in windolene :) ) and also barks in the middle of the night (he sleeps on my bedroom floor) - he just suddenly twigged how to ask one day and despite a couple of accidents, we havent looked back.. so hopefully it will "just" happen for your boy too.
 
As suggested I would not have him in or near the bedroom, not unless you started off with a crate and you could then move the crate down stairs after a week, this way the crate stays the same even though the room changes so less stress! doing it your way may mean he yowls for a while.
I would also knock to lass meal back to 6pm to help him hold and make it the lightest meal of the day.
If you want to use pads/paper only place them near a door, this is what teaches him to "head for the door" he will not automatically know to head for the door!. you then don't allow him to pass on the paper or pad you let him out as you see him heading towards them (they are an aid).
You need to as suggested try and confine him to a smaller space over night or whenever he is left alone, this will make it easier to toilet train him and in larger breeds using the correct guidance you should beable to train the little fella in no time as the larger breeds are far easier to train:)
 
Thanks Cayla

He is going to be in the kitchen from tonight, I will give him his last meal at 7 i'm not always in at 6. He will be in the kitchen with his bed and water each time I go out and that way there will be no need for the paper/pads. When I take him to the garden he pees every time then looks up at me tail wagging all happy because he already realises it makes me happy. I just need to be on the ball when I'm home and not let him near his bit where he wants to be. If I dont take him he wont yet ask but no doubt this will come in time.

Thanks all xxx

His recall is amazing for a pup he is not interested in anything but me (im expecting this will change as he sees more of the world lol), he knows sit and loves chasing birds
 
Keep him in the same room as you when you are home with him, or place him back in his area if you are otherwise occupied, this way if he shows signs of needing the toilet you can whip him up and place him out. If he roams from room to room you cannot guide him, he will pass and walk off:p:)
 
More pics, please!

With our first two, the MIL and FIL had them for a few days early on as we'd organised a trip then sourced the pups. They kept the dogs in the corridor overnight and they were pretty much toilet trained when we got back! The current two were crate trained and had a few accidents but soon stopped.
 
Make sure that you clean his 'pee spot' thoroughly....and the surrounding area to remove any splashes! As long as he can still scent his urine there, he will return there!

Use a strong washing powder solution followed by a wipe over with surgical spirit or one of those expensive proper enzyme based products that breaks down the protein in the dog's urine.
 
He has just eaten my third phone charger since saturday, its a good job his cute!

He wont go out to do his business coz its wet pansy pup!
 
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