New puppy peeing

[Leia Scharfenberg]

I have a new labradoodle named Bear.  He is 13 weeks old.  I am having some peeing issues.  He is actually peeing all over...I am taking him out about every half hour to go to the bathroom and he goes.  Then we come back in the house and he is going on my floor!  I am trying to stay positive, but it can be difficult!  Please, I need some advice.  This is our first dog and I really would like to do it right:) 

[DeeDee and Sheila]

It took my puppy Sheila about 2 wks. to get acclimated and for me to figure out a schedule for her. We started with accidents and gradually worked our way down. Now 2 wks. later, I know to take her out about every hour or before we go in the car, and also in AM my DH takes Sheila out two times in a row in early AM, like 6AM and 6:30 AM. These times are her biggest pee and poop times, sometimes going twice. You don't leave water out, do you? Just feed and water 3x a day until he gets a little more reliable. It took me great patience the first two or three weeks. I kept her attached to me at all times so I actually caught her peeing and pooping several times and yelled NO or AHHH or clapped to stop her and quickly picked her up and took her out mid pee and poop. I think this really helped. But I still have to take her out alot. She doesn't tell me when she needs to go out yet, but she does know the difference of the words potty and poop, and will do them more quickly now (I heaped her w/ praise, threw the ball w/ her when she did both for reward). Good luck and keep trying. You aren't alone!!

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

I think there are a few of in the middle of potty training right now. Our puppy is 12 weeks today. I totally agree with DeeDee. I've found it's absolutely key to keep them right with you all the time during those first couple of weeks, either tethered to you or closed in the same room with you. That's the only way you're going to "catch" them when they begin to squat and get them outside to "finish". I also think it helps to take them to the same "potty spot" in your yard. Later when they're housebroken, that doesn't matter as much, but for now I believe that it helps. We're through the initial "every 30 minute" phase now, and I can give him some freedom in the house (but only right after he's been out to do "his business"). We've used the "potty bells" from the beginning, ringing them each time we went out. Now he will ring them himself. Sometimes I think he just wants to go out to play, but he always manages to "pee"....I don't think a puppy's bladder is ever really empty. LOL Murphy plays hard with his Doodle "brother", so I really can't limit the water the way DeeDee can. He runs hard and needs water often. That adds an extra challenge. Good luck...the best news is that this phase is pretty short in the scheme of things.

[Adina P]

Welcome to puppy life! It's full of fun things like potty accidents =) But it does get better.

Some questions:
does he go pee in his crate at all?
where does he typically go in the house or is it literally anywhere and everywhere?
what do you use to clean his accidents with?
are you teaching him any way to let you know he needs to go out?
are you catching him in the act every time?
how long have you had him?

I know with my dog Rosco, he just seemed to have a bladder the size of a grape as a pup. I could take him out every 15 minutes and he'd go. And he seemed to need to pee twice in a row before he was totally empty. Once to ease his bladder and twice to fully empty. So perhaps he just needs more time outside.

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

Two things come to mind for me. 1) Hopefully you are cleaning the area of pee up with a cleaning agent like Nature's Miracle to neutralize the urine smell. If you are not doing that, Bear will continue to pee in the house. and 2) If you are doing that, and you are truly going outside every 1/2 hour and he is peeing in the house in between I think a call to the vet is in order. Could be a UTI! I know our Sophie had one when we got her, another when she was spayed, and I think another one in there somewhere. It just makes them feel like they have to pee all the time. If neither of those is the case, then just hang in there and follow the advice already given. It will get better with time.

[Leigh & Allie]

Been there done that...........thought I would go insane. One night in particular Allie peed like 5 times in ONE night. One thing I discovered is that just because she peed in the house did not mean she was finished. As soon as Bear pees in the house take him outside immediately. I would usually just throw a paper towel on the pee to prevent it from spreading or anyone else from stepping in it and run her outside. I would then completely clean the area with the no pee scent detergent (forget the name). The biggest help is to get him on a schedule. Now I can tell you exactly when Allie will pee and poop. She is now 7 months today and we do not need to use baby gates anymore. She goes to the door now and sits. That is the cue she wants to go outside. I promise it does get better. If it didn't I would be writing this from an insane asyllum.

[Leia Scharfenberg]

Okay so I have had Bear for about a week and a half. I am cleaning the floor according to directions with Natures Miracle. Bear seems to prefer to go on my carpet rather than the wood. He doesn't pee in his crate at night, we take him right out at around 6 when he wakes up and ever half hour during the day. I am going to try the whole tethering him to me for the day today to see how that works...I have been feeding him 3x per day, but leaving his water down...so I will try and put that up so he gets it with his food. The poop doesn't seem to be a problem...he has only gone once on the floor, but is having pee accidents all day long. I am clapping and saying no when I catch him in the act...I think I need to not give him any freedom. BTW, where can I find bells for the door? Thanks so much, I was in tears yesterday...I really don't like pee on my floor and was starting to wonder if we made the right decision getting him! Today is a new day and Bear is sound asleep on my lap and I like him again:) Just hope there is an end in sight!!

[Leigh & Allie]

Again been there done that on all of the above. I saw some bells at All About Pets and another specialty dog store (I can not remember the name). I have never seen them at PetSmart or Petco, but I made my own. I went to a hoppy store and got some cute ribbon and found some bells there also. Then I just tied the bells on at the bottom each a little bit higher than the next and tied it around my door knob. Allie never used them. She just sits by the back door when she wants to go out but I don't care just as long as she lets me know. Another hint.....I took up Allie's water around 7 o'clock at night. That seemed to help her sleep through the night quicker.

[Adina P]

It WILL get better...there IS a light at the end of the tunnel. Rosco (who is 4) was my first puppy and it was a lot to get used to. Dogs bring in dirt, they pee, they poop. Sometimes they barf. It happens and you get used to it. But it doesn't happen often and unless your dog is suffering from some disease...it's JUST nitrogenous waste =)

Dogs PREFER to pee on absorbent areas...that's why he chooses rugs/carpet.
If he's not peeing in his crate it makes me think there is no reason to consider a urinary tract infection.
Give him more time outside for each pee.
Then try to play with him in the kitchen or other tiled/non-carpetted area.
Limit his freedom.
Search for "poochie bells" in the search box of the Puppy Madness group. The Puppy Madness group is FULL of past discussions on puppy raising. You'll see you are NOT alone.
When you're tired and worn out...put him in his crate after potty. He can hold it in his crate MUCH longer than when he's free. That may help train his bladder a bit too. Potty, play for 15 minutes, potty again and then crate for an hour so you can tend to other things.
It's okay to cry, but know house training will happen!

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

Are you giving Bear treats when he goes outside? I honestly can count the accidents Peri had on two hands - maybe it was just luck, but we immediately started taking treats with us and saying "pee pee time". the second she peed, she got a treat and crazy amounts of praise. If she went inside, she got a very mean, firm "NO" and we would swoop her up and take her back out immediately for her to finish up. She usually peed again outside and would get the treat/praise again. We did use the bells...she caught on quickly, but started realizing she could get out any time by ringing them...I guess that's high class problems :)
Try the treating and verbal cues to get him to do his business quickly. He needs to understand that outside = GOOD and inside = BAD. And we did take Peri outside every 20 minutes for the first few weeks. It gets way better. At almost one year, she can go a few hours without pottying even when we are home...

[Leia Scharfenberg]

I am giving treats and I can take Bear out and say "Go Potty" and most every time he'll go...I give him a treat and lots of praises...from what everyone has said, I think I am just giving him too much freedom! So tethered to me or crate while we are in the house...BTW, my breeder emailed me a hint on the bells, she got them in the bird section of her pet store http://www.lnt.com/product/toys/44390/insight-hol-ee-roller-rubber-... if anyone is interested...I am headed out to get bells and a years supply of Nature's Miracle!!

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

Or put up a doggy gate limiting him to only one area. That helped us a lot.

[Angie, Hudson and Lily]

My mom has a new puppy (not a Labradoodle), and he also has to go about every 30 mins and is having numerous accidents.He didn't urinate in his crate either. She took a urine sample to the vet and he did have a UTI, so although your puppy makes it through the night, I would stil advise ruling that out.