How long did it take for your doodle to be house trained?

[Kim]

I have a 10-week-old goldendoodle and am trying to get him trained. He'a my first dog so I'm new at this. He never goes in his crate or anyplace like the car, couch, bed, etc. He usually goes outside but is still going on the carpet 1-2 times a day. I take him out before and after I feed him and after naps. I'm just wondering how much longer I can expect to be scrubbing. I know he can hold it because he does all night. It seems like he doesn't realize he's not supposed to go inside. Any suggestions to speed up the process? I'd also like to know how old your doodle was when he was fully trained to ONLY go outside. Thanks so much for your help!

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

All depends on how well you are trained. We watched our puppy closely and as soon as his nose went down we pick him up, rang the bells, and out the door.

IMO, it is not perfected until 4 months. Although rare, there are still a few accidents until they mature.

[Kim]

Riley is quite nosey....he sniffs all the time....even when he doesn't have to go.

[Maryann,Roo and Tigger]

You seem to be about halfway there. Your doodle pretty much gets the idea that he goes potty outside. Now he needs to learn that he cannot potty inside. The only guaranteed way to do this is to catch him when is peeing or pooping in the house. That means he still needs to be tied to you or some how right near you all the time he is not in his crate. when you catch him going, say "NO" in a loud firm voice, scoop him up (pee, poop and all - you may need a wash off after) and take him outside. The good news is that you only need to catch him mid-potty one or two times. To prevent sneaking off and doing it where you cannot see, because some dogs decide in the house is okay if it is not in front of you, he needs to stay where you can see him and he can see you until at least 6 months. You probably won't have any indoor potties at all after you catch him once or twice, but prevention is worth a pound of cure. Also if you can see him, it will be much harder for him to chew up a shoe or a baseboard.

[cheryl & oliver]

Maryann, I totally agree with you, our Ollie is going to be 4 mos old next week. I can tell when he has to go out, he has that look, sniff around and as soon as I say Ollie u have to go out he goes to the door...BUT he will pee in the house too, if he is busy palying or people come in he gets all excited and he pees...I grab him and out we go, so I am hoping that this too shall pass...But like I say I have caught him, and he still does it, UGH, I can not wait until he is finally trained....He is getting there, but he is not there yet...He will not poop in his crate, but he will pee,a nd that is very disturbing to me...I have taken away water after dinner, have tried it alll I think, and still he has accidents...He just doesn't tell us he has to go out, I can tell, as I say, but he doesn't ring his bells, or bak to tell us yet...I am hoping that he will start doing this soon.... And yes he loves to get the baseboards, as soon as he thinks I am not watching...Cheryl

[Kim]

Thanks. I'm curious about the bells. Do you ring them before you take him out and then leave them so that he can ring them too?

[Maryann,Roo and Tigger]

I had one dog that peed and pooped every night for seven months in his crate. yuck. But when he stopped, he stopped. Just had to grow up I guess. Don't worry he'll get there.

I also had a golden who never peed or pooped in her cage or the house. She was just very fastidious and had great bladder control early, as we got her at eight weeks.

So every dog is different, but constant vigilance is a necessity.

[2da7eiv7vjvht]

we have a six month old now and he only had THREE accidents in the house. The first one a couple of hours after coming home to us and the others due to our inattention. The key to our success was the fact that he was never left unsupervised (24/7) and we were able to take him out every 15min. (or after a nap) to the same spot using the same command. We have a big family so it never felt like a chore and because he never smelled his pee on the carpet (not allowed on it until he was at least three months old) he only knew the gravel behind the house and went right away. He also was sleeping and napping in his crate which helped as well, because the moment I opened that door outside he went and that was that. One more thing...the pet store suggested Orange TKO product to clean the floors and neturalize the odor. That's what they use in their cannels and I like it as well. Good luck and keep us posted, Kate.

[Holly St Pierre]

It took Gunner about 4-5 months to be completely trained. He never pooped in the house. I have no idea why, but he went to the door the first night we had him @ 9 weeks & whimpered, went outside & pooped. We were so lucky, however when he did pee, he would do it while walking, no squatting, so that made it tough. 4-5 months is what you can expect.

[Barbara Tobin]

Buckley is now 4 months and still pees every few days in the house, not squatting just doing it before we even see it! So frustrating, but I think he is getting better...

[LuvMyAbby&Kaela]

I would say 6 months old before they really get it and still expect the odd mishap the next year. I am pretty vigilant about watching and timing and giving ample opportunity to go outside (like every 20 minutes) and the little turkey still managed to stain the heck out of my family room carpet. Some dogs are just better at it than others. Abby knew outside was the place to pee...and did pee/poo outside but would come back in and do it again within a few minutes in the house. grrr. I had one dog that was fully housebroken and able to be left alone like a mature dog already by the age of 4 months. My 12 yr old bichon cross was a nightmare for getting the clue - he had accidents until he was 2! But never - not once in the last decade. He was just a slow learner I guess. Abby is 6 months now and just yesterday peed on the berber in my moms house...she has been dry for weeks. I wonder if she thinks berber is a peepee pad because that is what is in my family room at home.

[Adina P]

I don't think your pup knows he is doing wrong. More than likely he's just too busy smelling, playing or thinking about other things to realize "oh yeah i LIVE here!" At 10 weeks...I expect he'll still have an accident now and then..par for the course.

When preparing for Rosco I had a VERY set plan for how things would work. I'd read the books, and had in my head a very specific plan from one book. I was sure I'd RARELY need to use my Nature's Miracle pet odor remover because, after all, I was following precise protocol and would never have an accident. ROFL...boy was I mistaken! You'll hear about those rare gems who are potty trained in one week, but those are exceptions I think. Every single pup is different but most need at least 4 months to really get it.

MY Rosco took probably 7-10 months and it was only after he was given access to ring our other dogs' bell (we used a small wind chime on a nail by the door) that he was okay. But this huge doodle I have has THE BIGGEST thirst and THE SMALLEST bladder and he was a bit oblivious to his surroundings. He peed often! If I didn't take him out every 15-20 minutes at your pup's age and for many many MANY MANY weeks after...I could be assured I'd have an accident. He gave NO signals at all except at poop time. So in addition to taking him outside after naps and before/after eating...I'd do it every 15-20 minutes until you've gone a week without accidents. Then you can add 5 minutes and go another week without accidents...and so on until he CAN hold it.

You see even IF a pup can hold it all night...it's only because they are sitting or lying still in a very small crate. Once they are fully awake, drinking, eating, running around, playing...their bladder can't go nearly as long. So it's up to you to usher them outside, watch them go, and reward them. Then in a few weeks if you catch him in the act indoors, let out a loud NO, OUTSIDE! (more startling than angry) and hurry him up outdoors to finish.

To train your pup to ring bells...here's the info: http://www.doodlekisses.com/forum/topics/2065244:Topic:25418

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I agree with the others; there are 2 parts to housebreaking. The dog needs to know where to go (outside) and where not to go (inside). In order to accomplish the second part, you must catch the dog in the act of going indoors and give a verbal correction (NO!) followed by rushing him outside and then praising him for going in the correct place. He must be supervised or restricted every minute that he is indoors, so that you can "catch" him. I never used bells or anything else, because IMO, relying upon a semi-housebroken puppy to alert me to his needs is not a reliable method, lol. I think that has to come after he understands the basics. You also have to use a good quality odor neutralizer to thoroughly remove the odor from the indoor areas where he has soiled. It has to soak all the way down through carpet pads into the floor in order to be effective. Just stain removers won't work; it must be an odor neutralizer specifically made for that purpose.
My last puppy, a purebred poodle, was completely housebroken by 11 weeks. But she was crate trained and started on paper training by her breeder before I got her. That makes a huge difference. Also, the puppy's experience with her mother makes a difference, too. Puppies who are raised in a home environment with their mothers and litters are often taught about the correct place to go potty, and not to soil the living areas, by their own mothers. Of course, the dam has to be housebroken herself in order to do that, which is often not the case with dogs living in kennels. So I think the age you can expect a puppy to be reliably housebroken will vary, but under optimal conditions, you can have a completely housetrained dog well before the age of 4 months.