House breaking nightmare Please help

[Keith White]

I just got my new 7 week old GSP puppy this past Friday. I realize he is just a baby but Lord this dog is wearing me out. He pees more than any pup I have ever had. Just a few minutes ago he woke up so I put him out to pee and he went, then he came back in the house. About 2 mins later he went to the door so I let him out and he peed again. Then about 3 or so mins later he went to the door again so I let him out and he went again. I let him back in and he peed on the floor. Cleaned it up and 5 minutes later he he peed on the floor again. About 10 to 15 minutes go by and he pees on the floor again.

Should I limit the water he is drinking? He seems to want water all the time. He sleeps in a crate at night. Last night I only had to take him out once at 1am and once at 5:30am so I know he can go longer when he doesn't have unlimited access to water but I didn't know if I should limit water during the day. Help if you can. AND THANKS.

[bhairhoger]

I would have him checked for a UTI to make sure there are no problems. Also you might want to crate him more often so he learns to hold it. I would never limit the amount of water.

[AzDoggin]

I just got my new 7 week old GSP puppy this past Friday. I realize he is just a baby but Lord this dog is wearing me out. He pees more than any pup I have ever had. Just a few minutes ago he woke up so I put him out to pee and he went, then he came back in the house. About 2 mins later he went to the door so I let him out and he peed again. Then about 3 or so mins later he went to the door again so I let him out and he went again. I let him back in and he peed on the floor. Cleaned it up and 5 minutes later he he peed on the floor again. About 10 to 15 minutes go by and he pees on the floor again.

Should I limit the water he is drinking? He seems to want water all the time. He sleeps in a crate at night. Last night I only had to take him out once at 1am and once at 5:30am so I know he can go longer when he doesn't have unlimited access to water but I didn't know if I should limit water during the day. Help if you can. AND THANKS.

I would not limit water in a pup that young during the day. Maybe so before bedtime at night.

He's not emptying all the way outside, obviously. Can you put a leash on him and gently guide him to walk around a little more when he is outside? Motion usually stimulates the urination response. I just read that the guideline for puppy's ability to hold urination is roughly an hour for every month of age - so nearing 2 months, 2 hours would be the MAX he could go without peeing. Also, try to always take him to the same spot so he associates the scent with a place that's OK to pee.

Good luck.

[GUNDOGS]

hi keith white..definitely all pups are different..this pup we have now is 10 weeks we have had her for a week now and shes amazing..she sleeps all night now(from 10pm-5am) BUT during the day goes out on average every 20 minutes and has had about 3 accidents in the house..my experience has been they need a pee break after playing even if its only been for a few minutes, after eating or drinkin, after napping or even just because ..especially at 7 weeks their bladder is so weak yet..when we found out we were bringing this pup home the first thing i did was book my hubby off of work for 2 weeks and tell him "youre on pee duty"..just like a human baby they have no control and JUST GO fortunately babies wear diapers but pups cant ..your pup will get the hang of it just stick to taking him out CONSTANTLY its time consuming but necessary..i wouldnt hold back water though..youre not alone, alot of us are house training pups right now, so when your out for the 100th time that day remember what a great hunting buddy you'll have it helps to get threw it ....ruth

[Karen]

The pup doens't know what you want....he may be going to the door, but if you dont' go out with him and praise him up a storm after he eliminates outside, he doesn't know that that's what you want him to do.

[ezzy333]

I have used a crate for training and have had several pups who never had an accident in the house. The secret is to crate the puppy for rest period or napping. When you let it out pick it up and take it out doors. After doing its job outside bring it back in an play with the pup as long as you like but when you quit the pup goes back in the crate for rest time again. With this routine there is no time for the pup to go on the floor. Anytime you are not actively engaged with the pup it goes back in the crate.

Ezzy

[Sharon]

He is a baby. This is normal. Restrict his space. Not the run of the house. Never without water on a young dog. It will get better as the weeks go by.

In a couple weeks:

"Training a dog of any age, to go outside is initially very time consuming. that is why so many don't get trained.

A dog is a creature of habit.
Whatever it does over and over again becomes a habit for the dog.

So how do you make going outside a habit?

You take it outside every hour until the dog starts showing you in some way that it wants to go outside.

How long this takes depends on the dog.
I take mine to the same spot outside where he smells the pee. I say ' "hurry up" - or some cue word
Now, whenever I say ' Hurry up ", he goes.

There may sometimes when dog comes in and pees - especially in the winter_ but you stick to the plan.
The plan sometimes fails because owners are in too big a hurry to get inside.

Walking fast down a block will also cause a dog to poo/pee.


PS Puppy pads teach a dog to go inside. When he get big it is a hard habit to break.

A dog will do anything he can to avoid messing in his crate, HOWEVER he has a limit. A 10 week old puppy pees every hour. An older dog still needs to get out and pee every 4-5 hours, depending on the dog."

[Keith White]

Thanks a lot for all your suggestions I have found them useful already. I started staying out with him longer each time and walking him around for a longer period of time. Each time he has peed multiple times. One of the problems is he wakes up and gets off his bed without me hearing him and he has already peed before I can get to him. For this, I think I will do as Ezzy said and make him rest in his Kennel. I am also going to get him checked at the vet for a UTI at the end of the week. Sometimes he seems like he is trying to go but can't so I'm wondering if it may be a UTI that is making him feel like he needs to go more than he should.

I want to thank everyone and say that I really appreciate you guys with more experience taking the time to help guys like myself. I have found this forum to be a very useful tool and I'm sure I will rely on your help more in the coming years.

Thanks, a bunch

Keith White

[Red]

How is it a nightmare when he's going to the door? j/k
My 12 week old has been home a few weeks and only has gone to the door three times, two yesterday and once today...
Great advice in this thread...

[jarbo03]

I have used a crate for training and have had several pups who never had an accident in the house. The secret is to crate the puppy for rest period or napping. When you let it out pick it up and take it out doors. After doing its job outside bring it back in an play with the pup as long as you like but when you quit the pup goes back in the crate for rest time again. With this routine there is no time for the pup to go on the floor. Anytime you are not actively engaged with the pup it goes back in the crate.

Ezzy

This is the same thing I do. My pup turned 9 weeks today, doing great, do not have to carry him to the door anymore, sleeping from 11-7 with no problems. Starting to give him more run of the house, with a watchful eye of course.

[mcclinj]

Your pup will get the hang of it, I thought mine was never gonna learn either and we've been accident free for a few days now. I don't give her any water after about 7:45 or so and she only goes out once now at night. Usually around 3:30AM. and then sleeps till morning.

-John

[3Britts]

It sounds like the pup is training you. Just turn it around using the advise already given: limit his space when not at play, praise him when he does his duty outside, allow plenty of water except before bedtime, etc. finally, post some pics so that he feels like a celebrity and we can see him.
good luck

[Keith White]

Thanks. I'll get some pics posted tonight.

[A/C Guy]

He is a baby. This is normal. Restrict his space. Not the run of the house. Never without water on a young dog. It will get better as the weeks go by.

We start our litters by training them with kitty litter. We use an oil drip pan from the auto parts store and we put a 1/2" layer of kitty litter in it. The puppies quickly learn to go potty in the kitty litter and we do not need to run outside every 10 minutes. As they mature, we teach them to go outside. As Sharon wrote, restrict his space. Only take him out of his space after he pees. Our puppies will pee in their kitty litter when they see me stand by their pen, as soon as they pee I pick them up and praise them. Then I set them down outside the pen to play. By the time they go home at 8 weeks, they are almost house broken. At 6 weeks old, we had puppies that cried to get IN the pen so they could pee in the kitty litter.

[wad69]

Have fun w/ the pup by turning it into a drinking game. Take a drink everytime he has to go do some business. Won't be long before you'll be urging him to go more often and soon enough he'll get tired of you and will hold it longer just to avoid the hassle.