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  1. #1
    Puppy
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    My lab is 4 months and still potties inside alot. Should I be worried?

    I have a 4 month lab, and our potty training isn't going very well as I can see...we try our best to take him outside as often as possible, even when it's so damn cold here where I live (it was -20C for a few days!!!!). Everyone at this house are so busy and can't keep an eye on the dog 24/7. I try to take him outside on schedule, but most of the time he doesn't pee or poo, just runs around, plays in the snow or sits near me and does nothing. And when I come inside, after like 5-10 minutes i find a big pile of piss or poop....When we were at the vet vaccinating him, we asked him about this, he told he should stop doing his business inside the house when he's somewhere 6 months old. But Im still scared that we'll have to either mop his piss and poop for the rest of our lives or make him live in our yard...

  2. #2
    Senior Dog Berna's Avatar
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    You should be more consistent with house-training. You pup obviously isn't house-trained. Crate him when you can't keep an eye on him. You say that sometimes he doesn't even do his business outside, well, of course he does so when he comes home. Praise him when he pees/poops outside. Don't expect him to just outgrow it at 6 months. He may hold it for longer, but he won't learn where he can or cannot relieve himself.
    Cookie Black Snowflake
    July 12th, 2006. - May 25th, 2023.

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  3. #3
    Senior Dog Labradorks's Avatar
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    When you take him out, make sure he is on a leash. And remember, you are there for business, not play at the moment. Take him out to the spot you want him to go (ideally somewhere not very distracting). Stand still as a tree, largely ignoring but watching the puppy. Give him a few minutes. If he doesn't go, take him inside, crate him, wait ten minutes, and do it again. The puppy isn't in trouble, so don't tell him he is bad, don't angrily stomp inside, don't shove him into his crate. After ten minutes, go back out and do it again. This time, he'll probably go. Once he goes, have a party! Treats, praise and let him off leash and play with him. If he doesn't, then repeat the above until it happens.

    Keep the puppy crated or baby-gated into a room with you. He is too young and too immature for freedom. Even if he was doing excellent in the potty training area, I'd say the same. Take the puppy out after sleeping (even naps), eating, playing, drinking large amounts, etc. Be consistent. Don't allow the puppy any freedom. Freedom is earned over time and with maturity. I'm not sure if you have children, but would you allow a toddler freedom? Especially one without a diaper? Like a puppy, toddlers need supervision. They need to be told what is expected and they need to be watched so that they do not harm themselves, cause damage (like if they find a permanent marker) and so you can guide their behavior.

    Puppies take time and energy and Lab puppies mature at a slower rate. Put in the time now to get a well-mannered adult dog that you'll have for another 14 years. It takes effort on the part of the owner to give the puppy what he needs to get to that place. It's the responsibility that we take on when we purchase or adopt a puppy, even when it's cold or hot or we are tired or sick or have a lot of work to do. Puppies are work. If you don't actively train the dog, yes, you may deal with piss or poop for many years. In the US, people who don't actively train their dogs end up with outdoor dogs and those dogs often end up in rescues. Again, it's work.

    One of my favorite blogs that addresses this is, "It's a Puppy Not a Problem". Here is the link and I've copied and pasted it below: https://denisefenzipetdogs.com/2015/...not-a-problem/

    Left to their own devices, what do puppies like to do?
    They like to bark, play, run through the house (sometimes with muddy feet), jump on people, put things in their mouths and chew on them, eat tasty foods, explore, sniff things, dig holes in mud and sand and dirt, and a host of other things that I don’t have time to mention. They do these things because they are baby dogs. Fortunately we can train our dogs to show more appropriate behaviors, but it takes time and the natural outcome of maturity. Puppies are a challenge.
    Left to their own devices, what do small children like to do?
    They like to yell, play, run through the house (sometimes with muddy feet), jump on people, put things in their mouths and chew on them, eat tasty foods, explore, look at things, dig holes in mud and sand and dirt, and a host of other things that I don’t have time to mention. They do these things because they are baby humans. Fortunately we can raise our children to show more appropriate behaviors, but it takes time and the natural outcome of maturity. Children are a challenge.
    In the past, I trained pet dogs. The first session would almost always go something like this:
    Student would pull a list of problem behaviors out of their pocket. Meanwhile, their four month old puppy chewed on the leash and pulled various directions, causing the student to express obvious irritation. The student would then lay out all of the problems that they wanted to fix.
    “We’re having problems with barking, wanting to play all the time, running through the house with dirty feet, jumping on people, chewing stuff up, excessive interest in human food, constant pulling on the leash to get to things, and digging holes in the garden. Oh yeah – could you teach a reliable recall, off leash, so that when I’m ready to leave the park we can go without me having to chase my dog?”
    In short, could I make their young puppy behave like a grown up dog?
    I’m curious about something. Since many of my clients also had human children (that the dog may have been nipping when the kids ran and screamed and behaved like children), did they take a similar list of problems behaviors to the pediatrician?
    “Doctor, my toddler has a lot of problems that I want to stop. He talks really loud, wants me to play all the time, runs through the house with dirty feet, jumps on people, puts stuff in his mouth that he finds on the ground, shows an excessive interest in sweets, and is constantly pulling on my hand to get to things when we go places. And also, can you make him listen to me when it’s time to leave the park, so I don’t have to go and get him when I want to go?”
    In short, could the doctor make the young child behave like an adult?
    My guess is that the first thing the pediatrician would tell the person is that these are NORMAL behaviors for children and that they will go away with a combination of time, maturity, and appropriate direction and training from the parents. It’s not a problem for a child to act like a child.
    How about that puppy? Are those problem behaviors or normal ones? And if we don’t like them, can we just get rid of them to save ourselves the inconvenience, whether they are normal or not?
    Well, sort of.
    If you use punishment, you can suppress behavior, whether or not you’ve actually taught anything at all. “Suppressed” behavior doesn’t mean the dog or child is trained, simply that by virtue of not moving too much its hard to be annoying to others. This is true for both children and puppies. For example, I recently sat in a restaurant where I watched a father with his three young children, ranging in ages from about five to twelve. They were all eating their meals in silence (which one clearly didn’t like) while dad looked at his phone. The kids were told to shut up and sit down if they tried to do anything to entertain themselves or expressed an opinion. Even the smallest one was behaving. Dad didn’t even have to raise a hand – they listened and did what they were told. Which was….nothing. Do nothing.
    Wow! Amazing. He had obedience, and at a very young age! Good, obedient children who made no trouble for anyone, anywhere. They did nothing, a truly abnormal state of existence for anyone, least of all for small children. On the other hand, those children never looked at their dad. They stared at their plates, or looked around vacantly. He had effectively taken the child out of the children, leaving behind a well behaved shell. I doubt he knew or even really cared that the oldest children clearly disliked him. He had what he wanted – a peaceful evening with his dinner and his smartphone.
    Punishment works for dogs too. If you keep on top of your puppy non-stop, physically or verbally correcting him for all of the things he does wrong while instilling a solid foundation of obedience, you can eventually end up with a puppy who exists quietly, staring vacantly at nothing. A good, obedient puppy who makes no trouble for anyone, anywhere! You can effectively take the puppy out of the dog and leave behind a well behaved shell. On the other hand, that puppy will make no effort to spend time with you, which brings up the question – why did you get a dog in the first place, if not to enjoy each other?
    The vast majority of parents simply accept the fact that they’ll have to hold their children’s hands when they walk on busy streets. They accept that their meals won’t be too peaceful for awhile because they’ll have to chase their children down just as they try to sit down and eat. They accept that children need to use the bathroom at inconvenient times and that they’ll get sick and disrupt their lives. There will be messes, noise, and disruption. And while parents often experience frustration and look forward to the coming stages when life is a little easier, they won’t refer to this phase as the “toddler problem,” and they won’t ask the pediatrician to fix these annoyances. It’s just the nature of small children. They aren’t adults yet.
    When you bring home a puppy, get used to the fact that you’ll have to keep them on leash to keep them safe for awhile. You won’t be able to have peaceful conversations because they’ll want your attention too. They’ll need to use the bathroom at inconvenient times. They’ll get sick and disrupt your life. There will be messes, noise, and disruption. There is no “problem,” there’s simply a puppy who still has to grow into an adult dog. These behaviors will not resolve in days or weeks; it takes many months before you’ll see glimmers of the adult dog that your puppy will mature into.
    With time, consistency, maturity and well thought out raising, both your dogs and your children will make it to adulthood, and life will be a lot easier and smoother. How you choose to get there – whether you use structure and positive interaction for good choices or focus on punishment to suppress all behavior – will have both short term and long term effects on your relationship.
    Your decisions early on will influence how much time your charges choose to voluntarily spend with you. How much time they try to engage you for interaction. How much they use you as a resource when they aren’t sure what to do. In short, how much they like you – if at all.
    Of course, there are very forgiving puppies and children. In some cases, no matter what you do, you’ll be rewarded with a wonderful outcome. But don’t hold your breath on that one. Most of the time, you’ll get what you give.
    When my children were small, I removed valuable and breakable objects from the house. Same with my puppies. No more fights about “don’t touch this” or “don’t chew that.” When my children were small, we ate most of our meals at home; no more fights about how to behave at a table in public. If I don’t want puppies underfoot when I make food then I remove them from the room. When my children shared their toys or talked quietly with friends or remembered to remove their dirty shoes before entering the house – I told them I appreciated that! And the puppies? I help them too – they’re puppies. Doing their puppy best. But they still need to be given a chance to express their puppy natures.
    I’m not perfect with my kids or with my puppies. I get frustrated. I get mad! But at the end of the day, I know perfectly well that I am the adult – the one who is responsible – and that there is nothing wrong with my child or my puppy for behaving like a child or a puppy. There is no problem.
    My kids are doing fine. They are growing into interactive confident young people with excellent manners and joyful personalities. My puppies are doing fine as well, and consistently grow into entertaining, interactive, confident dogs with lively natures. No one is breaking things or chewing up the wrong stuff anymore. The best part is that the kids and the dogs seem to like me! They choose to spend time with me, which is why I wanted them in the first place! It’s working out okay, in spite of the fact that I spared the rod all around. It does not appear that I have spoiled anyone.
    When you’re frustrated or mystified by your puppy, consider how you raised your children and you might find a comparable technique that will work just fine. Think of puppies as pre-verbal children. Show patience. Structure the environment for success. Accept that inconvenience will happen. Remember that what you do now is going to determine the type of relationship you will have into the future. What are you looking for? Do you want to be seen as an accommodating person who creates opportunities to do interesting things, or as a domineering tyrant that is best avoided? When you ask your dog or child to come see you, do you want them to come running with enthusiasm, or to experience worry and anxiety about your presence?
    If you hit your small kids, yelled a lot, and considered their childhood a problem to be solved, then it would make sense that you would do the same with your dogs. But if you raised your small children with patience and you accepted that small children are not little adults, then you might find that you have all of the tools you’ll need to raise your puppies very very well. Now you just need a few tricks of the trade to give you ideas for how to manage specific situations and you’re on your way. That’s where a good dog trainer will be able to help you.
    Find a trainer who focuses on what is right for both you and the puppy! Find a trainer who can help you understand appropriate management strategies as your puppy works through his more challenging phases. Find a trainer who can listen to you complain about how hard puppies are, and who helps you see the light at the end of the tunnel! Add a few skills like walking nicely on a leash and a solid recall, throw in a healthy dose of time and maturity, and you’re on your way to having a very rich and interactive relationship with a well behaved adult dog.
    But start by understanding that there is nothing wrong – there is no problem. There is only a puppy, and training to be done. What happens now is up to you.
    Good luck.

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  5. #4
    House Broken
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    A crate and a leash are your friend.. When I potty train a pup I always use a leash when I take them outside to potty. I stand there and ignore them. I only give them so much leash also and don't walk around with them.
    When I can't keep an eye on them I put them in their kennel.
    If you have a fenced in yard (which I do) I still use a leash other wise Brian would just run around and sniff and want to play. I don't have to use a leash on him now as he knows to go outside to pottie.
    I have stood outside with a pup in the cold and rain, and nope not fun but it's gotta be done I only acknowledge them once they have done their business then I praise praise praise them, bring them in and then and only then will I play with them.

    I would get a different vet, they don't "just" stop at a certain age, they have to be taught.

  6. #5
    Senior Dog Labradorks's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Pogie View Post
    I would get a different vet, they don't "just" stop at a certain age, they have to be taught.
    The vet might assume the OP is doing everything right or the OP might be misquoting the vet. Six months is about the time, in my experience, that puppies really get it and are able to physically hold it long enough to let you know they gotta go and then wait a few minutes. Before then, I find that puppies will let you know too late, then run to the door while peeing or run to the door and pee before you can open it. So, you gotta pay very close attention and make some assumptions for them.

  7. #6
    House Broken
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    Quote Originally Posted by Labradorks View Post
    The vet might assume the OP is doing everything right or the OP might be misquoting the vet. Six months is about the time, in my experience, that puppies really get it and are able to physically hold it long enough to let you know they gotta go and then wait a few minutes. Before then, I find that puppies will let you know too late, then run to the door while peeing or run to the door and pee before you can open it. So, you gotta pay very close attention and make some assumptions for them.
    True! I did laugh when you posted about them waiting till the last minute and running to the door, Brian does that lolol.

 



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