He have 4 month old cocker spaniel puppies that we are crate training. Before we brought them home (at 12 weeks), they had not been inside a house--they were with their littermates and mom in a large backyard.

Our problem is that we can't have them in the house for longer than 15 minutes (usually much less time) without one of them relieving themself. We will take them out, they will pee several times and poop, and then we bring them in, and they go again. We have them confined to the kitchen, and that has helped (especially if there is an accident), but if we try to let them do some exploring in the rest of the house--extremely supervised--it will only take about 5 minutes before we catch one start to go. It is hard to tell if going is imminent because they are ALWAYS sniffing and walking around in circles. But when we catch them start to go, we give a firm "NO" and take them back out.

Right now we take them out every three hours. They sleep in their crate from 10:30pm until 6:30am, so we know they have a decent amount of bladder control. We give them 15 minutes to play in the kitchen after being outside, and then they go back into the crate (which they thankfully really like). Every time I've tried to add more free time in the kitchen, one of them will pee on the floor!

Do I need to be taking them out more often to reinforce the going potty outside, not inside concept? Or is it just going to take a little longer for our pups to figure this out because for the first 12 weeks of their life they could just go whenever they had the urge? We usually play with them for a little while outside after they relieve themselves--should we bring them in right away after they go? We have a good sized backyard, and both the puppies and our kids really like being outside, but I'm concerned that letting them be out for so long is not helping with the housebreaking...

Thank you in advance for your comments/suggestions!

What are you doing when the puppy(ies) do have an accident in the house?

What are you doing when the puppy(ies) use the yard for pottying as appropriate?

There are two?

And two crates?

Accident in the house--we tell them no, and take them back outside until they go.

When they go outside, we tell them "good dog" and pet them/scratch behind their ears/get really excited.

There are two puppies, and we have them in one large crate.

I would strongly recommend tethering with these dogs, at least until the in-house accidents stop.

If you really consider it, you've only been housebreaking them for the past 4 weeks. That's a short time, and unfortunately, every accident is almost like starting from square one.

If the dog is tethered to you, it will be very hard for accidents to happen.

If you cannot watch the dog, eyes on constantly, then put the dog in the crate. When you have time for the dog, bring it out on a leash.

Watch for pre-potty behavior. If you start to see it, get the dog outside before an accident happens.

If you miss the warning signs (which you shouldn't, since you should be watching the dog constantly when it's out of it's crate, and it should be tethered to you), try to interrupt the dog "mid-stream". Clapping hands, a stern no, or simply picking the dog up can often cause the dog to stop. Then get the dog outside to finish.

A tethered dog is must easier to interrupt and take outside than one who must be persued around in circles, thinking this is a new fun game of pee-on-the-floor-and-chase.

Until they are reliably housebroken, you cannot take your eyes off them when they are in the house.


As an aside, I would consider two smaller crates, one for each puppy.

Do I tether them both to me, or do I take turns with each?

When they are in the house, they are watched constantly--they are in the kitchen with someone who is playing with them, or just watching them. There is no unsupervised exploring. And the thing that has been frustrating, is that when they are in the house, it always looks like they are doing the pre-potty behaviour--sniffing, nose on ground, going in circles...I can't tell if this is just because it is new territory to them, or if they are about to potty again.

Lisa, as a rule of thumb, puppies need to go after:
eating
sleeping(napping)
playing

So, if they are running around in the kitchen for 15 minutes, they will need another potty break before you put them in their crate, even if they just went a half hour before.

If you are with them during the day, take them out frequently (like, every hour or so, if they aren't sleeping) Why not, if you are home? It will eliminate accidents and reinforce where they are supposed to be peeing.

Don't equate how long they can hold it at night to what they will do during the day. They are in a crate sleeping at night; moving around and playing during the day will trigger their bladders.

Also, if you let them do some supervised exploring, try it one at a time if you are in the house. Easier to keep an eye on one, than two.

 Quote: lisa theisen

they are watched constantly--they are in the kitchen with someone who is playing with them, or just watching them. There is no unsupervised exploring. ...

So then you have actually seen each accident happen?

When you see it, as Alyssa said, you pick up the puppy to take him outside and say "good potty" for finishing outside.

Yes, we've seen each accident! We tell them no, pick them up, and take them outside to finish. It is sometimes hard, because the one that hasn't peed will get outside, too, and then the puppies want to play...we try not to let that happen, though.

This puppy thing is HARD. Especially with two...

 Quote: Lynne Barrows

Lisa, as a rule of thumb, puppies need to go after:
eating
sleeping(napping)
playing

So, if they are running around in the kitchen for 15 minutes, they will need another potty break before you put them in their crate, even if they just went a half hour before.

They will pee while we are playing with them in the kitchen, right after we've just brought them in...