I have a 6.5 month old puppy who has not peed in the house since the very first week we got him (at 9 weeks old). We take him out often and praise him for going pee and poo outside. I was very surprised tonight when my child announced that the puppy had just peed in the living room (we have a very small house so when we are all around we let him in the kitchen and living room only, I was in the kitchen). I have read lots of threads about tethering the dog to me around the house and I readily agree that I need to keep a careful eye on him at all times in the house. So, this obviously is entirely my error. However, how do I teach him to let us know that he needs to go out? Sometimes in the past he has gotten a bit whiny and we've taken him out, but usually he's out so often that maybe he doesn't know how to alert us, or maybe we're not picking up on something? We take him out the same door each time and he pretty much goes in the same spot outside each time. But he showed no signs of wanting to go out there. And why would he pee now after such a long dry spell (3 months)?

I'm expecting some severe criticism here, like "what do you think you crazy lady, not watching a 6 month old at all times!!" but what I really need is where to go from here to teach him to alert us to go out.

Thanks for suggestions everybody!

First, I'd get a specimen and drop it off for a UTI check.


Then, if the puppy does not have a UTI, I'd just start over.

As has been said here many times, when training goes awry, it's never wrong to back up, even if it's to square one.

There have been several recent threads about adults, even, backsliding in housetraining.

I just had this happen with my puppy. Went back to strict schedule, tethering her and everything seems to be back to normal. I also think that puppies can have accidents, especially a 6 month old. Nobody's perfect. JMHO.

Jon

Oh, yes, indeed! I have had an adopted senior regress for a couple of days after 2 clean years..... brushed up on the training for a few days... all better.

Don't know why, and I guess I really don't need to know. He's been fine ever since (months).

It's pretty easy to teach the dog to let you know when they want out. What I did was watch him and every time he went near the door, I would ask him if he needed to go out then take him out. It doesn't take the dog very long to figure out that all he needs to do is to go to the door and you will take him outside.

Once he had gotten that down, my dog would go sit by the door and look to me when he wanted outside. That progressed to if I wasn't in the room he would come find me in what ever room I was in and soon as I looked at him he would turn and go back to the door and I would let him out.

I started this early, so the last time my dog went potty in the house he was four months old and he will be 2 next month.

Good Luck,