# House training issues at 16 weeks still.....



## newpuppy21 (Oct 13, 2011)

Our boy Gunner is 16.5 weeks now. We are still having issues with him peeing in the house. If I'm downstairs with him, he never has accidents. He goes to the sliding glass door in our dining room and looks out when he needs to go. I let him out, he does his business. I make sure to praise him and give him a treat. 

The issue is if I go upstairs and leave him alone downstairs, he will go pee in tfhe dining room, usually under the table. I always let him out right before I go upstairs and I check on him every 30 min-1 hr. During this time he usually has already had an accident. I know he can hold it that long. He holds it all night 11 pm-7am just fine and sometimes he is in his crate up to 4-5 hrs if I'm gone. He's never had an accident in his crate. I'm assuming he goes to the door and waits, then when I'm not there to let him out he just goes under the table and pees. 

Should I be crating him everytime I go upstairs still? I've been trying to give him some freedom when I am home but is he not ready? When we go to training class or the vet, sometimes we are gone a few hours and he never has an accident, he won't even go outside and pee at the vet office on a leash. He will wait till we are back home. Also if I'm not home, he refuses to go out for my husband and waits till I get home. He won't have an accident when he's there with him, just holds it for some reason.

He started lifting his leg a few weeks ago. Could he be purposely be marking our dining room table rather than having an accident? I don't know what to do with him. Shouldn't he be potty trained by now? How should I react when I clean up his pee to teach him?


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## redrover (Mar 17, 2011)

It's possible it's just a little much for him, you leaving him alone downstairs, especially for 30 minutes to an hour. At that age I was leaving Jasper alone and uncrated, but only for about 10 minutes while I showered. He'd usually just end up curling up on the mat in the bathroom and wait for me to be done. My apartment's really tiny, too--I'm not sure how much free space you're giving Gunner.

At his age he should be able to be crated for around 5 hours without any troubles (give or take a little bit of time). He can obviously hold it, as indicated by your story about your husband (I have no answer at all about why he won't go outside for him). 

It sounds like he is pretty well potty trained, except for one particular exception. My answer would be to just continue crating him while you're upstairs, and maybe wait until he's a little older. He might be able to handle it better then. If you'd like to practice giving him a little freedom, I'd do it in shorter bursts of time. Does he whine or bark when you leave him, or otherwise act upset? The peeing may be tied to his anxiety about not only being left alone, but being left alone in a big room. 

I'm also clueless about the marking bit. Jasper only started lifting his leg at 9.5 months, and at 10 months he still only does it about 30% of the time--even then it's usually a, "Hey, while I'm doing this, might as well try balancing on 3 legs" kind of deal. Intentional marking happens even less--I'd say around 5% of the time. He isn't neutered, either. So 4.5 months seems very young to me, but every dog is different! Others will have more advice on that front. That said, I've only ever seen dogs mark in their own homes if they feel their territory is being "invaded" by another dog.

Don't react at all when you clean up the pee. Nothing you can do about it then--it's too late, it already happened. Just make sure to clean it up with a proper urine cleaner to fully get rid of the smell (plain old carpet cleaner will not suffice).


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## newpuppy21 (Oct 13, 2011)

@redrover:

Thanks for replying. I guess I forgot to mention we have another dog so Gunner isn't all alone downstairs. They have free rein of our entire downstairs when he's not crated and we just have our upstairs gated off. They usually play together or nap when I'm upstairs. All the bedrooms are upstairs so I am up there with my young daughter who plays in her room a lot. Or I'm just doing laundry, on the computer etc. Gunner never cries when I go upstairs unless he's in his crate. I just feel bad crating him when I am home but I guess he may need to be. The downstairs is all wood floors so I was just cleaning up with plain old water then mopping every few days. So I need a special cleaner? 

He's been lifting his leg outside to pee on things since he was 13 weeks, he actually isn't even 4 months yet, he will be on the 28th of this month. I have no clue if he lifts his leg indoors, I just suspect he might. I've seen a difference between him squatting to pee and lifting to mark, usually when he lifts the leg it's just a few drops not a full pee. It's always always under the table, also on a table leg when he pees inside. Nowhere else. He is the only male in his training class who is lifting his leg already, the trainer sounded shocked and said it was very early.


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## Ozkar (Jul 4, 2011)

newpuppy21 said:


> @redrover:
> 
> Thanks for replying. I guess I forgot to mention we have another dog so Gunner isn't all alone downstairs. They have free rein of our entire downstairs when he's not crated and we just have our upstairs gated off. They usually play together or nap when I'm upstairs. All the bedrooms are upstairs so I am up there with my young daughter who plays in her room a lot. Or I'm just doing laundry, on the computer etc. Gunner never cries when I go upstairs unless he's in his crate. I just feel bad crating him when I am home but I guess he may need to be. The downstairs is all wood floors so I was just cleaning up with plain old water then mopping every few days. So I need a special cleaner?
> 
> He's been lifting his leg outside to pee on things since he was 13 weeks, he actually isn't even 4 months yet, he will be on the 28th of this month. I have no clue if he lifts his leg indoors, I just suspect he might. I've seen a difference between him squatting to pee and lifting to mark, usually when he lifts the leg it's just a few drops not a full pee. It's always always under the table, also on a table leg when he pees inside. Nowhere else. He is the only male in his training class who is lifting his leg already, the trainer sounded shocked and said it was very early.


What you do when he does go is just as important as anything else. the behaviour won't be improved by crating, as then whenever you try and leave him out, he is going to pee if you are not there to open the door. 

Try this, I have posted it a few times for others, but it really does work well. Puppies love being praised.

When he goes, mop it up with a paper towel, take the paper towel and puppy outside where you want him to go, put down the paper towel, put down the puppy, the second he sniffs it, praise him/reward him whatever your method.

Most people I have suggested this too say it worked for them too. A few days of this and he will probably be sitting at the door holwing for you to open it


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## redrover (Mar 17, 2011)

I would suggest Nature's Miracle cleaner for cleaning up the urine. You can find it at any pet store. I usually use the one specific for urine, but I think they're all good.

The water alone is maybe not cutting it, especially not before you mop. He has an amazing nose, and might still be able to smell the remnants of his previous accidents. 

I always wonder how the world smells to dogs, with their strong sense of smell...


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## tanners_mama (Sep 22, 2011)

Although my situation is alot like RedRover's, in which I have a small apartment as well (only 1 level) I would suggest the bell technique if you cannot see him at the door when he has to go. 

Hang a bell on the door, and everytime he stands by it to get let out, take his paw and ring the bell and use your bathroom command (whatever it may be) and praise him. Let him out, and when he's done his business, praise again. Make sure you do this EVERY TIME, and make sure it's his paw that is ringing the bell, not you 

V's are smart and I'm sure yours will pick up quick! This way, if you are upstairs and he has to go, you're more likely to hear the bell and save him from an accident!


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## newpuppy21 (Oct 13, 2011)

I will definitely try the paper towel method Ozkar suggested! And start wiping the pee up with a special cleaner too. I think I'll still give him some freedom downstairs but less often and in shorter periods until he proves he can behave properly. 

I thought about teaching him to ring a bell but I'm upstairs with kids playing loudly and usually the tv or music on so I doubt I would actually hear it. I'm just confused on why he pees within a few minutes of me taking him out before I head upstairs. He consistently holds it for longer periods, especially on walks. He doesn't like to potty on leash so he will wait till we get back home to go, he also won't go in an unfamilar yard or grassy spot. He watched me spraying the table legs down with a pet cleaner this morning, came and sniffed it then looked kinda guilty and went to stand by the door to go out. So maybe it will help.


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## tanners_mama (Sep 22, 2011)

Do you use a command, like "go potty"? Most of the time on walks or at a friends house I can usually get Tanner to pee on command! It's also pretty helpful if I'm cut short on time in the morning before I leave for work


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## Looney (Sep 28, 2011)

Maybe he just misses you and that's his way of showing it?
Sounds strange but we had an English Setter that wasn't crated "right" lets say. 
When we would leave he would go out and do his #2. But when we got home he'd #2 in the kitchen (the only place in the house that WASN'T carpet like he knew).
We thought, just accidents but one day we took him out did his thing we left 15 minutes turned around and had to go home right quick and he had #2'd. That's the day we figured out it was a seperation thing...not sure how he mustered that #2 up since 15 minutes prior he had gone...animals are strange birds!
love them to death tho!


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## Spuds Mom (Dec 12, 2011)

This sounds just like something Spud would do to get you to give him attention. He is probably thinking that he gets attention from you by peeing inside. I really don't think he's "not getting it," it's just that he's training you! 

My Spud won't even be in a different room than me without sitting and waiting for my return, so he probably just misses you and is now getting in the habit. 

Have you considered a dog door? If that isn't an option, he might have to be crated if you have to leave him. Spud is so attached to us, that if we need to get something done around the house and not have him follow us around, we crate him for short periods. 

I'm sure there's a solution that will work for you.... Hope we're helping!


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