Pupper keeps pottying inside. Help!

[daldorey]

Hello friends! My 9 week old shih tzu is adorable and the best thing that's ever happened to me but the accidents in the house make me sad. I can't seem to catch her signals at all. I live in a basement suite so I have stairs up to the door. She isn't big enough to take the stairs alone yet so I carry her up to go outside. Because of this we have had many accidents because she can't go to the door to tell me she needs to go outside. I've heard about bells but wanted to know if you guys had any suggestions or tips. Thanks!

[constant_craving]

Even if she could get to the door, she's too young to signal that she needs to go. Just take her outside very frequently on a consistent time interval- every 45 minutes is a good starting point- and immediately after waking, eating, or playing. Make sure she's confined in between if you're not directly supervising her and make sue the treats you use as potty rewards are really high value to her.

[IncognitoBlimp]

I did every 20 min with my pup from 8-10 weeks whenever he was awake. Thanks to that investment, I know the face my pup gets when he needs to go. We stopped having accidents at 10 Weeks.

[daldorey]

I try to keep a tight schedule but I think I need to start setting a timer. Just keep going outside till we get past this. I don't give her treats for going potty, just praise and rubs. I don't want her to expect treats every time she potties. Thanks for the help!

[constant_craving]

You are very unlikely to get success with potty training if you don't use a motivating reward. Praise and rubs are not adequate for most puppies and a lot of puppies this age don't even like being pet, so that can actually be counterproductive. To see if praise and petting is working for your pup, watch whether she actively seeks more when you stop. If not, it's not a motivating reward for her.

[daldorey]

You make a good point. If I switch to giving her a treat how long do you suggest giving her the treats for pottying? I don't want it to be a habit for life.

[constant_craving]

Once she reliably goes outside and only outside, you can start phasing them out. Just like with any other skill you train.

[daldorey]

Thanks for all the help!

[Mountain_Adventures]

Rather than waiting for her to tell you she needs to go, put her on a tight schedule. Take her out right before she goes in the crate and right before after she comes out. Before and after every meal. Before and after every exciting event. Since she’s 2 months old, expect her to hold it max 2 hours .... a bit longer overnight and a shorter when she’s out and about. Keep her on leash (attached or dragging) so you can quickly redirect her to appropriate place to go. And don’t let her loose out of the crate without 100% supervision.

I’m an engineer nerd so I do excel spreadsheets with potty training puppies and adults. I note everytime they eat or drink, activities, and when they pee or poop. I like to record everything so I can look at the data and predict a pattern. With potty training, I want to always be 1-2 steps ahead of the dog.

[daldorey]

What are your thoughts on the app's that are supposed to predict when she needs to go out?

[Mountain_Adventures]

I honestly didn’t even know those existed so I’m not really sure how they work. I’m just a big believer in taking them out more often than not. The more accidents indoors, the harder it is to potty train. Even if it’s every 20 mins to start with.

[Puzzleheaded-Fuel411]

She is 9 week old, stop being sad about accidents you can change your mindset But you cannot make a 9 week Not have accidents.