Last week we brought home our 8 week old Rhodesian Ridgeback. We were advised to try crate training and it seemed to be going well. She loves her crate though we can't close the door on her yet. The problem is that we live in a house with a large flight of stairs to get out into the back yard and she can't climb the stairs yet. When she wakes we pick her up and carry her outside and while she does go properly when she is outside she is also having accidents inside. She really doesn't give any signs before an accident. It is almost like she is waiting for us to carry her out and if we don't, she just goes. Should we switch to paper training until she is older or just keep going?

I am a firm believer in outside. However I live in a house. Even then, we have to go through the garage to get out and sometimes have puddles in the garage. In your case, it might be better to try the paper, or the pads, Wee Pads, sold for it. An outside balcony is a good option too. Then while carrying him is still feasible, you can carry him out to retrain him to go to a different door.

They can usually hold it when you carry them. I use it a lot when I have little ones in places. I also remember making a dash for the door from the back of Lowe's with a 6 month old Lab. Yeah, carry a full grown Ridgeback down a flight of stairs?

Much of housebreaking is not training the puppy, but making it easier for your
Puppy, you, and your carpet while its body to catches up to its instincts. At
Around 8 weeks when the puppy goes to its new home, the time from when it
Realizes it has to go, and when it can't wait any longer is a matter of
Seconds. Only time will fix that. You can hardly be expected to be attentive
Enough to avoid all accidents There is no sense punishing the puppy for your
Inattention. It is not fair to punish you either, but you still have to clean
It up if you didn't have the puppy outside in time.

Housebreaking starts before you get home with the new puppy. If you don't have
A crate, buy one. I prefer the more enclosed, den like plastic ones. Skip the
Bedding. At first it gets wet, and later it can be chewed into choking
Hazards. A wire rack in the bottom will help keep the puppy up out of
Accidents at first. They are available with the crates, but a piece of closely
Spaced wire closet shelving from a home supply place is cheaper. If you
Already have a metal crate, covering it may help. Just make sure you use
Something the puppy can't pull in and chew. Dogs that start in crates as
Little puppies, accept them very well. Never leave an unattended puppy loose
In the house. If nobody can watch it, put it in the crate. I suggest letting
The dog have its crate all its life.

Choose a command and spot you want it to use. The less accessible to strays,
The less chance of serious disease. If it is a female, choosing a
Non grassy spot will avoid brown spots later. When you bring it home, take it
To the spot and give it the command in a firm, but friendly voice. Keep
Repeating the command and let the puppy sniff around. If it does anything,
Praise it. Really let it know what a good dog it is and how much you love it,
And maybe a treat. Note, being out there not only means you can praise it,
But it also keeps it from being snatched by a hawk. If it doesn't go, take it
Inside and give it a drink and any meals scheduled. A young puppy will need to
Go out immediately afterward. Go to the spot and follow the above routine.
Praising it if it goes is extremely important. If it doesn't go, take it back
Inside and put it in its crate and try again soon. Do not let it loose in the
House until it does go.

At first it is your responsibility to know and take the puppy out when it
Needs to go. It needs to go out the first thing in the morning, after eating,
Drinking, and sleeping. If it quits playing, and starts running around
Sniffing, it is looking for a place to go. Take it out quickly. You will just
Have to be what I call puppy broke until it is a little older.

By the time most dogs are about 3 months old, they have figured out that if
They go to the door and stand, you will let them out. The praise slowly shifts
To going to the door. Some people hang a bell there for the dog to paw. If
Your dog doesn't figure this out, try praising it and putting it out if it
Even gets near the door. A stern "Bad dog!" is all the punishment that is
Effective, and only when you catch it in the act and are sure you didn't miss
It going to the door. Clean up accidents promptly. I mostly keep the little
Puppies out of the carpeted rooms. Still I need the can of carpet foam
Sometimes. First blot up all the urine you can with a dry towel. Keep moving
It and stepping on it until a fresh area stays dry. A couple big putty knives
Work well on bowel movements. Just slide one under it while holding it with
The other. This gets it up with a minimum of pushing it down into the carpet.
This works with even relatively soft ones, vomit, dirt from over turned house
Plants, or anything else from solids to thick liquids. Finish up with a good
Shot of carpet foam. Note, do not let the puppy lick up the carpet foam.
Once the dog is reliably housebroken, your carpet may need a good steam cleaning.

Many people strongly strongly push cleaning up all evidence of past accidents. I am slower to suggest that. Dogs will return to the same spot if they can find it. When you see one sniffing the spot, that is your clue to run it out.

Thanks for the advice on the upstairs potty training. We will give the balcony a try and she went up the stairs all by herself last night so we have progress.
One further question. Our little pup is constantly trying to crawl into our laps. She plays by herself for awhile but almost every time you bend down to pet her or praise her she tries for your lap. If we allow it, she shortly falls asleep and then if we rouse her about ten minutes or so later and she staggers to her crate. I have never seen a puppy so cuddly. We don't want to stress her and we are uncertain if this is just bonding. She will cry and follow us if we don't and will not settle down by herself. She is only 8 1/2 weeks old and when we went to pick her up there were only two other pups there from an original litter of 19 (two litters born a day apart). Is she just lonely? Should we continue letting her in our laps when she wants or should we try to curtail this?

Thanks

Enjoy her while you can. I didn't read your original post carefully enough. I guess she won't be growing up to be a big BOY. I have found most of my Labs lose interest in being in my lap about the time they no longer fit very well. Of course, we are expected to teach the ones we raise for the dog guide school to stay off the furniture. I have declared the bean bag chair not furniture. I also have a foam pad I sit on to hold the puppy on my lap. It is a morning ritual for me to read the paper sitting on the floor with the puppy on my lap as long as they are small enough. I know of no good reason not to spoil a dog with attention. I guess I have heard some stuff about ruining hunting dogs that way, but likely that is one more old myth.

At bed time, with a new puppy, I have found lying down in front of the crate like you were going to sleep and speaking softly to it, or singing, until it settles down and goes to sleep works very well. Follow the pattern, a period of active play, outside to eliminate, and then into the crate.

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