[clairerubunder]

Hi All...

My black lab is crate trained. He asks to go outside to poo always. We have had him a week and I think that's good, right! He is 13 weeks old and 22lb (big for his age)
The trouble we are having is with his peeing. We started all wrong and paper trained him. We then took the paper away and he now pees anywhere, the kitchen or the carpet.
It kind of goes like this...
We put him in his Crate. We know when he gets out he will need to pee, or after he plays etc. We take him to his spot in the garden and say go pee. He tries to get back in the house. He can hold it forever, if we put him back in his crate he goes in there because he is bursting, if we take him back inside he goes there too. But he holds to brakeing point outside and he looks so uncomfortable and confused. He runs around trying to excape the yard. We can wait 2 hours for him to go after coming out of the crate. SO we take him in, he begins to pee and we take him back while he is peeing because he waited so long he can't hold it. I know he is confused and doesn't know what to do, you can see it on his face. He thinks indoors is the right place.
How can we correct this. We take water outside and give him ice cubes to try and make him want to go more. It is so hard to sit outside for 2 hours when there is other things to do! I am not working so can be with him all day.
Please any sugestions will be great!
Claire (& Guinness)

[labman]

This will be a little more difficult since you are doing much of what I would suggest. It sounds like you are out there within and keeping him moving which stimulates the body. You could try taking the paper out with you. If and when he eventually does urinate outside, it is very important that you praise him for it, even giving him a treat. Talking a walk might help, but there is too much risk of disease now. There will be a window when immunity from his mother to parvo wears off and his own builds up from his next shot, when one sniff of the wrong spot could bring a fatal case of parvo.

It is strange to us that the puppy understands one, but not the other. I see questions both ways, and doing one but not the other in the crate. In my housebreaking sticky, I discuss the use of a grid or something to reduce the mess of accidents in the crate. Here is a picture of my Holly in her vegetable bin:

[clairerubunder]

Thans LAbman.
To update you...
Guinness now pees outside. He asks to go out almost all the time. It took a lot of patience!
He does still pee in his crate sometimes, but its getting better. He doesn't like to be left, the place we are living in is very small so he can tell if we are not around. I think he gets scared and pees as I know he can hold it as he goes all night. He will then sit bolt upright in one corner until I get home. I am sure he will get used to it, as I say we have only had him 2 weeks today.
We do have a little problem with him not wanting to take a walk, I guess we need to try and make it more fun. Any tips would be apreciated!
Thanks again for your world or advice and knowledge!
Claire

[labman]

I find it surprising how many puppies don't want to walk on lead. So many of them after the first few weeks, it is ''How do I keep him from pulling my arm off''. Here is what I just suggested to somebody with a Yorkie: ''I have had good luck getting a stubborn puppy moving by dropping behind it and then running in baby steps past it while calling ''Go, go, go!'' in an excited voice. A little embarrassing out in public. Praise her when she starts moving.''

Being left alone is not a natural thing for a dog. It is very upsetting to a puppy that always had had its mother and litter around it, and then its new people. Some adjust to it better than others. I really thing a lot of the accidents resulting from it are due to stress.

I am happy to hear what I suggested is working. It is always good to have updates. Stick around as he grows and you need help in new areas.