[TanyaG]

I have an 11 week old toy poodle puppy, and needs some help with potty training him. I take him to the same spot(a dog lavatory outside his crate) after meals, drinking water etc. but he doesn't poop or pee there. He would wander off and start doing his business somewhere else. Even though I praise him whenever he finishes his business on the lavatory, and left smells to guide him back there to pee or poo, he still doesn't potty there. Wondering if any of you have useful tips to share. Thanks for the help! (this is my first puppy BTW)

[shazamataz]

Any particular reason you aren't training him to go outside (ie: apartment living)?

Toilet spots inside tend to really confuse some dogs, especially toy breeds who are notoriously hard to house train.
By allowing the dog to potty inside, even in a designated area it's basically saying that peeing anywhere in the house is okay.

I'm not saying it is impossible to train them to puppy pads but it can take much longer than regular grass training and should only be fdone when you have no other option.

What sort of dog toilet are you using at the moment? Is it just puppy pads or something different? The Potty Patch can work well, it is basically a patch of fake grass with a tray underneath to collect the moisture. By having a texture that feels like grass it can help train them better than pads which have a similar feel to carpet.

I would also move the toilet away from the crate. Dogs tend to try not to potty on or near their bed if they can avoid it so moving it well away from where the dog sleeps will encourage it to use that spot as well.

Other than that it's really just a case of keeping a close eye on the pup. After meals or when the puppy wakes up block off the area where the potty patch is (a few metres square would be ideal) so the pup can't wander around too much and watch the pups body language. When they are about to "go" there are a few tell tale signs such as walking fast in circles or sniffing the ground. The second you think the pup is about to go pop him on the potty patch.

[mogrann]

I don't know who you are but abuse against animals is wrong. This angers me so much!