Hi, just wanting some advice on toilet training my 10 week old.

she seemed to be doing really well now she has taken a backwards step and started pooing in the house. I have begun using puppy pads again but she doesnt seem to go on them either and theres little to no warning. she also has the runs which i think may make it worst. The back door is open all day so she always has access to the garden.

I give her praise and make a fuss every time she goes outside but she isnt that bothered about treats so it is hard to reward her. She is also pooing in her crate at night but never seems to need to go after tea time.

I have only had her about 5 days.

Any tips?

Thanks guys

How often are you taking her out? Even though she has free access, I'd take her outside yourself every 2 hours and run around for 5-10 minutes and see if she goes. She may have free access to the outdoors, but a lot of puppies, especially that young, aren't going to think about going outside and then have the urge to go and just go about their business without a thought. If she is doing okay with going potty outside, it may be that the runs come on very suddenly and she panics and just has to go and can't hold it- let's be honest, even as human adults sometimes you are in a panic that you're going to not make it to the bathroom in time, so imagine being a little puppy who doesn't have a full on grasp about control of their bladder and bowel movements.

At night, are you also getting up and taking her out every 2-3 hours? It sucks getting up, but it's like having a baby. If you don't make sure she is going out enough for her age and she has accidents, it's just going to make it harder as she gets older.

I would first access why she has the runs and try to work on improving that since it seems like you are more concerned just about her backtracking with pooing outside, along with the every 2 hours going outside with her, and see how it goes from there.

But she's been with you less than a week. That's not really enough time to establish her patterns with going to the bathroom or to mark actual progress. You can't overestimate what a 10 week old is capable of.

Hi,

I wasnt getting up with her no. She goes to bed in her crate between 11 - 11:30pm which is when everyone else goes to bed in the house (cries for about 15 mins then settles). I always take her outside right before bed and play with her in the garden. Then I am up at 6:00 for breakfast. I will try getting up at 3am aswell and taking her out then - thank you.

She goes out in the morning for at least half an hour with me, and then has the run of downstairs so spends about half of her day time in the garden exploring and the other half sleeping inside or playing. I go out with her again after her lunch around 1 oclock in the afternoon and spend another half an hour playing (she usually has several wee's after her meals) and then the same around tea time. Im very conscious to keep going outside with her throughout the night to encourage her to go, id say I go into the garden every hour even if only briefly to sit with her and play or walk around, but unfortunately she seems to prefer going in the house.

As for the runs, Im not sure if it is excitement or nervousness as she is on dry food (same as she was on at the breeders) of a good quality. The only other thing she eats is a treat for being good (usually doggy choco drops). As she is only young I do not see any of this as a problem yet, but want to make sure im going about it the right way

Thanks for the great advice - will give it a go

What food are you feeding her? How many times a day and how much?
The runs can come if her tummy isn't exactly keen on the ingredients within the food, or if she is eating too much.
But she has just recently transitioned to a new home, a new owner, and is no longer with her mom or siblings, so the unfavorable poos could definitely be sort of a stress factor. That's a lot of changes.

To help with the runs in the meantime, I would stop by your local grocery store and head to the baking isle. You should find some canned pumpkin there- note, 100% canned pumpkin, not pie filing or anything else. I believe the UK carries Libby's, which is what I use. If not, UK Amazon has it- canned pumpkin is always good to have stocked on your shelf incase your dog gets less than firm stools. Canned pumpkin is usually on sale at our commissary here after Thanksgiving and I try to buy quite a few cans.
Here is Libby's: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Libbys-100%25-Pure-Pumpkin-425g/dp/B003WWLJVC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1345458830&sr=8-1
Just get a small spoonful and slop it ontop of her food once or twice through the day.

she is on wainwrights puppy (2-12 months) turkey and rice dry food. She eats just under a small bowlful 3 times a day (approx one small scoop).

Thanks ill get some of that now!

Jaz x