Help with 7 month old potty training

[Vabulldog]

I'm struggling with house training my 7 month old intact male puppy. He's great in his crate, no accidents or issues there. He sits, down, stay, waits for ok to eat, so I believe he's intelligent. He poops on a regular schedule so no accidents at all. But peeing, omg. He doesn't have a lot of accidents, but has unexplainable ones. First thing in the morning he pees, at lunch, when I get home, and throughout the day (after laps, play, and whenever I catch him trying to wonder off). He'll just pop a squat (carpet, kitchen, etc). What am I missing? How could the world through his eyes be different? You don't pee in your crate, you pee outside several times throughout the day, you poop outside. I can't fathom what would make him even begin to think peeing inside was okay?

 

[Bulldog2001]

I'm struggling with house training my 7 month old intact male puppy. He's great in his crate, no accidents or issues there. He sits, down, stay, waits for ok to eat, so I believe he's intelligent. He poops on a regular schedule so no accidents at all. But peeing, omg. He doesn't have a lot of accidents, but has unexplainable ones. First thing in the morning he pees, at lunch, when I get home, and throughout the day (after laps, play, and whenever I catch him trying to wonder off). He'll just pop a squat (carpet, kitchen, etc). What am I missing? How could the world through his eyes be different? You don't pee in your crate, you pee outside several times throughout the day, you poop outside. I can't fathom what would make him even begin to think peeing inside was okay?

I always recommend letting the pup outside:
-after eating
-after drinking water
-after sleeping/nap
-first thing in the morning
-after play

Sounds like he is just being stubborn and thinks he can just pee anywhere in the house.

Does he go to the back door when needing to potty or you take him out?

Dogs know the crate is a safe space or bed basically so it’s rare to find a dog that would potty in the crate.

Do you have a bell on the back door?
To teach them to use it, when you are gonna take him outside, make his paw or nose touch the bell so it makes the noise and say ‘do you need to potty’ or whatever you say, then eventually they go to the door and ring the bell when they need to go outside.

Do you have a pee tray in the house or just outside where he goes when he is good?

Have you teached him to potty on command yet? That’s handy when they understand it. LOTS of praise and treats when he potty outside and when he goes on command.

Do NOT praise him when he owes in the house! No treats or reward when he does that.

When you catch him in the act inside, you can say NO or Bad Potty!

 

[Vabulldog]

Brutus doesn't have a bell. The hard part about him is he constantly roams around our house if he's not actively engaged in something. He'll play with toys, play with us with toys, eat a treat or take a nap. If he is not doing one of those things he like to explore. He sniffs around pokes his nose into things. It seems to be around the permitter of the house. I've tested him long enough to know he generally comes back and starts one of the previous activities over again.

What is weird is that when he has an accident, I look at my watch and the timing just doesn't make sense. If it were within 30 minutes to an hour of a drink that makes sense. After a nap, or getting up, or letting him out when I first come home... all make sense. He does these head scratcher accidents. There must be something in common I'm missing.

What I think I'll do is say "want to go outside" whenever he goes remotely near the back door. Even though he didn't intend do to do anything it will teach him that going there let's him out and potty. Potty = praise.

 

[benny]

He needs constant supervision if you have him outside of the crate, so you can catch him in the act and move him outside. If you can't do that, he needs confinement.

If he potties inside, stop him (you've caught him in the act because you are supervising him) and rush him outside. Keep him outside until he goes again. When he goes, immediately both praise and go back inside. If you were occupied and didn't see the accident, luckily no time at all has passed since you are supervising - show the puddle to him, and rush him outside and keep him out there until he goes potty. If you have a paper towel with you already to soak some into it, go ahead and do that on the way and then throw the towel on the ground outside and show that to him again. Do not spend time cleaning the accident - the objective is to get the dog outside for training purposes.

Do not use negative words like No or Bad. We are conditioned to express certain emotions when using words like this and it will negatively impact your ability to train your dog. Learn a positive sound instead - many use one similar to clearing your throat (EH-EH!). You want a sound that you can easily make, not a word, which is completely disassociated with negative thoughts. Use it for when he is doing something you don't like.

 

[Bulldog2001]

Brutus doesn't have a bell. The hard part about him is he constantly roams around our house if he's not actively engaged in something. He'll play with toys, play with us with toys, eat a treat or take a nap. If he is not doing one of those things he like to explore. He sniffs around pokes his nose into things. It seems to be around the permitter of the house. I've tested him long enough to know he generally comes back and starts one of the previous activities over again.

What is weird is that when he has an accident, I look at my watch and the timing just doesn't make sense. If it were within 30 minutes to an hour of a drink that makes sense. After a nap, or getting up, or letting him out when I first come home... all make sense. He does these head scratcher accidents. There must be something in common I'm missing.

What I think I'll do is say "want to go outside" whenever he goes remotely near the back door. Even though he didn't intend do to do anything it will teach him that going there let's him out and potty. Potty = praise.

Definitely you need to constantly supervise him.

That’s a good plan to just ask ‘want to go outside’ when he is around the back door, you can also use it for when he is roaming the house to be on the safe side in case he is roaming thinking he can pee anywhere. Hopefully then, he will potty outside and then praise with treats and excitement, then he can possibly go back to roaming or play while he is supervised by you.

Yes- potty outside= praise

Potty inside=no treats or praise and is taken outside again.

He could maybe be ‘marking’ while wandering possibly too for the confusion as to why potty at a odd time.

 

[2BullyMama]

He needs constant supervision if you have him outside of the crate, so you can catch him in the act and move him outside. If you can't do that, he needs confinement.

If he potties inside, stop him (you've caught him in the act because you are supervising him) and rush him outside. Keep him outside until he goes again. When he goes, immediately both praise and go back inside. If you were occupied and didn't see the accident, luckily no time at all has passed since you are supervising - show the puddle to him, and rush him outside and keep him out there until he goes potty. If you have a paper towel with you already to soak some into it, go ahead and do that on the way and then throw the towel on the ground outside and show that to him again. Do not spend time cleaning the accident - the objective is to get the dog outside for training purposes.

Do not use negative words like No or Bad. We are conditioned to express certain emotions when using words like this and it will negatively impact your ability to train your dog. Learn a positive sound instead - many use one similar to clearing your throat (EH-EH!). You want a sound that you can easily make, not a word, which is completely disassociated with negative thoughts. Use it for when he is doing something you don't like.

I would go back to basics.... every two hours when you are home with him and praise the heck out of a potty.