5 m/o puppy just not getting the idea of potty training!

[kirkwood]

I've had my shih tzu puppy since he was 9 months old, and began potty training straight away. He's five months this week but still hasn't got the idea to not pee inside or to signal to go out. He will pee almost immediately when we get out so has grasped that I want him to pee when outside by not to not pee inside. He has several accidents a day, every day, and has done since we got him.

I also feel like he is peeing very frequently. He will happily pee once every hour that he's not in his crate. (I know he can hold it longer because he sleeps through the night without needing to go). Therefore he is always a 'biohazard' and I can't exactly have him in his crate all the time.

 

[believer420]

@kirkwood Congratulations on your puppy! He may be giving you signals he needs to pee that you aren’t picking up on. I had a dog that would only have a slight increase in her activity level when she needed to pee. It took me 3 months to house train her. One day, she suddenly “got it“. Bells are a good idea if you can’t have a dog door, but it’s a challenge for sure! And every hour isn’t out of line for a puppy that age. Patience is key and good luck!

 

[lesbian5eva]

@kirkwood Yeah my 5mo old pees about every hour outside the crate too. I’d really like to know when it gets better. We trained on the bells and she’s good about using them now. Have you tried?

 

[kirkwood]

@lesbian5eva I haven't tried bells. Tbh, I didn't give it much thought because, and I say this lovingly, my pup is the stupidest dog I've every met. Maybe I should have a bit more faith in him and give it a go hahha

 

[kdbeats_91]

@kirkwood Aw man, I’m sorry. A few questions:
- Where is he in the house (e.g. a playpen, on leash by your side, free roam)?
- How often do you take him to go outside to try and potty?
- When he potties outside, what rewards do you use?