My dog won't stop peeing while we're home

[Firstimedoggyowner]

Hello Everyone, We have a 13 week old yellow lab named Shadow. She is real sweet and playful. My husband and I work opposite shifts. I am generally home during the day with the exception of 3 hrs in the afternoon. While I'm home Shadow will go to the door several times an hour to be let outside. If I ignore her attempts she leaves me a present in the house. The funny thing is that at night she will hold it in from 10pm till 6am and be accident free and ususally when i'm out for the 3 hrs during the day she is accident free, it seems she just wants to be outside more than in when we are home. We take her for a couple of walks a day but we just don't know what to do about her frequent outdoor trips when we are home. Does anyone have a suggestion on how to help? I feel like i'm outside more than inside when i'm home We would really like to have her on some sort of schedule but we just don't know how to go about it now.

Thanks!

[AngusFangus]

We would really like to have her on some sort of schedule but we just don't know how to go about it now.

Hi, and welcome to JL

Your instincts are exactly right - she does need to be on a schedule. Dogs thrive on schedules

Our boys (five years old, but just for the sake of illustrating a schedule), go out at the following times: Walked after breakfast, out to play fetch at lunchtime, walked after dinner when we get home from work, out to play fetch again mid-evening, and a last-call potty break before bedtime. This NEVER varies, and it's plenty of times for them to do their business. They have never asked to go out...I think it is just accepted that they will be going out at pre-designated times, and it seems to work OK for them right now.

Let's see...she's about three months old, so using the one-hour-per-month rule, it would be reasonable to expect that she could hold it for three hours during the day. So, sounds like it will be no problem to adjust your schedule to be able to accomodate a potty break every three hours.

But, how do you keep her from going in the house? Oh, if only all questions were this easy! Put her in a crate when you're not supervising. She will not go potty in the confined space, and this helps you let her out at your scheduled times and get her used to that. Crates also have the added benefit of keeping them safe and out of trouble when you're not home.

When she is older and used to the schedule and more trustworthy around the house, you can dispense with the crate. I will say, though, that dogs tend to become very attached to them. Angus has not "needed" a crate for a few years, but he still likes to go take a nap in it sometimes, so I leave it up for him.

Crates are also a really good thing to get them acclimated to if you ever have visitors who are afraid of dogs, keeping your dog away from service or repair people, if your dog is ever sick or injured and needs to be put on "bed rest" so to speak, and if they ever have to be hospitalized briefly for surgery or whatnot, they will already be used to the concept of a crate.

[Samson]

Dylan wasn't clean until 12 months old ! I'm fortunate that I have ceramic or laminate floors so I wasn't over fussed but I can understand houe proud people being miffed at this !

I believe that bitches can be worse than dogs but in reality and providing there is no urinary tract infection then it's just a case of patience and vigilance ! How about bell training ? It failed for me but it works for others !

BTW ! Dylan is nearly two and dryasabone now !

[labby]

Most puppies cannot begin to understand the concept of housebreaking until 14-16 weeks. Until then you are just getting them used to the idea that you go out and do your business. Depending on how much water she's drinking will determine how many times she has to go out. Are you watching her outside and making sure she's actually going? Quinn's a fake squatter. She knows she's supposed to squat and pee, but she'll squat then start running again without actually peeing.

Just keep doing what you're doing, setting the pattern. The reason they can go all night is because they are sleeping. Sleeping slows down all bodily functions so comparing it to daytime when her body is acting normally isn't really the same.