puppy help needed

[Fairie]

Hi I have a king charles puppy, he is now 15 weeks old and although growing he is no better with doin the business in the right place!

We got the mats you get for them to wee on when we first got him and continue to do so now, sometimes he will go on it and other times goes on the edge of it, so it runs underneath! other than that he wees everywhere, particularly goes out of his way to go upstairs and use the carpet! particularly for pooing!

He is driving me insane! as i dont see him getting any better, i constantly offer him into the garden and praise him and give treats when he wees out there and even do the same if he uses his mat properly.

Any tips please

[gallapunk]

There is some repellent spray you can get to deter behaviour such as this (and is there no way you can block upstairs off in the meantime if that's his favourite place, e.g. a stair gate?). Obviously, from the way you talk about the situation, you know that punishment will make matters worse. Some dogs are just a bit 'thick', if that's the right word and it takes ages to sink in.

Is there anything in the garden that might scare him (noises, strange cats, something flapping)?

It helps if you know when he will do it too. Puppies often need to 'go' straight after waking or eating, so if you can always encourage him outside at those times and keep him there (playing or whatever) until he's done something, then the praise, that should help.

Very best of luck Fairie. It is frustrating when they take time to pick this up, but he will in the end.

Just one thing, he's not left alone in the house during the day whilst everyone is at work/school, is he?

[Fairie]

thanks gallapunk, I am actually gettin a new carpet this weekend and a safety gate to stop him gettin up there. I have another king charles who is 4 years old and so he is never alone, although i do go out some days but not for more than 4 hours. As we have kids too, he's rarely without company and/or someone to play with. He actually loves the garden and goes out with no problem, its just sometimes he goes out to play and comes in to do the busines! lol. i am beginin to think he is a bit think lol but i will persevere.

[lankeela]

He is still only a baby and you need to stay out with him until he goes. Take him out every time he wakes up, has eaten or has been playing for a short while. Get up ten minutes earlier than you would normally so you can take him out before he needs to go in the morning. Confine him to a corner of the kitchen or in a crate and put the mats in one end so he learns to go on them and nowhere else. You can let him out to play when he has either been in the garden or on the mats.

[Fairie]

i don't like the crate and neither does he, he loves being on your knee or cuddled up with the other dog, he has been really really good today, i haven't really taken him out much yet because he is so small and he hates his lead (that's problem number 2) problem number 3 is... he is snatching when offered a treat, i don't know if to refuse him it for snatching or whether that will give him mixed signals, my other one is sooo gentle! they are the complete opposite. LOL

[lankeela]

Well you asked for advice, and my advice was to give him a puppy crate, doesn't matter whether you or he doesn't like it, he will get used to it, if you want him trained then you need to follow the advice of people who know what they are talking about. Also at fifteen weeks he is more than old enough to go out, although I did mean in your garden but you must stay out with him until he has gone. However, he is old enough for walks. Have a look at the thread put on today by meatismurder about their new Labrador puppy. They have taken advice and have a puppy that is learning to be housetrained and they have only had him less than a week.

[lankeela]

As for problem no.2, leave a collar on him and put a short piece of string on it (about 4 - 6 inches) and let him carry that round, so he gets used to the feel of it. When you want to feed him catch hold of the string and get him to sit by holding his bowl up in the air and he will put his bum down. You can use the string to guide him to where you want to feed him. Thenyou can go on to using a lead and let him drag it round then pick it up and follow him, then gradually start to encourage him to follow you. With the titbits don't let him have them from your fingers or open hand, hold them in your closed hand so he can't get them until he has stopped trying to snatch or bite you for them. Tell him to wait or leave and then open your hand to let him have them, but if he goes to snatch them close your hand again. You must crack down on this now, or else he will always snatch things. You must teach him some manners if you want a well behaved dog. If not you might end up on the Dog Whisperer programme!

[Fairie]

i have got a crate but its not big enough, i bought the one that says its for cavalier king charles ect. but there not enough room to have a bed and a toilet area. not really got the room for a bigger one, and as the older one is free to move around as she wishes, i feel mean!

Thanks for the advice though, he is doing ok at the moment we had 24 hrs without an accident yesterday, he does go out in the garden a lot, he loves the garden and i do go out with him, we're leaving the door open a bit more now too, so he can go in and out more freely, and loads of treats and hugs for doing it outside.