# How soon can a small cockapoo reasonably be house trained?



## Cogan

Hello! I'm new to the forum as I've got a new puppy, Oliver. I was lucky enough to bring him home when he was 9 weeks old. And we have made progress in the potty training arena, but we just aren't there yet. He's weighing in at about 4.5 lbs and is now 14 weeks old. He is a very sweet and very smart boy. But I'd love some advice from those who've been down this road before. (The last dog I adopted was an adult and fully house trained when he came home with me so this is all new territory for me.)

I have been giving Oliver lots of praise and a treat when he pees and poops outside. And he caught on to the I-get-treats-when-I-go-outside concept. And at someone's suggestion I have started using the bells you hang on the door so he can ring it when he needs to go outside. He has caught on to that...sort of. And is ringing it some of the time. Other times he isn't.

I am trying to be vigilant in watching him and keeping him with me so I can see the signs when he needs to go out. But we still have accidents. And quite a few people have told me he should really be house trained by now. But the teacher at the puppy obedience classes we're taking said that many times 6 months is more reasonable for small dogs to be fully house trained.

I am aware completely that the onus is on me to teach him what the rules are. I know puppies don't understand without us teaching them. And I am trying to do all the right things: feed him on a schedule, take him out regularly, take him out after naps/after playing/after meals/etc. And when I have to leave him alone for a few hours, he is in a puppy play pen with a bed and a potty pad just in case he can't hold it. (Just recently he has started eating the potty pads. That's a new bit of fun.)


I'd love to hear your thoughts on how soon you have been able to get your dogs house trained and helpful suggestions or tips (what worked for you). He's a sweet dog, and I love him to pieces, but I want to make sure I do all that I can to help him pick up on the house training as soon as possible. It's just me and Oliver so please keep in mind it is one human and one dog trying to make it work.

THANK YOU!!!


----------



## lady amanda

anyone who has told you that they should be house trained by now, either forgets, or never had a puppy.
All dogs are different, and they all take a different amount of time to train, sometimes their little bladers just can't take it yet.
My dog was HARD to house train, she was not completely consistent untill 6 months!!!
that was a long hard road. 
We use the bells, and the trick is using them every time you take him outside, even if he didn't.
I would also say, a dog isn't fully house trained untill the time that you have 3 months with no accidents....you will always get a few slip ups here and there.
You seem to be doing right by him.
keep up with the bell and looking for signs, if you can't watch him, you could pop him in his crate. if you have one.
otherwise keep it up...he will get it. they are smart..I would say expecting a puppy to be completely house trained by 14 weeks is extreme, he is still a baby..he will get it.


----------



## sugerlump

yes my ginger is just 4 months old and we are still working with her on that go out side bit,,but she is doing very well ,she will bark to let us know she wants to go out ,which is good for ever she does that just when she want to go out and just run around, so it get frustrating to figure out what she want to do .but we are now getting her on a schedule so that helps LOL


----------



## benson

Benson is just over 4 months now he does all his poos and 90% of his wees outside in the garden or on his walks, he hasnt been in his crate since the start, but the other 10% he does in my hall, no warning, and he does it even if the door to garden open, he actually sometimes comes in to use pad, I tried removing pad but he still goes in hall, just being patient with him and hope he will eventually "get it right".


----------



## dmgalley

He comes in to use the pad? That is cute. (I am sure you don't think so) Jake is 4 months. He does all his poos outside but he still pees inside at times, with no warning. I would like to says he lets us know he has to go, but really it is just us making sure he gets out and hoping he will catch on.


----------



## Beth Watkins

We've gone backwards with the toilet issues!  she's 6 months now and the last few months she was always going outside to do her business, but this week she's weed in the house twice! 

It's like she's taking a few steps back! Think you're there and then you're bak to square 1! I know we'll go back to how we were soon! Just wondering really! x


----------



## bunty

Like the sound of a bell-where do you get them from Please?


----------



## mary181

I think Oliver is doing very well for such a young pup.No 2 pups are the same as no 2 children are but they all get there in the end.Just keep on as you are doing but bear in mind that even though you feel they are trained they are like young children so can be doing something they're enjoying and are so caught up in the moment they can still have an accident.


----------



## xxxxxxxxhantsmummy

I took honey outside every 39 minutes when we had her first few weeks, lots if praise and treats when they go, she was trained by 17 weeks it just happened! Had one accident since and that was the night of her spay (put it down to anaesthetic). Good luck, be consistent it will happen x


----------



## designsbyisis

It all sounds v normal to me - dexter went from being terrible, to about 90% reliable and we did wonder if he'd ever be 100%. But eventually you realise that you haven't mopped up a pee in a long time and realise you got there without noticing ! 14 weeks is nothing. I think he was eventually clean by about 6 months. I think the people that say they were trained by 12 wks etc are probably the same people whose children were trained in one week and where the children slept through from 3 weeks !!!! 


Sent from my iPhone 
Lisa - mum of 3 boys, Dexter Cockapoo & 4 hens !


----------



## lady amanda

Google poochie bells

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2


----------



## Cogan

bunty said:


> Like the sound of a bell-where do you get them from Please?


I found mine on Amazon.com. I'm sure other places sell them, too. And I am sure there is more than one brand. The brand I use is called "Poochie Bells."

The up side is that Oliver is understanding more and more every day the bell means we go out. (The down side is that sometimes he just wants to go outside to play. The few times I didn't take him because I thought he was just playing he ended up having an accident by the door and giving me a look like "I tried to tell you!" So that was human error on my part.)


----------



## Cogan

mary181 said:


> I think Oliver is doing very well for such a young pup.No 2 pups are the same as no 2 children are but they all get there in the end.Just keep on as you are doing but bear in mind that even though you feel they are trained they are like young children so can be doing something they're enjoying and are so caught up in the moment they can still have an accident.


Thank you. 

And thank you to everyone offering words of encouragement. I have had quite a few people chastising me for not having him house trained yet. I really was beginning to feel like a horrible dog parent. 

Oliver is doing better and better. So hopefully that will continue. It's just nice to know that others have been training at about the same rate as Oliver is. Which means my patience and persistence is exactly on track for him to eventually have it all figured out.


----------

