Help! My Lab puppy poops everywhere. How do I teach him to go outside?

Unfortunately, getting your dog to the use the bathroom in one very specific spot is not gong to be easy if it has run of a large area. Generally speaking, dogs natural behavior is to sniff and search for a spot that they see as suitable to mark their territory. They seldom utilize the same spot multiple times unless they see a reason to do so. That being said, if you can provide some sort of reward for your dog for using the spot that you had in mind, this might up your chances for success with Coco. The other option would be confining Coco to a smaller area until she is using the spot that you'd prefer. Once she is using this spot with some regularity, try expanding her freedom in small amounts day by day. Hope this makes sense.

Housebreaking puppies can be tough, especially the little guys. With Leo, what I recommend is that when you take him outsid, you go out with him, use a leash if he can’t stay focused and give him 5 minutes to go. Keep saying, Go Potty! or whatever command you want. If he goes, tell him, Yes! And give him treats outside immediately. It’s important to mark that behavior you want. Now, if Leo doesn’t go. Bring him back in and do one of the following- put him in the crate for a bit, carry him around, or leave him on his leash and hold onto him. The trick is to not let him out of your sight or have him in a crate. This is important! Then wait a 5-10 minutes and take him out again. Repeat until he goes. If he stays to go inside, clap your hands, say NO. and take him right out. Reward him profusely when he does go outside. The key is not to let him have an accident inside by watching him like a hawk!

Unfortunately, puppies Trump's age commonly act like this. Most of them will outgrow the behavior by three years of age. Right now he needs supervision and proper training. Keep him on a leash and do not leave him outside unattended. You may also leave some toys outside that are more appealing such as a peanut butter stuffed Kong. The main thing is to prevent him from having access to the places he is not supposed to go. Also make sure to praise him when he does use the bathroom in the proper area. Remember to be patient and to get him on a routine.

Put him on a leash and take him outside to his designated spot. Do not walk around. Just stand there and repeat "go outside" or a similar phrase. As soon as he starts to go, repeat "go outside" and praise "good dog!" as he goes. When he is finished, or if it appears that he is not going to go, bring him inside but do not remove the leash, e3ven if he has done his business. Attach it to your belt loop and keep him with you. Don’t let him out of your sight! When you see him start to circle or sniff, take him right outdoors again and repeat the process. If he does mess in the house, do not scold him unless you actually catch him in the act. In that case, say "NO!" and take him right outside. Tell him to "go outside" and praise as he finishes. Keep him in a crate at night, or for short periods when you are not at home. For further assistance, click on the prompt to start a consult, where we can discuss this at length.

You may need to spend more time with him outside. Wait him out, and when he does go poop outside, give him lots of praise and give him a treat. You may also want to consider crate training him. Get him a crate that is big enough for him to stand up and turn around in. Make it comfortable, in a nice quiet place, with his blankets and toys. If he's stubborn and won't go outside, put him in his crate and close it. If he cries, give him a few minutes to settle down, but if he persists, he may be letting you know he needs to go potty. By giving him just enough room, but not too much, your giving him a 'den' so to speak. Dogs are very reluctant to soil the place where they sleep, so by confining him, you're presenting him with a choice; ask to go out and get the job done, or possible make a mess and have to be stuck with it for a little while. When he has gone potty, put him in his crate but don't shut it. The presence of his blankets and a toy will reinforce to him that the crate is a nice place that is all his own.

Your problem can be summed up in the words "walking him for 1 hr". Even though he may do his business somewhere along your route, he doesn't know that the purpose of the walk is to go. Put him on a leash and take him outside to his designated spot. Do not walk around. Just stand there and repeat "go outside" or a similar phrase. As soon as he starts to go, repeat "go outside" and praise "good dog!" as he goes. When he is finished, or if it appears that he is not going to go, bring him inside but do not remove the leash, e3ven if he has done his business. Attach it to your belt loop and keep him with you. Don’t let him out of your sight! When you see him start to circle or sniff, take him right outdoors again and repeat the process. If he does mess in the house, do not scold him unless you actually catch him in the act. In that case, say "NO!" and take him right outside. Tell him to "go outside" and praise as he finishes. Keep him in a crate at night, or for short periods when you are not at home. For further assistance with this, click on the prompt to initiate a consult..

He is still very young so it may take some more time to be fully potty trained. The best thing would be to never let him out of your sight when inside so he does't have the opportunity to go in the kitchen alone. If you can't watch him then he should be in a crate while inside the house. When he goes outside, give him a treat with a lot of praise. With time, he will master potty training.