How To Get Puppy To Pee Outside

how to train a puppy to pee outside

In this article we are going to look at puppies that are unwilling to pee out in your yard or garden. And show you how to train a puppy to pee outside. train your puppy to pee outside

It can be very frustrating to have a Labrador puppy making numerous puddles on your carpets throughout the day.

Especially when the cause seems to be a puppy that won't pee outside

And especially when you are trying so hard to help him and keep taking him outside.

My puppy won't pee outside!

In this article we look at the possible reasons why your puppy won't pee outside, and what you can do to resolve this problem.

Knowing when a puppy needs to pee

People often find it easier to tell if the pup wants to empty his bowels. He will start to trot about and turn in little circles.

But many Labrador pups give little or no warning when they want a wee.

This is not naughtiness. The sensation of an impending bowel movement is simply much stronger and the puppy is more aware of it.

This means that he will often learn deliberate control over his bladder a little later than he learns deliberate control over his bowels.

Why does my puppy pee in the house?

An eight week old puppy gets little or no warning that his bladder needs emptying and is physically unable to wait for very long.

So if you shut him in his crate with a very full bladder, or allow him on your carpets, you are bound to end up with accidents.

But why is your puppy not doing a wee when you take him outside. After all, if he would go outside, he wouldn't need to go indoors!

Why won't my puppy pee outside?

If your puppy is peeing in the house and not peeing when you take him outside, there could be a number of reasons.

You are leaving him outside on his own
You are not spending enough time outside
You are letting him wee on carpets indoors
He does not have access to grass outdoors
The weather is horrid

Going outside with your puppy

Sometimes new puppy owners expect their puppy to pee outside by himself.

However, small Labrador puppies do not want to be left alone. You cannot shut a tiny puppy outside and hope he will do his business.

You need to go with him. Otherwise he will just spend the whole time he is outside, trying to get back inside again.

Spending enough time outside with your puppy

Puppies cannot control their bladders. Your puppy cannot do a wee outside until his bladder is almost ready to be emptied.

He will be able to recognise the signs later, but right now, it's not something he is capable of.

If you don't spend enough time outside with him, he may not need to pee while you are out there.

Take a chair, a book, and a coat.

Sit outside and wait until he does a wee, then when you bring him in you have a window of ten to fifteen minutes when you can be pretty sure he won't do another one.

Restricting a puppy's access to carpets

If you let a puppy with a full bladder onto a carpeted area, he will pee on them.

The soft squishy surface of the carpet is a preferred surface for puppies to wee on.

Once he has wet the carpet, it will smell attractive to him and he will want to do it again.

That's just the way puppies are.

Pups under three months old need to be kept on a hard washable floor apart from the window of time that follows the last emptying of their bladder.

This window of time is very short at eight weeks and gets gradually longer.

By ten weeks old many puppies can last half an hour, during the day, after a pee without doing another one. Some take another two or three weeks to reach this point.

You may need to put barricades across doorways into carpeted rooms whilst he is little, baby gates work well, or you could think about buying or borrowing a large puppy playpen for your kitchen.

Access to grass outside

Puppies often prefer to wee on grass, again, they find the soft surface attractive.

Though there are exceptions. Some Labrador puppies that have been raised on concrete or a tiled floor, may prefer to pee on a hard surface.

Usually however, you will have more success with house-training if you allow your puppy access to an area of grass when you take him outside.

If you don't have any grass, you will just have to be patient and wait the puppy out. He will have to empty his bladder eventually and he will get used to peeing on a hard surface

Bad weather can stop puppies peeing outside

If your puppy arrived during a spell of nice weather and quickly got used to peeing outside in your yard, the first rainy spell can mean trouble.

Should you suddenly find that your puppy won't pee outside after previously being happy to do so, consider the weather.

Young puppies are not as weatherproof as adult dogs, and often don't like getting cold or soaked through.

However, being brave about the weather is something your little dog needs to learn. And he needs you to show him that bad weather is nothing to worry about.

Accompanying your puppy outside, even if you haven't had to do that for a while, is the solution.

So once again, it's time to put your hat and coat on, and brave the elements until your puppy has accepted that he has to pee outside, no matter what the weather is doing.

How long should I wait outside with my puppy?

People often say "I waited a whole ten minutes and he didn't pee!" But rather than looking at the clock, the length of time you need to wait is until your puppy has emptied himself.

If you think maybe he doesn't need to pee yet, take him back indoors and crate him or cuddle him for a few minutes, then try again.

The trick is not to leave the puppy unsupervised indoors, unless you are certain he has recently emptied his bladder

Summary

Puppies that won't pee outside are common. Going with your puppy, and spending longer out there until he 'gives in', is the solution.

It isn't much fun standing outside in the cold waiting for your puppy to get on and empty himself, but this phase doesn't last too long.

Before you know it, he will be clean and dry. Just take it one day at a time.

The information above is about a specific problem, so for general potty training information you might also like to read

The Labrador Handbook by Pippa Mattinson

How to potty train a puppy – a complete guide
15 potty training problems solved

More information on puppies

For a complete guide to raising a healthy and happy puppy don't miss The Happy Puppy Handbook.

Published in April 2014, the Happy Puppy Handbook covers every aspect of life with a small puppy.

It will help you prepare your home for the new arrival, and get your puppy off to a great start with potty training, socialization and early obedience.

You can buy The Happy Puppy Handbook from Amazon by following this link. If you do, The Labrador Site will receive a small commission which is greatly appreciated and won't affect the cost to you!

Stop Your Puppy Crying – Great Tips For Settling New Puppies Day & Night

The Labrador Site Founder

Pippa Mattinson is the best selling author of The Happy Puppy Handbook, the Labrador Handbook, Choosing The Perfect Puppy, and Total Recall.

She is also the founder of the Gundog Trust and the Dogsnet Online Training Program

Pippa's online training courses were launched in 2019 and you can find the latest course dates on the Dogsnet website