New puppy will not go to the bathroom outside

[cwainright]

I've had a now 16 week old Jack Russel for just over a week now. This is actually my first puppy by myself, however we had puppies and dogs the whole time I was growing up.

The first day or 2 I could get him to go outside and of course he went inside as well. Now for some reason he just will not go to the bathroom outside. We can have him outside for hours with us and nothing will happen. Then sometimes almost immediately after he comes back inside he will squat down in the house. I try to keep a close eye on him, and he will usually start sniffing around just before he goes. Even if I pick him up and put him outside as soon as he starts to squat, he won't continue once outside. He will actually hold it until he comes back in.

I've been taking him out after every meal. I've let him sleep in the bed, and I take him out when he gets up and starts to cry in the middle of the night. He actually sleeps very well and doesn't get up nearly as often as I would have thought. Same thing though, once he's back inside he will go on the tile or in the bed :(. Over the past couple of days, I've been cleaning up the mess, and bringing it and him outside to try and show him where it goes.

He's actually a very smart little guy. He learned his name very quickly, and will come when you call him, so I'm very confused as to why he's so scared? to go outside. If anyone has any insights or ideas, I would love to hear them. I'm going through paper towels like there is no tomorrow.

[Herschel]

Do you use a crate? Crate training sounds like it would be great for you. Whenever he isn't supervised you can be fairly certain that he isn't going to go to the bathroom!

Good luck--having a JRT as your first puppy sounds like quite the adventure!

[otch1]

First of all.. you are very brave to have chosen a Jack Russel, for a companion. Lol... and it is training you well. Walking him for hours trying to get him to go, letting him sleep in your bed, cleaning up his messes on the floor and in your bed. You are being very patient, but it would be easier to crate train. Reccommend picking up a good book... "How to Raise a Puppy You Can Live With"'. Also, I'm guessing he's not nessecarily afraid to go outside verses finding that with weather changes, it's much nicer to go potty on a warm, soft carpet, than puppy putting his rear end in cold wet grass. No off leash or in the bed until he's crate trained/ potty trained, before you find he's marked the entire house and you then, really have a problem. They are very smart and once you set a new routine and reliable schedule for him, (the book will help with this) you'll find he's back to going potty outside in no time!

[wilford]

I know these puppies still cannot stand on their own..

They need to be accompanied by a fellow or by their master itself..

http://www.lvvhumane.org/images/puppies_2.jpg

[milos_mommy]

i have a jack russell who is 8 months old. he's my first dog by myself too. he was more or less housetrained in a week though, so i can't help you.

[bubbatd]

Good luck !!! Don't give up !!

[juliefurry]

I can tell you what I find helpful in housebreaking a puppy. I will start with giving him ten minutes of out of crate time and supervise. Once the ten minutes is up the puppy is crated for twenty minutes. Once the twenty minutes is up he goes outside to go potty and praise him when he goes. After he gets the hang of that schedule, usually takes a couple days, then increase the time he is out of his crate by five minutes (so fifteen minutes out of the crate and fifteen minutes in the crate). Every couple days, once your puppy gets the hang of the new schedule increase the time he's out by five minutes until he's going a whole half an hour without having to be crated. Then you can start with leaving the puppy out longer and longer until it's going a whole hour between potty breaks. Also do not free feed your puppy, if you are, only give it a couple meals at set times every day so you can predict it's potty schedule. Write it down on paper everytime it goes, inside or outside, and the times and what it does and that should help you know when to take it out and what to expect it to do. Hope this has helped some. I know I have had my fair share of difficult puppies to housebreak in the past and this method seems to work the best for me and I am using in on my current puppy now. Also while crate training make sure the crate is only big enough for it to turn around and lay down.

[killerz298]

I am having the same issue with my 7 week old Lab. I just picked him up Wednesday and I tried to get a jump start on his crate training.

I took him outside after waking, after play, after eating, and all he does is either sit there, lay down, bite the leash, or tries to eat leaves or grass. I hang out there with him 5-7 or so mins and then bring him back in and put him in the crate. 20 mins later I do the same thing and same result. So after like 3 tries of nothing I let him run around the kitchen and of course he goes randomly like 30 mins later. The next day I do the same thing, take him outside when he wakes up, nothing. Bring him inside put him in the kitchen and he goes on the floor. I catch him squatting to poop and so I pick him up and take him outside and he tried to eat some leaves. I bring him back in and he doesn't go until like 2 hours later, on the kitchen floor of course. Why will he just go in the house but when I KNOW he has to go and I take him out he just sits there and looks at me like I am nuts.

Should I keep doing what I am doing? I know they say put him in crate, take him out, and keep doing that every 20 mins but this pup sure as hell can hold it! It could be 2 hours later when he finally goes. Should I not let him out of the crate for those two hours, just put him in and outside and back if he doesn't go? Is this just because he is adjusting? Is he still too young?