Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello Everyone,,, Im new to this message board,,
I just got a Yellow Lab puppy (15 weeks old, just about 4 months) and he is an awsome dog,, only dealing with a few issues,,, one is chewing,,, but i understand that he needs to chew for his teeth,, and second ,, and most importantly is potty training,,,, urinating doesent seem to be a problem,, when i take him outside to his place he seems to urinate without issues,, but he doesent seem to like to POO. dont get me wrong,, he has went there ,,, usually first thing in the morning is alright,,, he will go,,, but then at lunch ill take him out and stay for 10 minutes,, he will urinate,,, and thats it,, ill put him in his crate for 5 mins,,, and bam,, i got a mess to clean,,, WHats the deal? does anyone have any advice? i feed him in the morning 2 cups around 7:30 and another 2 Cups around 5:30 at night... thanks allot,,,

I've heard if a puppy will go in his crate, that can be a hard habit to break. Ours was trained at 12 weeks old, when we installed a doggy door so he could let himself out. We have a fenced yard, so when we are home he goes in and out as he pleases. He is 5 months old now and has never had an accident since we installed the door. When we are at work or at night he is in his crate, which he has always kept clean. Maybe if you tied him up outside and didn't bring him in until he pooped he would learn that the yard is the proper place to go. Also, if his crate is too big he may not see the whole thing as his bed, because normally they want their bed to be clean. The chewing problem is normal, but if you say "NO" and give him a toy to chew on he should learn what is ok to chew and what isn't. Labs are very smart, and learn pretty fast. They do require a lot of supervision tho, mine is too smart for his own good. He already learned that his treats are on top of the fridge, and that he can use the broom to knock them down.