Hi
I’ve been very lucky on the toilet-training front with Elodie, now 12.5 weeks old. Her breeder had got her into the routine of alerting her at night when she wants to be taken outside for a pee. She does that reliably with me too (whimpering and whining), although she generally sleeps through the night without waking. She then starts whimpering in the morning when she is awake and needing to be let out.
However, the issue I have relates to daytime toileting. I got her at the end of August and, since then the weather has been warm or at worst, mild, the kitchen doors are open all the time, till about 9pm. So she takes herself off outside whenever she needs a pee or a poo, if I haven’t pre-empted her and accompanied her outside (after meals, naps etc.).
🌟 And she is a little star.
However, as the temperature drops and the nights are drawing in, I am closing the door more often during the day and earlier in the evening.
Again, no issues. Yet, because I’m still taking her out regularly.
But she goes to my sister’s house a lot (with and without me), and their house layout doesn’t lend itself to the “instant garden access”. And she is having accidents there, and I have finally realised that it’s because she doesn’t have free access to an open door to the garden, combined with not vocally alerting us that she needs to go outside. After the event, we sometimes realise that she circled and sniffed but we don’t have eyes constantly on her. As it gets colder, I’m concerned that the absence of an active alert - as I get at night and first thing in the morning via her whimpering and whining - will result in accidents.
My question (finally!): how do I train her to actively let me know (whimpering, touching a bell etc.) that she needs to go out, once the doors are only open intermittently through autumn and winter, please?
