At what age did your dogs 'ask' to go out

Following on from my 'embarrasing' thread, I would be most interested to know how old your dogs were when they first started to 'paw the door' or whine/scratch/bark to be let out for a wee.

Roxy is almost 8 months now, and still not a peep apart from the obvious puppy indications, sniffing around in circles.

Also please post what they first started to do to let you know they needed to go out, and what they do now.

It is a multi-vote poll for those of you with more than one dog.

My jack russell is three and its only recently she has ever been "vocal" about wanting to go potty outside- from the age of about a year she would just go and stand at the door. Guess she thinks I should be able to read her mind I always used to follow her if she disappeared for more than a minute- invariably she would be standing at the door waiting for me to open it:smt002 I guess you need to keep taking her out frequently and maybe if she goes to the door let her out- she may not be vocal about asking Mine isnt:smt002

Brodie was 6 months old when she was standing at the back door and howling to go out.
Tikaani took longer and to me Ive found dogs harder to house train, he would stamp about at the back door abround 8 - 9 months old.

Murphy would go to the door and whine and then come back to you then go to the door and so on. We got him at 18 months old and he started doing this within a few months of us having him. (he was previously not toilet trained) Vienna is now 9 months old and she will go sit by the door or come to you when she needs to go out. Basically gets very restless. She's probably been doing this for a few months now. However if you are not around and she cant hold it any longer she just goes (doesnt make a peep).

Murphy also knows what the words 'weewee', 'drink', and 'cuddle' mean. When he comes to me and whines i ask him 'do you want a weewee?' If i get no reaction i ask 'do you want a drink?' or 'do you want a cuddle?'. He only reacts to whatever he needs i.e a drink or to be let out for a wee. He's not as gormless as he looks really LOL.

Figures. The little toad has just whined from downstairs so i go down and let her out and she does a big wee!

Benji has been the worst dog I have ever had for housetraining - all the rest of them were housetrained fully within 2 -3 weeks of bringing them home as puppies. My GSD dog took 3 weeks and was exceptionally clean in the house - he never did anything at all in the house after he was trained and used to ask to go outside. Benji was about 8 months old before he stopped having the occasional wee on the carpet. He now always asks to go out by either standing at the back door and looking up at it or if you don't notice him he comes to you and gives a few little whinges

Same is Kristina here with all my dogs, even dogs in the past. I really think it's the most important part of a dog's training, and I've never really had a problem apart from maybe the middle of the night coz I sleep like a log!

They have always come over to me as a puppy, sat and looked enquiringly at me, or whined, or licked me, anything like that, or done all that and then headed for the back door, maybe just sat at the back door doing all of the above?

Do you go out with him first thing in the morning when he goes? If so,you could try using the words for it? It will be invaluable when he's older. If I need my dogs to go before I'm off out for a couple of hours, they know when I throw them out and say "go and have a wee" and if Georgie hasn't had a poo at night, I send him straight back out and say "go and have a poo"! So that he won't get me up in the middle of the night.

Imo you really need to do all you can to make this part of his training regime, not just wait until you take him out to do it, or leave the door open, he will never learn that way I'm afraid, it's just a matter of time and effort on your part - remember you only get back what you put in! Hope this helps somewhat?

Florrie was about 9 months when she started asking for out-late bloomer or what?!?! Still now she sometimes does naughties inside the house-rare, but it has been known of!
Ralph was about ten weeks when he came too us...had been in the house fifteen mins or so when he plodded outside and did a wee...was asking to go out by the end of the week-so 11 weeks!

I voted 3-4 months but to be honest it was before that! I was really surprised and had been told to expect the worst, months of puddles etc but within a couple of weeks of him coming home (so he would have been 11 wks) he was sorted.

The first few times he did a wee inside when he was first brought home, I picked him up (mid wee if i had to! Have since learned that if you tuck their tail under they will stop?) and plonked him outside the back door! No newspapers etc just 'outside'. Obviously this went along with actually *taking* him out regularly when I knew he would probably need to go.
I used a cue word 'Be Quick'. I had been told to be careful what words to use as cue words as my mum-in-law used to use 'loo', then found to her dismay that each time *she* said she was going to the loo, her pup soaked the floor! So now I may sound impatient to my neighbours but at least my floor is dry!

I suspect I have been very lucky. He doesnt even have accidents. He is crate trained and has his last wee around 12.30pm and then is dry til 7am.

Now he will go and stand by the back door. If he is in the front room he stands by the door there and looks at you. If I was to miss his cue (he usually whines too) then I figure its my fault for not letting him outside. If Im busy in the kitchen and he needs to go out he lets me know by jangling the keys in the lock to get my attention-cheeky little pup!

Oooh, maybe its a Springer thing. Ultimate bladder control.