puppy training and spaying

Hi My name is debbie and I am after advice with my pup cassie. Two things 1 we have trained her to a spot in the garden to wee in she is fine but I still find wee's near the door if I am a few mins noticing she wants to go out or gets excited playing. How old are they before they can hold it a bit longer? I am very vigilent but if I am not there the men are not as vigilent and thats when we have accidents. She is twelve weeks old. Also do bitches have to have a season before they can be spayed? Thank You

At twelve weeks she is very much as baby, sometimes it can be awhile before they can hold themselves. When accidents happen I found with mine it was best ignored and just put them outside or you could just say a firm NO then put her out.
This will take time and patience, it sounds like you are going the right way though.
As for spaying before or after a season, I think there are many idea's with that one. I had one of mine done before a season, the other after a season....to be honest I have noticed no difference. My late BC was done before and lived to a ripe old age of 23 yrs.
There are however different views.

At 12 weeks old your pup is still very much a baby. The length of the toilet training process varies from dog to dog. Puppies often have a very strong urge to 'go' after sleeping, eating, and playing - so I would advise that you take her outside after each of theses activities. She should also really be taken out at least every 3 - 4 hours, preferably more if you can.

Most dogs don't tend to gain control of their motions until about 4 - 5 months of age, some will take slightly longer. The most important thing is that if she does have accidents in the house, never punish her. If you catch her squatting and looking as though she is about to go, move her to the appropriate spot. If she goes in the appropriate place, praise her immensly, and if you find a puddle or a pile, simply clean it up and ignore it. A good tip I learned from here was to clean the area that has been soiled with biological washing powder to take away the odour.

As to whether you decide to let your bitch have a season before being spayed is totally up to you. Everyone has their own preferences, and so everyone will differ in opinion. There are pros and cons to both, so I would advise a chat with your vet on the subject

Good luck with you new pup and welcome to Dogsey

Thanks for quick replies. I am going to spay as soon as I can then and spread the word so she is less likely to be stolen. Apparently KC reg black labs are very popular around here and a couple of bitches have gone missing. She is very good with toilet traing so far and I will use the washing powder tip. Thanks again