I'm sure things will improve a great deal for you when you can take Sanchez outside It seems hard now, but just think in the future what a great companion he will be for your husband, they will become great pals

I really hope so. My husband has been very depressed for the past 6 months but i noticed a great improvement when we got sanchez and i am hoping that if we walk him together he may even get the courage to go out on his own

That would be so good, dogs are a great confidence booster as they depened on us I'm sure a lot of people on here would agree that their dog has helped them through some difficult times

I understand now Sanchez it must be lovely for your partner to have a companion ...

Your puppy will not start to get bladder control until it is around four months old ..so just like a baby your puppy is unable to wait too long to relieve otself at the moment.

Concentrate on getting your puppy to relieve itself in one place for now by putting it on the paper as described above..remember you only say your chosen words (I use 'be clean' you can choose your own ) when the puppy is actually relieving itself not before, because it has yet to associate the words with the action and then the reward (timing is very important) . Prepare a small supply of tip bits for your OH and put them in a jar so he has them ready and with him, try somthing like tiny bits of cheese no bigger than your small fingernail ..now to recap..
..watch the puppy like a hawk,
..and as soon as he indicates the wish to relieve himself by circling/sniffing the ground/every hour/after sleep, play, excitement gently take him to the paper,
..when he starts to relieve himself say the words 'be clean'
..the moment he finishes give a little treat from the jar and lots of praise

Eventually your puppy will associate the words you choose with the action and when he does (not before) you can use the words when you go outside with him

For the moment when you do go outside do exactly the same as indoors, if the puppy relieves himself say 'the chosen words' while he is doing it, then treat/praise. When he gets the idea don't treat every time but always praise, than remove the treats altogether and just give praise.

Because of your circumstances there will be accidents, if there are never scold the puppy or punish him, just clean up and ignore the incident .

Good luck, you will I am sure get there in the end,

I dont think you have done the wrong thing, it has been proven that animals can aid people in recovery and I am sure it will help with your OH's depression and confidence dogs are great for helping to meet other people and making you get out and about! How could a gorgeous pup like Sanchez not cheer you up!

Different people have different circumstances so you have to adjust methods to your circumstances thats all! With time you will get there with house training as Mini said it may take slightly longer but you will get there in the end sometimes it can seem you will never get there especially if they seem to be going backwards (My pup did this when it was raining but is now fine with the rain) it can be frustrating at times but more than worth it in the end!

Some days he will be so good but other days he will just pee where he stands which can be really frustration seen as he's showed that he can do it and knows what he's supposed to do.

The other day my OH was really ill and sanchez wouldn't leave his side except to wee and eat. He just layed with him as if to say 'i understand and i love you'

You couldn't ask for a more loving doggie :smt049 :smt049

He does sound a very loving little dog, they certainly have an insight into the way we are feeling

I found a firm NO helped if Bodhi started to wee inside..

Not shout, not flap, or scold, just NO and straight to the correct place. MUST be done in the action of making a mistake though, again, afterwards is too late.

It's sort of like trying to guide someone who is blindfolded, using hotter and colder..

If you only said hotter, it would be twice as hard.

I found that after doing this, she picked it up MUCH MUCH quicker.

Thanks i'll give it a try

I think in this instance if there is a chance the puppy is retaining urine this is not to be advised, you don't want to put him off reliving himself in any way
I would ignore accidents and clean up then do my best to watch him and catch him next time. We don't know why he avoided urination, it may turn out to be a medical condition it may be fear of punishment, I would play safe with this one.