"Is the American Cocker Spaniel toilet trained after 1 month with you?" I asked the happy, tall and slim mother of 2 handsome boys on this fine Sunday afternoon. It was like going back to the past for me on seeing the 2 brothers now that my 2 sons are young adults. It was the last case, a vaccination on this fine Sunday afternoon.

"He steps on the stools when he is excited," the lady said. "He poops 3 times a day, within 5 minutes after eating at 8 am, 12 noon and 8 pm."

Now, it was good news to know that the puppy pooped promptly inside the play pen. It was already one month and the puppy still stepped on her stools. Why?

 

Failure to reduce the newspaper coverage of the floor of the playpen
The pet shop operator selling the puppy had advised covering the entire floor of the playpen with newspapers. Soiled newspapers should be removed except for the last sheet. This was done for the past month. The puppy pooped on the newspapers away from the feed and water bowl combination set and slept next to the set (north of the set).

"The newspapers should be reduced in area so that the puppy just poops on the papers. The papers become the toilet location. " I said. "In this way, she becomes paper-trained."

"I did not know that," the lady said. Is it too late now?

Playpen is too small?
It is possible that the puppy has grown bigger and the 4 panels of fences forming the playpen make a too small area for the puppy. Another 2 panels to enlarge the playpen may be a solution but I had not proposed this as the apartment may be too small to accommodate this extra space.

In any case, the playpen fences should be taken out and the puppy should go to the newspapers to poop after eating. "Praise and give a food treat when the puppy poops on the newspapers," I advised.

Peeing on the 2 floor mats near the bathroom
"Friends told me that puppies like soft areas to pee," the lady commented. "I have removed the 2 'rugs' as I did not want the puppy to pee on them. She had peed on the carpet in the bedroom."

"Most puppies prefer soft flooring depending on what type of flooring they are brought up. Where does she pee on now?" I asked.

"She pees on the floor tiles near the bathroom, where the rugs were positioned" she said.

"Put soiled newspapers with her urine smell onto that area and let her be paper-trained by praise and food treat reward," I advised.

Pooping area
The puppy poops soon after eating on the newspapers in the playpen. Now, how to train her to be paper-trained in one spot? I advised moving the playpen near the bathroom , take out the panels and let the puppy poop near the bathroom. It sounds difficult as the puppy is quite active.

No distraction by the children till after elimination.
The 2 boys may have distracted her as well. I did not enquire whether the boys were present when the puppy was fed.

Neutralise the bedroom carpet.
The urine smell must be neutralised with white vinegar:water at 1:3 so that there will be no urine smell when the puppy later goes to the bedroom. Presently, the puppy should be confined to a smaller room (outside the bathroom) till she is paper trained. However, she should NOT be confined to the playpen as it may be too small for her now.

Will these advices work? I don't know till I see the puppy 3 weeks later for the 3rd vaccination.

(Follow up not possible)