The Zim Family Cocker Spaniel Forum

My pups seem to think their soft towel is a toilet at night or during the day for that matter. I can't even give them a soft blanket to sleep on because they pee all over it . Is this just weak puppy bladder ? I feel terrible making them sleep on the linoleum floor or in their crates without a soft area but it is useless they end up soaked in the morning smelling awful! Please tell me they outgrow this! I want to see them cozy !!

They're 10 weeks old and can't hold their bladder for any length of time. Puppies usually need to be taken outside at least once or twice during the night to reinforce potty training - are you doing that? You'll lose a little sleep in the beginning, but as they mature they will be able to go all night without accidents.
Read the article on crate training if you haven't already.

No, they do it even if they just went out ! During the day too. Im home with them all day and they go out every 20 minutes sometimes more ! I think they like it! That's all I can figure??? Especially my boy!

Sometimes you have to take away stuff like that at first... it's possible the breeder used towels in the whelping box, they may just think it's put there for their convenience. I would take them out even though it seems cruel... they should fine without them since they can cuddle together... unless it's really cold at night. Or perhaps try something with a different texture? I used baby receiving blankets left over from my son.

I am far from being an expert, but, the thought I had was .... are you cleaning the area where they have pottied, not just removing the towel? The smell is what will draw them to it, also. When I was training my puppers, I used Nature's Miracle to get rid of the scent where there had been an oops.

My Maggie LOVES to potty on towels sometimes. I've even caught her going on the blankets in the past

We use old bath towels for the boys and have some in the mud room for use on their paws when they come in from outdoors, once in a while I will forget to hang a damp one up on the hook to dry and have left them on the bench..... when we are gone to work or leave the house to run errands, LEO gets excited when we get home, He knocks the towel off the bench and pees on it. He only does it when we leave the house and come back?!?!?!?!?! The towel can lay over the bench all day when we are home and he doesn't bother it.

I didn't put anything in the crates until I was sure the boys wouldn't go to the bathroom on the towel or mat. It sort of messes up the whole point of crate training.