housebreaking/crating

Question
QUESTION: I have a 12 week old puppy (male) who has been with me for 2 weeks. This pup crates beautifully and can hold his bladder from 10pm-6am and sleeps all night...but during the day he has no bladder control.  He is also squats to urinate and doesn't even sniff a spot first...any tips on how I can get the pup to start going to the back door.  I have had a female dog before and don't recall this much difficulty.

ANSWER: I'd have to know what's going on during the day before I can suggest anything.  Is he getting outside regularly?  Alone for how long?  What do you mean by "no bladder control"? How often does he urinate? How often is he walked and for how long?

I will say that at 12 weeks bladder control isn't great, especially when they're active.  All males squat as pups and some dogs sniff for a spot and some don't.  At this age they can also urinate just because they're excited.

If he's being good at night he's doing very well at 12 weeks. You teach him to go to the right door by using the same words each time you take him out.  Take - not put him out.  And at his age that's every two hours.  

I'd love to help but I need to know what his day is like.
Delores

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: As indicated the pup, Oscar is crated 10pm - 6am.  I am first up and we go out to do our business immediately and has done both "businesses" within a few minutes.
Then breakfast is served.  He joins me for my morning ritual til about 7am at which point I leave to work and joins my husband.  He as well gets Oscar out after breakfast.  A similar routine happens up until 10am at which point the last one out crates Oscar til noon. Hubby is home for lunch...Lets out Oscar and feeds him and then Oscar is again crated from 1-330pm.  I am home...and then this is when all rules are broken.  Oscar shows know signs of needing to do his business.  Its easy enough to let him out after eating/sleeping/crating and playtime...but he can do another urination within minutes.  I just took him outside a few minutes ago, he urinated and then within 10 minutes he went again.  It happens so fast too because he just does a quick squat and there it is. No signs of it coming.  One last note..he eats paper and training pads.
On the weekends I have simulated our work schedule by day crating him from 10-noon and 1-330..I hope this helps you..to help me..I have two grown sons and a grown daughter and the boys were hard to potty train but the girl practically did herself...beginning to wonder if male dogs are the same, having had a female before her :)

Answer
Sounds like Oscar (love that name:) is well looked after.

The first thing I'd do is get a urinalysis done since oscar is giving signs of a possible urinary tract infection.  That's very, very common in puppies and should always be ruled out before treating it as behavioral.

Catch a first morning sample in a sterile container and just whip it into the vet right away (or refrigerate until you can).

Eating paper is a cocker trait.  My own 4 year old still does it if he can find any.

And yes, males can be harder to train but I'm wondering if Oscar is getting out long enough and would suggest a walk rather than just popping him out into the yard.  Some puppies will not go "all at once" but in several spurts and if that's the case with Oscar, he's not getting enough time to complete the mission :)
Delores