bulldog puppy

Question
we have recently taken on a 6 month old british bulldog puppy. he was reared in an environment with lots of other canine company aswell as human socialisation. in the short weeks we have had him he has come on leaps and bounds with leaning to walk on a lead, as he was used to just roaming the breeders wide grounds when let out, and he knows that when we take him out that is when he can do his business. however it seems like he is still having some trouble with weeing in the house,and he doesnt give us signs like he does before he is due his walk,trust me ive thought long and hard to look out for the signs. sometimes he has an 'accident' 15-20mins after being taken out having done his business outdoors. he seems to sometimes to it in selective areas and other times it seems random. he has also been weeing in his bed which i thought was unheard of in the doggie world as they like to keep a clean bed. we have tried everything we can think of, and are getting desperate. thank u for taking time to read this and i look forward to your reply

Answer
I would make sure there are no disease or biological issues since you say he wees in his bed. You describe him as leaps and bounds, so if he is active he may need more exercise and potty time. If the dog is lethargic, he may need potty walks more often. Typically potty training is done starting with hourly potty walks, so the dog has no urge to go inside. The praise at potty stops reinforces proper behavior. [behaviour if you're a Brit]. As teh dog matures, potty time just before feeding, then potty just after feeding, associates food with potty time. That usually ends potty training as the dog doesn't need to go out and is expecting to go out when it is fed. Not that you should feed the dog every time. Most dogs get one meal a day. with 1-2 other potty trips miday and evening. It takes a while for the bladder to develop capacity to hold 8 hrs. or more.

Dogs have the ability to hold a lot so they can mark their territory by going on several places. I just answered a question about electric collars. You can use one if the dog begins to squat in the wrong place with a short buzz, then immediately take the dog outside to go.
This is usually only for dogs that are defiant and are potty trained and are acting naughty to get attention.

Lastly, neutering reduces the problem or marking, and good obedience training and aerobic exercise helps the dog develop proper habits.

Regards,
Henry Ruhwiedel
Westwind Kennels LLC