My Puppy will not bark to be let out

Question
We have a 9 week old puppy who is doing well with his potty training. He goes to our back door when he wants out to pee but he just stands there. He does not bark or cry, and if we don't notice him standing there he pees on the floor. This causes an issue when he wakes up in his crate at night, he does not cry or bark, he just pees on his bed. His crate is large enough for him to lay down, and stand up and turn around, so when he pees he is laying in it the rest of the night. Is there any way to make him bark to be let out?

Answer
For a 9 week old puppy to already be asking to be let out is fabulous. I'd supervise him more carefully so you won't miss him waiting at the door. You can also teach him to ring a bell hanging off the door knob by bonking it with his nose. This is easily done with a clicker and some food - put it in front of him - close to his nose - his puppy curiosity will make him want to reach out and touch it - click and treat! Even if at first he doesn't hit it hard enough to make it ring. Gradually only reward for harder hits that do ring the bell. Then ask him to ring it when you go out. If he does sometimes bark, you can capture that with your clicker and give it a name (speak). And when he can bark on cue, you can ask for that behavior at the door. In the crate, no 9 week old puppy can be expected to "hold it" all night. I'd set my alarm for a couple of quick trips out for now. While puppies may differ, the basic formula for how long a puppy can go between relieving himself is "age in months, plus one" So a 3 month old puppy may be able to go 4 hours, a four month old puppy, 5 hours. Sandy Case MEd CPDT www.positivelycanine.com