exploration sniffing or gotta pee sniffing?

[elaineszoo]

I can't tell the difference yet as my girl has NOT circled with sniffing. I think she has to go because she is sniffing so we stand outside FOREVER before she goes. Other times she will be seemingly checking things out, but then squat without any warning. Suggestions?

 

[gmacleod]

I would suggest taking her out everytime you see her sniffing. Better a wasted trip outdoors than a puddle on the carpet

At the same time, you might find it useful to keep a diary of her potty habits - record which trips she actually produces anything on. That isn't as silly as it sounds, especially in the case of a pup who doesn't give loud and clear 'I need to pee' signals. You may well be able to discern a pattern, and should almost certainly be able to figure out how long she lasts between potty stops. That should help in terms of working out which sniffing is which

 

[TossBranAbi]

You may want to work on teaching her to pee on command. Start out now by saying "go pee" (or something else) in an upbeat voice everytime she starts to pee and eventually she will associate what you are saying with peeing and when she is older, you can pretty much make her pee on command. Very nice for those cold mornings or when you are in a hurry.