We have been blessed with a mild winter so we have had the opportunity to take small groups outside to play and start “potty training”. Thankfully, the yard is fully fenced, but fitting through the post rails is still possible.
After a few days, the pups began to increase their radius away from me and investigate the bags of mulch, dead twigs and leaves . Like a typical flatcoat, they also found eating the thick blades of grass is yummy . Also, dirt is quite tasty too.
It was not long before everyone would both urinate and defecate fairly consistently outside(boy does that help with cleanup in the pen). However, 5-7 week old flatcoats have the attention span of a gnat so a blowing leaf or intriguing stick could easily distract them from the task at hand. They also found if you really need to go, move some distance away from the others and watch your back as you might get body slammed by your sibling!
They would alert to the sounds of the birds, the barking of neighborhood dogs and even planes flying above them. A few would startle at the sounds, but recover quickly.
We also began doing recalls in the yards. They would first need to locate me and then they would run happily to me for hugs and kisses. As they have become more comfortable in the yard, some of the pups would come more slowly if nibbling on straw or a stick or sniffing something peculiar .
I will not guarantee a housebroken, obedience trained 8 week old pup, but they are on their way to being good canine citizens.