# Help! 1 year old dog house training



## rileysmama (Nov 14, 2006)

My Morkie (maltese & yorkie mix) puppy has successfully used potty pads since we adopted him at 8 weeks of age. Recently he is going on the rugs throughout the house without any attempt to use the pad. Despite encouraging him to use the pad he doesn't. 

Secondly, I have used the pads since he was a small pup and didn't do the outside thing because of the cold weather and his small size (1.5lb) when we first got him. I then began working outside of the home and I am gone 10 hours each day so I stayed with the pads. Is it too late to train him to eliminate outside?

If you can help I would appreciate any advice I can get. Thanks!


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## workingdog (Oct 19, 2006)

it's not to late.It just might be a little harder that's all. This is why i do not like pee pads or paper training. You are still allowing your pup/dog to potty in the house. I think that one thing people do wrong is not taking thier small breed dogs out to potty cause they think that they are to little or will brake like china.Thier still dogs just smaller.


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## Curbside Prophet (Apr 28, 2006)

Absolutely not! It's never too late to teach your dog to eliminate outside. It will be harder because you've relied on the puppypad, but you need to change some tactics. First, if the dog is eliminating inside the house, in areas that you don't approve of, he is not being monitored closely enough. If you're not home to use a crate, you need a puppy proofed area that can be closed off...either a pen or a kitchen with a gate to limit access into other areas. You'll also need to take you dog out regularly to eliminate...the more, the better because each opportunity gives you a chance to give him lavish praise and rewards outside. Save your praise for when he successfully eliminates outside, you can no longer give him praise for hitting the puppy pad...this will only confuse him, and contradict what you are trying to achieve. How old is the dog now? Being gone for that long during the day will only make your success more of a challenge. To some people this is abuse, so be prepared to hear that. If you can manage a lunch visit, or hire a dog walker to take your dog out, this will only benefit you and your needs. I hope this helps, and welcome to our forum.


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## blackgavotte (Sep 28, 2006)

I agree, its not too late. The outside training should have been done along with the peepads, because ultimately the ideal is for every dog, big or small to potty outside, as a general rule. 

But now I would recommend starting from square one, as if he were a young puppy again. Use the enclosure or exercise pen, if you are gone 10 hours a day, by all means, and then still scoop him up and get him outside. And restrict his access to the free run of the house for now, as if he were a small baby again. 

I can tell you, in my Toy Manchester days, no dog feels the cold more than them, and with the words and consistancy, boy, they peed and pooped so quick in the cold, but they did go out. I have always never hesitated to give my dogs access to papers when I know I am going out for a long, long day, and sometimes they would use them and sometimes not. It all depended on the dog.


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## Onlinek9 (Nov 12, 2006)

a little trick that may help is to take one of his used pads outside during the training. Put it where you want him to go potty so the smell/familiar texture is there for him. Then slowly cut down the pads you use until there is nothing left. I would also make sure there is no medical reason for him going inside. (infection or the like)


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## SkyDreamer777 (Nov 12, 2006)

I trained my Chihuahua to use pee pads, because I'm a truck driver and can't always stop when she needs to go potty. I put pads down at home and she uses them there too. When she was little I kept her pinned in the kitchen or bathroom with puppy pads down if I couldn't keep an eye on her. She still has accidents and she's 10 months old. Your puppy's still a baby... be patient it gets better and don't give him free run of the house till he's better trained.

As for him going all over the house... are you the first owner of the house? Even if the carpets been change dogs can smell where other dogs have peed before. I had this problem and found when I pulled up the carpet padding there were pee stains on the sub flooring. I ended up having to seal the floor with Kiltz (paint that can be bought at Home Depot) and lay down new carpet and padding. I didn't have any more problems after that. It looked like the last owners let the dogs go everywhere!


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