[Sylvester30]

Please help ! I got a shih tzu about a week ago. He is 9 weeks old now. For the first few days he did WONDERFUL at going potty outside. Now, the past 4 days it seems like every half hour he is peeing or pooping in the house. He even pooped on my leather couch this morning! I take him outside and for a walk- within minutes of being back into the house he goes on the floor! How is it possible for him to be "mostly" outdoor trained and now goes wherever he wants! I bring him out in the middle of the night to go potty; but still nothing. He does well in the crate when I am not home; and at night he sleeps with me( I know. Big mistake, but I like it.. and he doesn't potty on my bed.. yet) What can I do to make him potty outside and not all over the house/furniture! Im getting very frustrated!

[Aurora_Bell]

Have you got him checked out for anything medical? That’s always best to rule out, behavior can easily be fixed once we know that's what it is.

So is he pooping when you are home or only when you are away? Is he up to date with worm meds?

If it is a behavior issue, you are going to want to nix this asap while he is still a pup. I would steer clear of puppy training pads, as they only lead to further confusion. Make sure to crate while you are away, this is a great house breaking tool. Don't use the crate as punishment, you want your pup to see this as a safe happy place. Crates act like dens in the wild. It only needs to be big enough for them to stand, turn and lay down, anything bigger and they will designate a potty area. You need to show him that you are in charge and he doesn't get to mess in YOUR home.

You're probably going to have to go back to basics with him, this means, every time he eats, drinks or plays he goes outside and you wait out there with him until he does his business. When he does make a mess, make sure you are using a good enzyme cleaner such as vinegar and a few drops of tea tree oil. I have just started using the tea tree oil and one of my dogs who was always messing it the crate has totally stopped.

Don't forget your pup is ONLY 9 weeks. He doesn't know what is expected yet. He is just a baby. Some dogs take days, weeks or months to fully house break. You need to be patient and consistent. 9 weeks, he has just left his pack and is going to test his new waters to see what he can get away with. I don’t usually recommend letting a dog sleep in the bed with you, as they see this as being equal to you. Then you end up with dominance issues. You need to let your little guy know you are the boss and he is living in your home. This doesn’t mean you have to growel or act aggressively or pin him or anything like that, it just simply means gently and consistently reminding him that he is the dog and you are on the top of the totem pole.