Help! I have a nearly eight month old pug puppy, male, neutered, who refuses to be house trained. We have been trying since we got him in MARCH and nothing. We have crate trained him (which he doesn't go in the crate), but we'll take him outside and sometimes he'll go fine. Other times, we'll sit out there for 20 minutes, nothing, then the minute we get inside he's peeing on something. We've tried giving him special treats when he goes outside. He knows he gets one after he goes, but he doesn't seem to get that he's supposed to go outside. We yell at him when we catch him going in the house and take him immediately outside. We keep him in an exercise pen in the living room to try and avoid accidents. NOTHING has worked! Please help! We're at our wits end!

Read through the sticky at https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/dogs/i...tml#post251809

When you are around you need to keep a close eye on the dog. Use closed doors or gates to keep it in the same room as you are, and perhaps as I do, a short chain fastened to the computer desk. If you catch it in the act, give it a sharp ''Ah, ah, ah!'' and take it out. When you can't watch it, crate it.

It is very important to make it walk around when you take it out. They can't hold it and walk very far.

There could be a leadership issue too. The key to most behavior problems is approaching things using the dog's natural instincts. Dogs see all the people and dogs in the household as a pack with each having their own rank in the pack and a top dog. Life is much easier if the 2 legged pack members outrank the 4 legged ones. You can learn to play the role of top dog by reading some books or going to a good obedience class. A good obedience class or book is about you being top dog, not about rewarding standard commands with a treat. Start at Raising Your Dog with the Monks of New Skete For more on being top dog, see Establishing and Keeping Alpha Position, Letting your dog know you are the boss