House trainning my boston terrier

Question
Hi, I have a  year old yorkshire terrier and also a 5 month old boston terrier. I live in a 600 sq ft condo in the 2nd floor. I also just found out I'm pregnant. So, I need help, my boston is impossible to house break. We take him outside and he won't go potty. then, as soon as he is inside he will go. When I'm not home, I leave him in my gated kitchen so he can walk around, i also leave a wee pad for him, he destroys the pad, pee and poops everywhere and steps on it. If I leave him in the small crate, he pees and poops in the crate and steps on it...I don't know what else to do...my house now stinks and I'm almost giving him away because I can't deal with it. Any suggestions?

Thanks

Answer
Hi Daniela.  Several things can be hindering your potty training efforts such as:

Leaving food down for your dogs to "self feed."  Until your Boston is fully potty trained, I suggest that you only feed him when you are available to devote time to potty training.  Most dogs will poop 20 - 30 minutes after eating, so if you feed him and then take him outside, over time he should make the connection.

Don't feed your dog and then forget about him.  Example;  Don't feed your dog breakfast, and then jump in the shower.  Time passes quickly, and if you make the mistake of waiting too long after feeding, you can be setting both you and your dogs up for failure.

Most dogs will not poop in the same area they sleep - like a crate.  Because you wrote that your dogs is doing this, then I will assume that he was left in unclean surroundings when is was a puppy -possibly before you received him.  A dog that poops in their create, or other sleeping area, is referred too as a "Dirty Dog" and this habit is hard to break, and makes potty training a bit harder.

I like the idea that you are leaving him in a gated kitchen so he can walk around, while you are gone.  I suggest that you not put down the potty pads  - they are not doing either of you any good.  Put his crate in that room, with the door removed.  This way he can go in and out of the crate as he wishes.  Put lots of chew toys and water in the room, but no food.  

When you return home, and after you have checked your e-mail, snail mail, returned voice messages - or what ever is demanding your attention, then feed your Boston Terrier.  After he finishes, take him outside, on a leash.  The leash is not for protection!  It is for control.  This way you know exactly when and where he does his business, and your can give him immediate verbal praise, and a food praise (a treat).

Do not pick up the poop!  Dogs tend to return to the same spot to do their business.  So, later that day, when you take him out again, you should return him to that spot.  Let him smell the spot (poop included) and reinforce him with a control word - such as "Go Poop" Go Pee" or whatever control word you like.

These actions will involve all his learning senses - the visual ability to see the poop, the sense of smell when he sniff the area, he spoken word "Go Poop" ending with the food as reward.

Consistency, consistency, and more consistency will pay off.  Good luck, and please do not hesitate to contact me if I can be of further assistance.