sister cockers going potty

Question
QUESTION: we have 2 cockers, sisters.  we live in an upstairs home. we have doggie doors going out along with a pen for them to go in.  We kept them in a temp pen we built and they went in and out to go potty real well.  When we let them come upstairs to be with us they will be good at times and than they will go out doggie door down the stairs and pee in the landing or on the garage floor.  when they pee on the floor we will put them in their pen for a while, but they still seem to want to pee in the landing or on the garage floor. What are we doing wrong?

ANSWER: It's difficult to figure out the situation here.
Do the dogs live in the pen?  Do they live in the house?

I'm guessing what you've done wrong is never to properly housebreak them.  That involves "taking" them out and teaching them where to go - then praise & reward.

All they know is to "go out the doggie door" because no-one has taught them any different.

They need at least two half-hour walks a day..and that's only considered "moderate" exercise.  Feeding and walking on a schedule helps in housebreaking.
Take them out (where you want them to go) every two hours if they're still puppies and TEACH.

Dogs don't train themselves and they need exercise, socialization, and lots of attention.  Keeping them in a pen and letting them inside occasionally is quite cruel for a cocker since they're very social dogs.
Delores

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: the cockers are 9 mos old. we got them when they were 6 wks old. We were living in a travel trailer while we were building out home.  We put a doggie door and pen in the garage. Because of the small space we would put them in the pen with their bed at night.  They would go out the and go pottie in the out door pen we made for them. When we moved in the house we let them have free range of the house with doggie doors. Sometimes they go out in the pen and pottie and sometimes they go in the garage and sometimes in the landing.  We take them out and let them run they love that and when they go pottie we praise and clap and treat. I am wondering if they are just confused because they have 3 doggie doors to go out.  We live in the up stairs over the garage till our house gets done.  It is very large and roomie.  They really seem to like it and they have beautiful beds. the first door goes down the stairs the second goes into the garage and the third goes out to there pottie pen.  We clean out the pen daily and they are using it along with every where else.  I hope this helped to know the situation better.

Answer
Okay...that makes it clearer :)

Yes, I think they're confused and just think "as long as I use those doggie doors, I'm good".

I think I understand they must go through 3 doors to get to the right place?

The only thing I can advise is to start taking them and not letting them try on their own.  They're not being bad - they're just confused.  Perhaps teaching them to signal when they want to use doggie door #1?  Then take them through all 3 doors - praise & reward.

Delores