Stubborn Pomeranian

Question
My Pomeranian is 1 year old and I tried to cage train him and he does well with not going in the cage but he still goes in the house right after he gets walked.  I also tried to train him to stay in the kitchen on the paper but her climbs the gate and ends up staying out all day while I am at work.  He has also been doing good with going in the same place outside but he still goes in the house no matter what.  Also how should I punish him if he uses the bathroom in the house because I know it is not good to rub their nose in it and I was also told not to spank them with my bare hand.  I have a Shih Tzu also and she is trained and it didn't take her long to get trained and she was crate trained.  Can you help?  

Answer
Hi Alicia,

I know how frustrating house training can be!  The fact that he has access to the house all day is a big problem.  Add a second gate on top of the first.  Since you don't know where in the house he is going potty while you are gone, it would be a good idea to get a black light specially designed to help you see potty spots on the carpet.  I don't think they cost much.  Dogs tend to go back to the same spots.  Use Simple Solution to clean up every spot.  Get him neutered if he is still intact.  

Here is a previous response I wrote on house training:
It will take lots of patience and persistence.  Do not allow the puppy to have free reign in the house until he is completely trained.  When you are home keep him with
you at all times.  When you leave the house either put him in a crate (never for more than four hours at a time) or block him off in a small area (bathroom, utility room or kitchen) with a gate.  Put newspaper, puppy pads, or puppy pad in a litter box, in an area for him to use. Neutering him by five or six months of age will help, and can prevent him from developing the habit of leg lifting.

If he has an accident but you don't catch him, don't scold him for it. He won't understand what he's done wrong.  Clean up the mess completely.  Using a product like Simple Solution will remove the stain and the odor.  If you catch him it the act, firmly say, "No" and take him outside.  
Never rub his nose in it.  He can be trained to go in a particular area in your yard and to go on command.  Take him to the same spot every time and use the same command like, "Go potty".  Praise him when he goes!  Of course
you'll want to take him out frequently, epecially after sleeping, eating, and playing.  I was never able to use a crate for training.  My pom would go potty in it.  I blocked him off in the kitchen and set up a dog litter
box.  I didn't use dog litter but lined the box with newspaper.  Puppy pads would work as well.  I would put him in the box and say, "Go potty".  If he did, I would praise him profusely.  Sometimes I would give him a
treat.  I always took him to the same spot outside too.

It took approximately two and a half months and after I had him neutered at five and a half months he was pretty much trained.  I kept him blocked off in the kitchen when I
had to leave the house for about the first year.  Now, he has free reign when I am gone.  He is litter box trained and trained to go in a specific spot in the yard.  Having him litter box trained is great for when I am gone or when the weather is bad. (Rain, snow, etc.)

Please let me know if you need more help.

Best Regards,
Carrie
PLEASE SPAY AND NEUTER YOUR PETS.