Terrier personality

Question
This is my first Tarrier (a mix, med size with the bronz & black marking, short wirey hair down back and legs)...She is a female recued and spayed a month ago. Estimated to be about a year and a half old (still cuttung teeth)I believe she was badly abused...she cowers, rolls to back and curls up. very big on licking.....Has only barked 3 times.

She had been very good at toilet behavior until I gave her run of the house this week....Then right after I brougnt her in from outside, she wets on the carpet.

Do you have any idea why? And how do I stop this? Unless I have to, I do not want to have to cage her....and I believe she is old enough to know the urge.

I have always had poodles befor and this one is very differant!

Answer
I certainly understand your frustration! My yorkies went through the same thing, as do most terriors. They are a particularly difficult breed to work with because of thier stubborn nature. Potty training doesnt really become effect until about 5-6 even 7 months of age, when the dog starts associating comands with rewards. This isnt true for all species of k-9's though. Most dogs start a connection with demand and reward almost immediatly as a young pup, and have little problem with house breaking and general training. However, terriors dont seem to be on the same level. Yorkies are known for the strong bond they create with thier owners and family. Because of their naturally small structure, it becomes more of a defense mechanism to instantly start focusing on the relationship with those around them, and deciphering good from evil. In other words.... thier priority isnt in doing things that recieve praise which in turn would result in a treat; instead they focus on the importance of being close to thier protector, all the time. It takes a long time for yorkies to create a full circle of trust before starting to explore other normalicies of a dogs life such as training. Right  now you are coming into a very a good month to start re-interating the rules of potty training. The most important thing is to remain consistant. A very effect method I have used with my dogs and others I have known, use a bell. Hang a little bell at the side of the door where he is let out and even on his cage. Before you take him out, hold his nose and make him ring the bell before opening the door and finally letting him out. As he does this give him praise. After a short while he will begin to associate the bell as a way to communicate with you and letting you know that he wants out. This means that you MUST be responsive to the bell if he should ring it. Even if it is by accident, and he seems to just be playing with it. Let him out and repeat  the command 'go potty' so that he doesnt confuse being let out by the bell with play time. If you start to ignore the bell, especially during training, the commands will be confused and he will never fully associate the bell with 'going outside to potty'. Another thing you can do is try putting him on a feeding schedule. Feed and water him according to when YOU want to let him out. For now, keep water and food out of his reach. After he gets the hang of the whole house breaking thing, you can freely let him at water or food, but for now, dont give him a chance to eliminate when you cant monitor him. It takes about an hour to two hours after eatting or drinking, so set the times so that you can monitor him two hours or so after eatting. The first few days, time him to get his exact digestive schedule. Dont feed him 3 hours or so before you know you will be going to bed. Make this alloted time a little bit longer to truly prevent mid-night potty breaks. When you go to bed... so does he, no exception. If he has nothing to digest he will have nothing to eliminate. As for classes... they require a lot of time and/or money. If you have the money you can send him away to a doggy boot camp. They usually garuntee a house broken dog by the end of his stay as well as being equiped with all sorts of behavior training and tricks. This can be very pricy though, and usually lasts for a week if not longer depending on your dogs progression. Just google ' dog training in blank <---your area' (dog training in chicago) ect. The good thing about these classes is that the facility does all the work, you will only be required to come in for a days lesson at the end of his stay, and he will most likely come back a house broken dog. Other classes that are a little less expensive require a lot of time as you will be required to attend all his classes, and you are the teacher being tought by a teacher. These classes can be very disturbing to the dog at the class due to all the other dogs and strange people which is why it is so important to remain consistant at home. If you need more info let me know... let me know how it goes!