My adult Shih Tzu remains not housetrained w/ separation anxiety!

Question
I am in urgent need of help as my husband has given me a deadline on housebreaking my dog. I have 3 dogs, 2 are 90% trained. My 4 year old male shih tzu Bailey is not trained. We recently moved and installed a doggie door to go in and out, my 2 dogs got the hang of it right away. Bailey continues to urinate and poop in the house when we're not home and when we are. He does not have one set area he goes in, will have an accident as I stand right there in disbelief he's squatting. Bailey will go outside thru doggie door w/ the other 2 and continue to urinate inside. He also has separation anxiety issues with me and refuses to be anywhere I'm not. I believe he may have been in a puppy mill and is terrified of crates or being locked in small confined areas. Will bark and scratch until his paws bleed- once to that extreme, so as a pup to adult never in a crate. I have 19 days to housebreak him and I have tried everything!! The puppy pads do not work, Bailey and my 11 mos old Chihuahua plays with them-never ever has peed on them. Also accidents in middle of night they have not grasped concept of being able to go outside on their own. My husband does not like dogs and they are afraid of him he is disciplining them incorrectly. What do I do to stop Bailey from accidents all around the house! Any advice would be so helpful I am desperate and will try anything as to not lose my Bailey!!! Thanks.

Answer
Hey Jaime,
Sorry to hear you are having issues.

It sounds like your pup needs some boundaries and discipline. Starting with walks instead of the doggy door will help tremendously. You have to take charge and show your pup that he goes to pee outside. Dont forget the treats and to praise him each time he does urinate or defaecate outside. You can do this in your back yard or as you go on a walk. Since he wants to be around you, walk through the door and make sure he uses the doggy door to follow you. Keep a leash on him for more control. Once he goes, take him inside immediately so he understand what he needs to do out there. I understand that at the moment he doenst like a crate. He is only uptight about it because of past experiences and you need to help him break through that. Dogs are naturally "den" animals meaning they like their own small, safe space to go into or under. Crate training doubles as a house-training tool since dogs do not eliminate where they eat and sleep. It also helps with numerous problem behaviors like chewing and separation anxiety. The key is to make his den the most comfortable and pleasant place from which only good things come - toys, treats, affection.

Separation anxiety is commonly seen in shelter dogs but also holds true to breeders pups as well. The trick is to make it not a big deal when you leave. And don't make a big deal when you come back. Use a gradual approach to training your pup to be alone. Start leaving for a few minutes at a time and gradually upping the wage. Crating can help loads but only once trained. Leaving an untrained dog in a crate is never a good thing. But trust me when I say a crate is one of the most important thins you can help your dog with.