Puppy and housebreaking

Question
Hi Labman,
I have a 10 month old puppy. X daschund and maltese. I have one problem, I can't get him to pee outside. He's fine during the day and will go out, but not during the night (he uses the cat flap to get in and out of the house during the day and is also confined to the kitchen). In the morning when I wake up, I pick him up and put him outside - through the cat flap. But then he sits next to the door, out of sight ofcourse, waits a few minutes and then comes back in, he'll go back to his bed, and wait for me to get in the shower, then he'll get up and go and piddle in the dining room. EVERY day. I don't know what to do anymore. Scolding does not help. PLEASE PLEASE can you give me some advice?

Many thanks
Nadine

Answer
In the morning take him out on leash.  Walk around.  They can only walk and hold it so long.  When it finally has to go, lavish praise on it.

At night, put him in a crate.  It is only natural that a puppy resists its crate at first. What the puppy wants more than anything else is to be others, you, anyone else in the household, and any other pets. In our modern society, even if we are home, other things distract us from the attention an uncrated puppy must have. The only real solution is to crate the dog when you aren't around. The dog may be happier in its den than loose in the house. It relaxes, it feels safe in its den. It rests, the body slows down reducing the need for water and relieving its self. Dogs that have been crated all along do very well. Many of them will rest in their crates even when the door is open. I think the plastic ones give the dog more of a safe, enclosed den feeling. Metal ones can be put in a corner or covered with something the dog can't pull in and chew. Select a crate just big enough for the full grown dog to stretch out in.

Leave it some toys. Perhaps a Kong filled with peanut butter. Don't leave anything in the crate the dog might chew up. It will do fine without even any bedding. You will come home to a safe dog and a house you can enjoy.

A dog that has not been crated since it was little, may take some work. Start out just putting its toys and treats in the crate. Praise it for going in. Feed it in the crate. This is also an easy way to maintain order at feeding time for more than one dog.