housebreak a toy poodle

Question
I am the owner of a toy poodle. She will be two years old in a few weeks. She was originally my mother-in-law's and was mainly kept outside with the other dogs. She has been living with me since the beginning of July. The only problem is that she insists on handling her potty business inside. She has even gone on my bed a few times. I have been attempting to crate her since she moved in, but to no avail. Once I try to give her a little freedom, she returns to her old tricks! I hate keeping her in her crate all the time, but I have no choice. I'm at my wit's end. It is really tough for me because my last dog was easily trained and never ever went in the house.

Answer
This could be more of a leadership issue than housebreaking.  The key to most behavior problems is approaching things using the dog's natural instincts. Dogs see all the people and dogs in the household as a pack with each having their own rank in the pack and a top dog. Life is much easier if the 2 legged pack members outrank the 4 legged ones. You can learn to play the role of top dog by reading some books or going to a good obedience class. A good obedience class or book is about you being top dog, not about rewarding standard commands with a treat. Start at http://www.dogsbestfriend.com/ For more on being top dog, see http://www.dogbreedinfo.com./topdogrules.htm

When you are around you need to keep a close eye on the dog. Use closed doors or gates to keep it in the same room as you are, and perhaps as I do, a short chain fastened to the computer desk. If you catch it in the act, give it a sharp ''Ah, ah, ah!'' and take it out. When you can't watch it, crate it.