puppy pad training problems

Question
hi. i have a Chihuahua and daschund mix puppy. hes about 5 months old. we are pad training him inside the house and he was doing pretty good with them for about a week or so. then all of a sudden hes going potty all over the house. he will potty in the floor then run to the pad, like he knows hes in trouble and he knows he was supposed to go there. i don't understand why he all of the sudden sopped using the pad. what do i need to do? thanx...lauren

Answer
I am not sure what the proboem is.  Start with a visit to the vet.  You can't fix a UTI with training.  You might discuss neutering him.  If it is a leadership issue, doing so will help.  He could be chalenging you for leadership.  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