puppy housebreaking

Question
Hi Labman:  I recently brought home a westie (8 days) and am having difficulty with housebreaking.  I have been crate training her.  I take her outside after meals, after sleep, after play, in general, the way I've been told to. I do not have a private yard where I can put a pen and let her hang out.  I live in a condo with a community yard. She is very resistant to peeing or pooping outside.  I also have an indoor potty training box, with the paper pellets.  I put her in there if she doesn't go outside.  She loves the box.  So much, that she trys to eat the pellets and/or rest in the box.  I am going back to work full time (gone from 9:30 pm until 7:00 am)  I am going to be putting her in a pen area where I will put her crate and her litter box.  Should I be strictly using the litter box, and maybe get rid of the litter?  Replacing the paper pellets with the pads again, maybe with a layer of newspaper.  I tried the pads and she ignored these, even with the simple solution aid to attract her.  I will still be taking her outside a couple of times a day for exercise.  Should I just use the outside as exercise and play time, and if she goes okay or not; and try to strictly train her inside.  I don't know if I'm confusing her with both, or if she is just stubborn.  Not sure what kind of training she had at the breeders, but I know she was not potty trained (I asked). I want this to go well for the family.  She is a companion for myself, and also for our six year old lab-greyhound mix.  We already love her, but are worried about what condition the condo will be in if the accidents keep up. I am taking her for puppy training classes with an instructor, starting in about 3 weeks.  She needs her third set of shots before she goes.  Maybe you can help me in the interim.  Anything you can advise would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks, Susan

Answer
I don't like the litter box or the X-pen.  I would crate her, and if you can't make it back within 4-5 hours, find a neighbor or professional dog walker to give her a break.  When you do take her out, make her walk around.  Exercise stimulates elimination.  They can only walk and hold it so long.  When she has to go, lavish praise on her.  

Watch the puppy, not the clock.  She will catch on much faster if you take her out when she needs to go.  

Much of housebreaking is not training the puppy, but making it easier for your puppy, you, and your carpet while its body to catches up to its instincts. At around 8 weeks when the puppy goes to its new home, the time from when it realizes it has to go, and when it can't wait any longer is a matter of seconds. Only time will fix that. You can hardly be expected to be attentive enough to avoid all accidents. There is no sense punishing the puppy for your inattention. It is not fair to punish you either, but you still have to clean it up if you didn't have the puppy outside in time.

Housebreaking starts before you get home with the new puppy. If you don't have a crate, buy one. I prefer the more enclosed, den like plastic ones. Skip the bedding. At first it gets wet, and later it can be chewed into choking hazards. A wire grid in the bottom will help keep the puppy up out of accidents at first. They are available with the crates, but expensive and hard to find. A piece of closely spaced wire closet shelving from a home supply place is cheaper. I am now using a plastic vegetable bin with plenty of holes drilled in the bottom. It helps block off part of the crate for the smaller puppy. If you already have a metal crate, covering it may help. Just make sure you use something the puppy can't pull in and chew. Dogs that start out in crates as little puppies, accept them very well. Never leave an unattended puppy loose in the house. If nobody can watch it, put it in the crate. I suggest letting the dog have its crate all its life. A crate needs to be just big enough for a dog to stretch out in.

Choose a command and spot you want it to use. The less accessible to strays, the less chance of serious disease. If it is a female, choosing a non grassy spot will avoid brown spots later. When you bring it home, take it to the spot and give it the command in a firm, but friendly voice. Keep repeating the command and let the puppy sniff around. If it does anything, praise it. Really let it know what a good dog it is and how much you love it, and maybe a treat. Note, being out there not only means you can praise it, but it also keeps it from being snatched by a hawk. If it doesn't go, take it inside and give it a drink and any meals scheduled. A young puppy will need to go out immediately afterward. Go to the spot and follow the above routine. Praising it if it goes is extremely important. If it doesn't go, take it back inside and put it in its crate and try again soon. Do not let it loose in the house until it does go.

At first it is your responsibility to know and take the puppy out when it needs to go. It needs to go out the first thing in the morning, after eating, drinking, and sleeping. If it quits playing, and starts running around sniffing, it is looking for a place to go. Take it out quickly. You will just have to be what I call puppy broke until it is a little older. How successful you are depends on how attentive you are.

By the time most dogs are about 3 months old, they have figured out that if they go to the door and stand, you will let them out. The praise slowly shifts to going to the door. Some people hang a bell there for the dog to paw. If your dog doesn't figure this out, try praising it and putting it out if it even gets near the door. When you catch it in the act, give it a sharp ''Ah, ah, ah!'' and take it out. Clean up accidents promptly. I mostly keep the little puppies out of the carpeted rooms. Still I need the can of carpet foam sometimes. First blot up all the urine you can with a dry towel. Keep moving it and stepping on it until a fresh area stays dry. A couple big putty knives work well on bowel movements. Just slide one under it while holding it with the other. This gets it up with a minimum of pushing it down into the carpet. This works with even relatively soft ones, vomit, dirt from over turned house plants, or anything else from solids to thick liquids. Finish up with a good shot of carpet foam. Note, do not let the puppy lick up the carpet foam. Once the dog is reliably housebroken, your carpet may need a good steam cleaning.

Many people strongly strongly push cleaning up all evidence of past accidents. I am slower to suggest that. Dogs will return to the same spot if they can find it. When you see one sniffing the spot, that is your clue to run it out.