paper training not working anymore

Question
Hi,

I have a 7 month old male chihuahua.  i paper trained him pretty quickly since crate training isnt an option for me because i work all day and can not get home to take him out to go to the bathroom.  He quickly learned that the paper was the place to use the bathroom and almost all the time
went over to the paper when he needed to go.  i take him for walks as well...but i was satisfied with his paper training for when i couldnt take him out on time..or when i was at work.
now out of nowhere..he has stopped using the paper.  he's going by it(a few feet away)...but not on it like he was...or he is going in places that are not even near the paper that he never did before.  im not sure why or what to do.  i had other female dogs stay at my place for a week+. i made sure to completely mop and clean the floors incase the other dogs were leaving behind their scent or going to the bathroom in places they werent supposed to be.

im starting all over again.  retraining him and cleaning up after messes he hasnt made since i first got him at 4 months old.  :(  is this normal?"

Answer
I can't say how common.  I occasionally see similar questions, but hear nothing from those it is working for.  Is he neutered?  Usually if not, the marking is more wide spread.

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  Don't make the mistake of not taking a small dog seriously.