How can i get my dog potty trained?

Question
I have a 5 year old male chihuahua, i live in an apartment and every morning i put him outside in a terrace so he can go to the bathroom, but all he does is scratch the door, and after a very long time, he finally goes but whenever i let him in, he goes and pees on the carpets and does #2 in my moms room. What can i do so he goes to the terrace by himself everytime he has to go?? And for him to stop scratching the door? I used to have a female chihuahua that kept him company but she died, does that have anything to do?? Please help me!!

Answer
It sounds like the dog is stressed if this is a recent rurn of events and he was previously house trained. He may feel that the missing dog is an indication that he will also lost his family when he is outside by himself. So, try this. Go ouot with the dog and makre sure he goes, then praise him for going potty. Delay going back in for a few minutes, and when you do go back, make sure he has some immediate activity to take his mind off of going in the house. Stay with the dog. If he begins to squat or lift leg, immediately tell him no and take him back outside.

You will have to use a couple of products to get the odor out so the dog is not attracted to the place in the house. In our kennel we use Clorox bleach, Odo Ban and Natures Miracle. We get the first two from Sam's club, and NM from a vet supply. There are lots of them on the internet and you need only a small bottle, a gallons is about $70. The products from the pet store seldom work long term and some don't work at all.

Lastly, consider adopting an older dog of the same breed to replace his missing dog mate. I would not suggest a dog younger than 18 months to avoid puppy issues.

Regards,
Henry Ruhwiedel
Westwind Kennels LLC