training setback

Question
Hi Cathy,

I have a 7month old yorkie that was housebroken for quite some time and has been having accidents in the kitchen for about 2 wks.  She completed her puppy classes and had been doing great.  I'm not quite sure what has brought this on.  She is never left alone for long periods of time during the day.  My parents live upstairs and take her out.  She had also been using the puppy pads if she needed to go.  
I was hoping you can give me some ideas on how to correct this problem.  I don't see her doing this and she never has accidents when i am home.  I have been told that it is useless to repremand them if you didn't catch them in the act.  If this is the case, how can i will i be able to correct this?  

Thanks so much for your help.

Lucy

Answer
Hi Lucy,
You are correct that if you don't catch them in the act, it is useless to scold them.   
First, I would stop using the puppy pads.  They confuse the dog (in my opinion) and only teach them that it is OK to go to the bathroom in the house.   I've found it much more effective to use a crate as a means of housebreaking with frequent trips outside.   The key is to completely eliminate the opportunity for accidents.  Using a crate will allow you to do this with ease.  I recommend a open wire crate (not a plastic airline carrier) so the dog doesn't feel so confined.  The dogs generally will not go in their bed, so using a crate should help.  After things start to improve, you can gradually give her more freedom and see how it goes.   For complete instructions on crating recommendations, see www.paw-rescue.org   Look on home page under Robin's pet tips.