Q: I have an 8 month old Cockapoo who I've had for nearly 3 months. Cosmo is the sweetest pooch and quite smart. My problem is that I cannot get him to stop having accidents in the house. I work from 8 to 5, and have worked him up to being in his crate from the time I leave the house, 8 am to 3:30pm (as of last week). This week, I let him out of his crate to see if he could "hold it" until I got home at 4:30. I left newspaper and puppy pads down. He did manage to go on the newspaper and puppy pads, but this experiment proved that he wasn't ready to "be free" (which is ultimately what I am trying to accomplish). I don't want him to go in the house at all.

Over the course of the past 2 days, I have left him free in a small hallway where his crate is placed, but as I stated, he did potty and poop when I returned at 4:30. Today when I got home from work, he was out of my sight for about 2 minutes and when I went to where he was, he had pooped. Did the fact that I let him poop the last couple of days confuse him into thinking that he is allowed to poop inside?

As I stated my goal is to have him in one area while I am away at work and be able to "hold it" until I get home. But, as you stated in one of your e-mails, is it not cruel to expect him to "hold it" for upwards of 9 hours? He has done fine for 7.5 hours inside his crate, with no messes. But I just think it's cruel for him to have to stay in his crate for such a long period of time.

Another thing he does is "signal" me by scratching the patio door when he needs to "go", but I notice that more times than not, he really doesn't need to "go" and just wants to go outside. There have been a couple of occasions when I ignored his "signal" and he ended up "going" inside. How in heaven's name am I to know when he really needs to "go" to avoid having to take him out every 1/2 hour?! By the way, he doesn't do this all the time.

It may be helpful to know that I've kept a schedule of his potty sessions over the last month. Lastly, is it normal that dogs do not like to "go" when it's wet or raining outside? Cosmo hates it and, has had accidents inside as a result. I hope I haven't totally taken up your time, I just need help. Any suggestions would be much appreciated. Thank you.

A: All good questions! Part of this problem will be solved by more patience. You need to keep using the crate for now, because in the crate, he is being successful. You've only had him 3 months. That's not long, and he is quite young. You also only went to a longer schedule of being gone last week, right?

I hope he has been neutered. If not be sure to have that done, as it can have a big impact on housetraining in small male dogs.

One thing you need to be sure you're doing is properly deodorizing any accidents he has had in the house. After the spot has dried, the only thing that really works is a bacterial enzyme odor eliminator product, such as Nature's Miracle. Without this treatment, the scent of his past marks will draw him back by instinct to use the spot again. Remember, his nose is much more sensitive than yours.

Using papers can confuse a dog, if what you really want is for him to use the outside. When he uses papers, he is, after all, relieving himself in the house. But I can see your problem, because that is a long time to ask a dog to hold it. Anytime he is not well, he may not be able to do it.

You might want to see if you can arrange a way for him to get outside to relieve himself. If it were me, I would want that outdoor area to be absolutely secure, so no one could tease him when you were not home and no other animals could get into the area, etc. You may want to consider setting up some sort of "litter box" for him, inside. Another alternative would be to have someone come in midday to give him a potty break.

Dogs sleep about 14 hours a day, so most of the crate time is sleeping time, for a dog who has learned to rest calmly in a crate. The crate is not likely to be forever, but it will help condition him physically and mentally to be able to make it on the bathroom issues.

You don't want to count strictly on a dog's asking to go out. He needs a schedule. In fact, many dogs never ask to go out, and that works fine, as long as the owner keeps to a schedule. It is very common for boy dogs to want to go out just for fun.

Until a dog is housetrained, I like to take him out about once per hour whenever I'm home and awake. Since this dog has to hold it for long hours during the day, and then again while you sleep, it would not be a bad idea for him all the time. At least do it until you get a solid feel for which times he needs to go.

You may find that you always have to go with the dog or stand at the door the entire time, with verbal encouragement, when it is raining or wet outside. Not wanting to go outside when it's wet is very common for a dog his size. His tummy is getting wet, plus his feet, and when its raining, the whole dog.

Some dogs do better if you put a raincoat and/or boots on the dog. Going out with the dog and using an umbrella helps, too. At times like this, going by the schedule will help ensure that your dog doesn't skip going outside and have an accident inside as a result.

The dog having to hold it for more than 8 hours is a problem. Some dogs simply can't do it, so keep that in mind as you work with him. Think about whether you need to provide him with a way to relieve himself during that time, that is acceptable to you and him both. I hope this helps!