You don't need to be "louder and nastier", but you do need to be quicker and stricter. Keep a lease on the dog and keep the leash tied to you. That way she won't get a chance to go around the island *g*. If you see her START to squat, immediately give a sharp NO (doesn't have to be loud or mean, but it needs to convey that the behavior is inappropriate) and give her the bum's rush to the door. Once outside, give her the cue word and wait until she goes. I don't allow my dogs to roam all over the place looking for the perfect spot - go potty means go potty right now. When she goes, throw a little party. Having some accidents in the house is a good thing IF you catch her in the act. You get a chance to reinforce that in the house is not a good thing and she learns that much quicker. On the other hand, absolutely do not do anything if you don't catch her ( and nope, seeing her walk away is not catching her). Dogs just don't get it, no matter how many owners insist that "he knew he did wrong" Yeah, sure, they are going to look guilty and hang their heads if you discover them standing next to a mess. Because they are exceptionally good at reading you - they know you are annoyed, even before you open your mouth. They KNOW. And they are not pleased that YOU are not pleased. And don't "offer" to take her out. If you think she needs to go, take her out and give the cue. Don't move until she's produced a dribble or a splat and then throw a potty party again. The combination of crating, scheduled breaks and strict supervision really does produce amazing results

I don't think it's to late either. Perhaps you should consult your vet before changing feeing habits. You might want to consider what pup is eating also. The present food may not be agreeing with it. Typically, they should be fed every 8-12 hours. I do think it is very important for you to pick a system and stick with that, rather than switch. Switching will only confuse you and your pup. (Perhaps this is a hound thing). Here is a step by step method that worked for me. It also has worked for others. I did do a cut and paste thing, but modified it to your issue. 1. First you need to realize that you are starting to miss or push the edge for prime potty training time for your pup. Also, as I found out, not all dogs are the same in this category. Having said that, you need to start treating pup like it is a 2-3 months old. Dig into pups background and try to find out if it was traumatized. If it came from a pound or rescue league, there is a possibility that it was. Not good for any dog, especially one that is a pup and simply does not know much in potty habits etc. 2. Crate training is essential when trying to house train your pup. If this is an issue, put an old sheet or blanket over the crate. When pup starts to whine or do something you donÂt approve of, LIGHTLY (you donÂt want to scare pup into next year)tap on the crate and firmly say STOP. This command will also help you when your dog is getting into mischief. ItÂs direct and to the point, it stops the pup and it will associate the command with the crate noise. When pup starts to go indoors, you must get itÂs attention so it will stop. If that means using a loud voice, then so be it. NEVER HIT THE DOG OR RUB ITÂS NOSE IN IT. THIS WILL ONLY DAMAGE YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR DOG, PLUS, IT DOESNÂT KNOW WHY YOU ARE DOING THIS. Sorry I yelled, but this seems to be a common thing some people do, and it's useless. MOST dogs wonÂt go in their crate. If pup does, for a few days, do not put any blankets on the floor. This should cure that problem. Because you are treating your pup like it is 2-3 months old, you need to supervise it every second it is not crated. Using a leash when it is out is also very important. You can easily grab the pup and take it out when you need to. Crating unless you can watch pup every second will allow you complete control. If you can't catch pup in the act when itÂs doing something wrong, scolding is useless. Pup simply won't know why you are mad. When crating while you are away, try playing soothing music. All dogs love this, especially pups. It keeps them calm. 3. When pup is crated, the instant it comes out, take it outside. Get pup used to the words "go pee and go poop". Praise pup like it is the best dog in the world when it does something. Then give it a treat (boiled chicken liver is best, dogs crave it). Soon, pup will associate doing itÂs thing with a yummy treat. You also need to go very heavy on the praise and treats when pup does anything you approve of (that means, peeing and pooping on regular walks, drinking water, sitting, just laying around, anything that will reinforce positive behavior). You also need to start taking pup out about once every 15-20 minutes (gradually increased after a few weeks)after the initial trip directly out of the crate. If it doesn't do anything, that's fine, if it does, do the praise and treat thing. 4. Pups drink huge amounts of water. In theory yours should be able to hold it for (one hour for each month). In reality, if pup has been playing, it will gulp down lots of water, and just won't be able to hold it for that long. After pup drinks, keep an eye on it. Take it out in about 5-10 minutes and offer it relief. Soon pup will go to the door when it need to go out. Consistency is the key to all of this. You need to plan on excessive praise and treats when you are house training so pup will associate yummy treats with doing itÂs thing. 5. Daily walks twice a day (about 20-30 minutes each in the same area) are essential for dogs. Walking gets things moving, dogs love it and it gives them something to look forward to. Try and feed pup close to the walks. Never free feed unless your vet says to. Pups have a high metabolism. Soon after it eats or drinks, it will need to go out. My pup was 4 months when I got her and didn't know anything. After two months of not being able to get the problem under control, my vet dug into her background. Because she was dropped beside a road with her litter mates, then taken to a pound, then moved to another pound (long story), she was traumatized and completely missed out on any type of house training. I was forced to do what I described and got it under control after about 4 months. Lastly. Your pup won't be considered house trained unless it has no accidents for at least 6 months! Also, as I learned, there is a HUGE difference in a dog that is 4-6 months old and one that is 9-10 months old. They grow inside and out. Once they reach 9-10 months, their bladders are larger and able to hold it longer. Good luck! Keep us posted! SG

"These puppies"... housebreaking more than one at once is gonna be a challenge!?! First dog that was ever all mine... 8-10 week old Dobie. We were in an apartment... NO PETS... for about a month before moving into a house. It was August, and being a teacher... no school. This was WAY before crates became popular. I NEVER left the puppy alone... didn't want her to be heard crying... which was very likely, even if shut in tiled bathroom. I pretty much slept in clothes, with flip flops right at side of bed ready to slip into. The MINUTE she woke up... scooped her up, grabbed leash and head outside... via BACK DOOR!?! Walked around until she did #1 and #2. As soon as she finished eating... repeated routine. Same with when she was sleeping during the day or playing. Did this for probably 3-4 weeks, outta necessity. By the time we moved... house had fenced yard... she was pretty much house trained. Don't know about multiple puppies. If you have fenced yard... I'd probably shoo them out as often as possible.

" Her time consuming activities (school) and my lack of energy have prevented us from getting another lab mix. I've considered getting a shih tzu, because the ones owned by my friends have all been wonderful, easy going," quasi if you have a lack of energy then a shih tzu may not be the best breed for you. They have an incredible amount of energy for such a small dog and they aren't couch potato dogs at all. I have two of them and they love nothing more than to have fun, whether that's a game of fetch, a walk, roughhousing with each other, or being chased around the house. Some days I have trouble keeping up with mine and just wish I had more energy to. They are a wonderful breed though, so full of fun and cheekiness. Even though I've owned shih tzus for 5 years now, there's something I never knew about them until recentlly and that is they are particularly prone to eye problems. They have shallow eye orbits so the eyes are more exposed to damage and can even be dislocated. But they are also prone to ectopic cilia, distichia, medial entropion, trichiasis, eye ulcers, and nasal fold trichiasis, all of which can damage the eyes. One of my dogs started having problems earlier this year, it started with an eye ulcer that wouldn't heal as well as recurrent pain in the other eye and she ended up having surgery recently which was quite expensive because her eyes were being damaged and it would eventually lead to blindness. Many shih tzu's have mild versions of these conditions but for others they will be more severe, but according to the eye specialist, shih tzus are one of the most common breeds he sees. I love my dogs to death but I think I would be much more hesitant to get one in future knowing how common these problems are (and they are expensive to fix)