Hello Nichole, I recommend crate training him and crating him at night in a location where you can either hear him if he asks to go out, or set up an audio baby monitor so you can hear pup through that if he whines or barks to go out in the middle of the night. A dog has a natural desire to keep a confined space clean. Using the crate can help motivate pup to alert you when they need to go out or hold it all night if they can, instead of just going potty when no one is around. For this to work the crate needs to be set up without anything absorbent in it - so no soft bed; instead, use something like www.primopads.com or k9ballistics crate mats, that can offer a bit of firm padding but won't absorb pee. The crate also needs to be small enough. Pup should be able to stand up, lie down, and turn around, but not have enough room to go potty in one end and stand in the opposite end of the crate to avoid the mess. If he is not already used to a crate, expect crying at first. When he cries and you know he doesn't need to go potty yet, ignore the crying. Most dogs will adjust if you are consistent. You can give him a dog food stuffed hollow chew toy to help him adjust and sprinkle treats into the crate during times of quietness during daytime practice to further encourage quietness. Start by getting pup used to the crate during the daytime. If he continues protesting for long periods of time past 3-5 days, you can use a Pet Convincer. Work on teaching "Quiet" by using the Quiet method from the article linked below. Tell him "Quiet" when he barks and cries. If he gets quiet and stays quiet, you can sprinkle a few pieces of dog food into the crate through the wires calmly, then leave again. If he disobeys your command and keep crying or stops but starts again, spray a small puff of air from the Pet convincer at his side through the crate while saying "Ah Ah" calmly, then leave again. If he stays quiet after you leave you can periodically sprinkle treats into the crate to reward quietness. Quiet method: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-shih-tzu-puppy-to-not-bark Only use the unscented air from the Pet Convincers - don't use citronella, it's too harsh and lingers for too long so can be confusing. The Surprise method, Quiet command, and treat should all be practiced during the daytime to get pup used to the crate and to teach pup that they are supposed to be quiet and settle in the crate. At night don't give any treats or extra attention, just ignore the barking. You can either start daytime first and begin night crating once pup is doing better during the day and pup will probably cry less when you crate at night, but have more accidents in the meantime, or you can practice daytime crating and nighttime crating, ignoring that barking, and expect to have a few long night but less accidents. The hope is that once pup sees that they won't have the option of going potty in your home once every one else goes to bed, that they will be more willing to go potty before being crated in the evening. Often a dog will hold it until things get quiet at night in these situations. By crating you are also removing the option to go potty anywhere they want once everyone goes to bed. Additionally, I would use a potty encouraging spray at night, spraying the spray on the area you want pup to sniff and hopefully go potty right before you take pup outside, then walking pup around slowly on leash to try to keep them focused on going potty - movement helps to stimulate the urge to go. I would begin telling pup to "Go Potty" when you take them out during the daytime too, then give a treat when pup goes potty after. Once pup is going on command during the daytime, you can use that command to tell pup to go potty at night. At that point, I would stop the daytime treats after pottying, but still give one treat in the evening if pup goes potty when you take them out before bed. I don't know what time you are feeding pup dinner, but you might try moving dinner back by an hour if it's not at a super early time already, and remove all food and water with the exception of that single treat for going potty outside two hours before bed, so pup's digestive system has time to process everything in the evening before bedtime instead of later at night. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

June 30, 2022

Hello Jasmine, I would start by making sure you are removing all food and water at least two hours before bed. If pup is pooping during the night, move dinner an hour earlier if you can. When pup goes potty right before bedtime, go with pup if you are not already, and make sure pup is finishing going potty while out there and not just getting distracted. When you remove the crate, start by confining pup in a small room without carpet or rugs, like a bathroom or gated off mudroom. Practice pup sleeping in there and holding it in there for a month, and only giving more space if pup remains accident free. Gradually increase freedom in the home overtime, rather than giving it all at once, and give freedom in carpeted areas or areas with rugs last. You may be able to temporarily remove some rugs. Finally, clean any accidents you are away of with a cleaner that contains enzymes, including old accident spots if you know an area may smell strong to pup still. Only enzymes remove the smell to the extent that a dog needs it to be removed to not be encouraged to go potty there again. If pup hasn't been fully potty trained for at least six months in general, then I would also simply give pup more time being crated at night before trying the night without a crate. The issue in that case might just be that pup's potty training habits aren't long term habits that are consistent enough yet, and not time without accidents is needed before giving more freedom. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

June 27, 2022