Alright, Sophie was doing really well (last week) and now all of a sudden she’s messing in the house. I take her out quite frequently and she always goes when she’s out, but then like 1/2 hour later, she pees in the house again. I don’t know what to do. I take her out immediately (if I catch her). I want to keep her, but my husband is getting annoyed. She’s roughly 6 months and didn’t have much training before I got her. What’s frustrating is that she knows what to do outside cause she does it (I watch her go) and then she goes in the house too. Sophie must have so much poop and pee in her (she only gets fed 2x a day, dry food in the AM and mixed in the PM). Any advice? 
Has Sophie been neutered yet? Typically, dogs are ‘fixed’ at that age and I wonder whether Sophie’s marking her territory in the house.
I’d also suggest that you spray something like Repel-X on the spots where she pees/poos in the house so that you eliminate all odours and the temptation to re-poo or pee there.
Have you tried vocal commands with her outside? When we first got our Lab, we praised him effusively for peeing or pooing outside so that we could gradually get him to go on command. The crate was also a wonderful training tool - are you using one with Sophie?
I’m sure Kryswyn will have more breed-specific advice but it’d be a shame to give her up when you only got her recently.
I pretty much side with Beezer on this one 
I used to think Cuckoo, er, Cocker Spaniels were “challenging” to house break (read: damn near impossible)… then I heard of JRT horror stories!
You may want to restrict her to her crate until she goes outside and does her business, then and only then let her play in the house. After playing, unrestricted access time, put her back in the crate until it’s time to go out again. This way you can reinforce good behavior, not punish inapropriate behavior…
TWO HOURS Robby??? Yikes! Let’s make that 12 hours for my corgi. Sure does make trips to horse shows a lot easier!
In addition to all of the valuable advice you’ve already received here, particularly the proper crate training stuff I’ll add my own. When you are home simply put her on a lead attached to your waist, this way you are more likely to “be there” if she starts to squat. Naturally she should be taken out at regular intervals as well.
Since you said she had previously been doing better in the peeing department I would consider having her checked for bladder infections. Girl doggies are prone to this. I am a very pro neutoring but be aware that spaying can have incontinent side effects, though this is more common when spaying is done at a very early age. The use of cranberry juice for doggies is not unheard of, I’d consider that for her as well.
Good luck. Big dogs can be easier to house train than the little ones. Don’t give up on your Jack, they are wonderful smart dogs once the routine is ingrained and they are given enough attention (if there is such a thing as enough for them!)
My mom raises/breeds/trains/shows German Shorthairs and Brittany Spaniels and has for many years.
She is a real advocate of crate training. If you can’t be watching the dog, put them in the crate, nearby where they wont be lonely (unless they like to use the crate for privacy, some older dogs prefer it in a quiet area)
They almost never pee in a crate, too small of an area, so as soon as you go to get it PICK IT UP and put it outside, praise it, give it a treat whatever for peeing outside.
Bring it in, and as long as you can keep an eye on it for a few minutes then leave it loose to play with, socialize whatever. When you have to be busy, put it out for another pee, then put it in it’s crate.
I also agree with the Eliminate Odours thing. They really like the smell of themselves… wanna double and triple up on the old odour! So do your best to get rid of the smell.
It may seem a little harsh to be in a crate off and on all day, but trust me, my moms house dogs all go to their own crates when they sleep. They have a special toy in it, and a favorite blanket, it’s their refuge, and it will be YOURS too.
Good luck! Oh, my moms email address is :
hcreek@bmts.com her name is Barb, if need any advise, just email her (as with most moms, she’s full of it- advise I mean 
)
Though they can go much longer. Gizmo is ADD and has to be reminded. My partner is quick to open the door and let the dogs out (Gizmo stands and leaps on the door because, in addition to his ADD he’s also very dependent) and assumes they’ve gone because Madison, who speaks English, is so good. I say to him, “you must witness it!” I keep a flashlight by the back door when I go out with the dogs at 5 a.m. Of course, I’m a control freak.
Miniwelsh - how big is your crate? If it’s too big, your dog will pee in it. Crate formula is 1 hour for each 4 weeks of life, never to exceed 8 hours. At this point, your Shih Tzu, at 12 weeks, should never be crated longer than 4 hours. Are you in a big crate and crating longer than this? Cardboard can help you temporarily block off the crate if you don’t want to buy a smaller one (if it is, in fact, too big).
Robby
One word: Crate.
You might also want to see your vet and make sure there is no physical cause like a urinary tract infection.
aahunter it is a long process and don’t give up. Sometimes it just means knowing when she’s asking to go out. Does she go to the door or do you have a doggy door? Crating is a must no matter what. If she is making a mess in her crate, could be she is feeling abandoned when you leave. Dogs who haven’t lived with you thru puppy hood tend to do this. They bond quickly and have seperation anxiety. It is incredibly hard to find the right formula, but it IS there.
(or any dog)
Is about consistency and routine.
First - don’t free feed her. And wet/canned food is also a guarantee for nasty pooh. (It doesn’t sound like you free feed her.)
Second - crate training is the easiest way to housebreak a dog. Go to the Crate Training FAQ at http://terrier.com.
Third - positive reinforcement works wonders! My Madison will go to the bathroom on command. Gizmo, who I got as a 10 month-old, had been raised primarily in a kennel, and he is still prone to pooh inside if you don’t watch him. However, like someone said, if you do watch them, they will tell you they need to go. Gizmo is good about signaling and I will say that I haven’t had a Gizmo pooh accident ever. They tend to happen when my partner isn’t watching him. No further comment! LOL!
I take my dogs out about every 2 hours when we’re at home. I don’t like to crate them for more than 4-5 hours at a time, though they sleep in their crates overnight. Watch your girl. She’s telling you her bladder isn’t really trained well. Crating will help you with that as it appeals to the dog’s natural instinct to not soil his den.
Also, take treats out with you and when she piddles tell her “Good Piddle” and give her a treat. You’ll have her peeing on command in no time flat!
Robby
he is in a small crate - if he pees he has to lie in it (pretty gross, poor guy). I leave for work at 7:45 and he goes out right before that and I run home at lunch (about 12:30) and let him out.
He is still really young and was in a drop bottom crate up until a week ago when I got him, so he is still just learning. He doesn’t go at night, but I keep him with me instead of making him stay in the crate (he howls endlessly)
Spoiled brat dog, I know.
Behind every good woman lies a trail of men
Having just brought home my cute little shih tzu, who is having almost the same problems at 12 weeks as Sophie, I can say one thing - they will pee in the crate. I know the theory is that they won’t, but he has already proved the theory wrong. One thing I have started doing is limiting his water intake a bit more - he likes to just drink and drink and drink and being a small dog, holds a lot less water than his bigger relatives. Perhaps give Sophie access to water with her food at meal times and maybe a few other occasions throughout the day when you can take her out immediately after she drinks?
I feel your pain. little Monty is doing great with his number two housebreaking but has peed on my fiance’s daughters bed twice now after going while he was out just moments before. Patience is a virtue!!!
Behind every good woman lies a trail of men
If your puppy has been in the type of crate that pet shops and some breeders use where feces and urine “drop thru” to a tray underneath - it will be harder to use a crate as a housebreaking aid. When they’ve been living in that type of crate/pen they have become accustomed to “soiling” their den already and therefore don’t have the aversion to it that most dogs have.
If you have a puppy who has experienced that type of crate it will make housetraining a bit more difficult. As you know, the more “accidents” they have, the more ingrained the behavior. Do your best to keep watch for behavior that indicates “I’m lookin’ for a place to pee/poop” - usually a slightly distracted look in the eye and sniffing the floor. They’re quick little buggers so be prepared to swoop in, grab him up and dash outside.
The key is OBSERVATION at all times! Don’t leave the room even for a moment without him with you. Try and keep him mostly on tile/non-carpeted areas until he’s more reliable.
Good Luck! It’s an exhausting process.
Had to laugh … my first thought was, “You mean they CAN BE housebroken!!!” and my second was, “Welcome to Jack Russell-dom, where housebreaking is all about problems!” 
But I feel your pain.
Gotta agree, crate training. Or, failing that, a room/area that can be made the pup’s den. Until you get a handle on the housebreaking, it’s the only thing that’s gonna save your carpet.
Bulletin Board Goddess
My JRT puppy, Dottie, will be 12 weeks next week, and she’s being really good about housebreaking! I mean, we take her out every 1-2 hours and you still have to watch her all the time, but she’s pretty good. She really doesn’t like to go potty in her crate, which is good . I make a HUGE fuss when she goes potty outside and she gets a “cookie” whenever she comes in. Man, that dog LIVES for her cookies! LOL And when you tell her “NO” or yell at her, she knows she’s been bad! It’s kindda cute! LOL
~Sarah
Dogs will pee in their crate until they consider it their “home”. When they get used to the idea of it being theirs, they’d rather pee in hell than in their own area.
3 months down…8 to go
My previous Springer was easy to housebreak, but if he wasn’t getting enough attention i.e. too many late nights or working late for me, he would revert back to peeing in the house. Long after he was old enough to have bladder control. Or getting into the kitchen garbage, he usually left that alone too.
I figured it as an attention getting device, just like kids. I gave him more attention, he quit messing. He was so “guilty” about it that he would cower when he greeted me at the door. I hadn’t even “seen” the mess yet. Bless his heart.
Be careful making TOO big a deal out of the messes. Just a suggestion.
“The older I get, the better I used to be.”
I have her crated whenever we go out and at night (only so the cats can have free roam of the house). I do praise her a lot when she goes (and my husband does too). I have found that she pees in her crate when we leave her but usually not at night. I take her out right after she eats, first thing in the AM and before she goes in her crate at night. I take her out roughly every 1-2 hours during the day. She hasn’t been fixed yet, she is going this weekend for that. I don’t remember housebreaking my other dog (she’s 3 now) but she whines when she needs to go out. I don’t know how we got her to do that but she does. I’ll keep you updated on her progress.
I love dogs - and have always dreamed of having one of my own - but, after reading this thread, I’m awfully glad I have cats. Point them at the litter box a couple of times and they pretty much have the idea.
Alright, Sophie was doing really well (last week) and now all of a sudden she’s messing in the house. I take her out quite frequently and she always goes when she’s out, but then like 1/2 hour later, she pees in the house again. I don’t know what to do. I take her out immediately (if I catch her). I want to keep her, but my husband is getting annoyed. She’s roughly 6 months and didn’t have much training before I got her. What’s frustrating is that she knows what to do outside cause she does it (I watch her go) and then she goes in the house too. Sophie must have so much poop and pee in her (she only gets fed 2x a day, dry food in the AM and mixed in the PM). Any advice?
I would agree with the suggestions for using a crate and positive reinforcement for doing the right thing. One other issue: your dog might have a bladder infection. My (female, spayed) puppy, a wheaten terrier, when she was 9 months old had been housebroken for a while. Suddenly, she stopped being housebroken. I treated it as an obedience problem, which wasn’t getting better. About a month later, she had to go to the vet for some shots, and I mentioned this problem to him. He suggested checking for a bladder infection; she had it, and a simple course of antiobiotics cleared it up. Once again she was housebroken.
