I have a Westie and at a year old, although adorable in many ways, his most annoying habit is his going to the toilet indoors. We trained him when he was a pup by using the pads you can get and slowly moving these towards the back door. He soonj got the idea that relieving himself outside was a good thing and will scratch at the back door to go out. However, sometimes he will be in the garden for 10 minutes, come inside, go upstairs and cock his leg or defecate in one of the bedrooms. The other problem is that at night or if we have to leaved him for a couple of hours, we leave a couple of the training mats for him to use. Sometimes he will use them and he gets praised, however, fairly often, he will cock his leg against the sofa or wall.

We have tried severfal methods of sorting this but have had no luck. As you may imagine, this is driving us up the wall (as well as making the house smell!) Any ideas?

<<<The other problem is that at night or if we have to leaved him for a couple of hours, we leave a couple of the training mats for him to use. Sometimes he will use them and he gets praised, however, fairly often, he will cock his leg against the sofa or wall.>>>
This may be what is confusing him ??
The fact that you want him to go outside and you praise him and then you leave the training mats and still praise him
He may just associate weeing/pooing with being praised and not the actual place of where he does it .
I would remove the mats at night time and when you go out and see how he is then .And praise if he hasnt dirtied in the house at all
Good luck ;)
Le

Our westie is nearly 6 months old and was having problems with toilet training... or rather we as the owners were having problems toilet training him. We were half there, like you, but would sometimes put him out in the garden for a wee, only for him to come back indoors and wee on the kitchen floor.... Our solution, which has worked 98% was to put a dog flap in the back door. Now when we are in the house, he will go outdoors to the toilet and he can also go outdoors when we are not in.