I now have an adorable Cairn Terrier puppy who is just 8 weeks old.  For the first three days in his new home he went to the toilet on the paper that I had put down for him but yesterday he totally ignored it all day and went in various different places.  Each time I managed to catch him and put him on his paper even though it was too late.  When I put him on it at regular times i.e. after his meals or when he gets up from a sleep he either lies down and does nothing or tears up the paper.  Please can someone give me some guidance as it is fourteen years since I had a puppy!

If you do a search on 'toilet training' via the search feature you'll find a lot of useful info :)  Congratulations on your new baby - isn't it amazing how much you forget in 14 years?? <G>

Thank you for your suggestion.  I will do the search and hopefully get a few ideas.  It seems to be the same spot that he makes for everytime and I have been cleaning it with a carpet shampoo which I think he has got to like!

HIya

Have you tried a spot cleaner that gets rid of the smell completely, i'm not sure which carpet shampoo you're using but it could be that it isn't getting rid of his scent completely.
Also have you tried just taking your puppy out to the toilet every 45mins to 1hour. I always found this more effective than paper training as your teaching the puppy that it is not accpetable to go in the house even on paper. - Just a thought. :)
Have fun with your puppy, i'm due to get mine in just a few weeks and am really excited. These few weeks will be hard work but are worth it when it all comes together. :)
Helen

In that case (to save you trolling though all the search results :)) you need to clean up with hot solution of biological washing powder, and follow it up with a wipe over or spray of white spirit - this breaks up the fatty acids that hold the smell molecules that pull him back to the same place every time.

Fantastic - I think this may be the problem.  I have been using vanish and then spraying it with Dettol Neutra Air which he obviously likes the smell of!  It really is great having a little one again, he is so funny.  We bought him some toys and put them in a small plastic storage basket.  He now emptys out all the toys and gets into the basket.

Hi there

Oh yes I remember the toilet training as I have just been though it.  In the end I used the puppy training pads that you get.  One it doesnt mark your floor, and two they are impregnated with a smell that attracts them to it.  I would certainly reiterate what everyone here said.  In the end we got the carpet cleaned professionally and started from scratch with some proper deodoriser from a pet shop and that seemed to help as well - no more accidents.

I'd go with the comment about taking your puppy out every half hour or so then increasing the time intervals. Our vet advised us to avoid using newspaper as it makes the puppy think it can 'go' in the house so we encourage ours to go out straight after meals/when we get home - we've also been using a crate (a large travel kennel) since we got our puppy and it's worked so well, I always used to think it was mean but we've started leaving her in the kichen overnight and when we get up inthe morning she's alseep in the kennel! We still get the odd accident (at four months old) but overall we've been really lucky...so to sum it up regular trips outside for you!

Ali

Up until today I had only used the newspaper but this afternoon I took him into the garden at regular intervals as suggested.  Success - he performed twice.  This evening before putting him in his cage I took him out again and he obliged again.  I hope he keeps it up barring the odd accident. 

Sounds like a smart pupster!  Good work Sylvia :)

That sounds like progress! Keep up the routine and it should all work out nicely!

Good luck

Ali