I have a 4 month old Cairn Terrier - Freddie - who is a joy!

We have hardly had to do any house training - we got him at about 8 weeks and he seemed to be almost clean already.

The last 2 days have been different though. He has both wee'd and pooed in the house on 3 seperate occasions. Once straight after he had been out for a walk. GeWe have been in the room at the time, he has done it in front of us. The back door was open - although he made no effort to go to it.

We spent a lot of time over the summer in the garden so I am wondering if he never learned to ask to go out? Or whether because we were always outside he thinks that the place to go is wherever we are?

Nothing else seems to have changed. Can anyone offer
1. An explanation for the behaviour

2.Suggestions for dealing with it

Thank you

Four months is still very young to expect perfection, and it's not the dog you train, it's yourself. You must learn to remember that he won't be able to hold on for much more than an hour at this age, and you must watch him like a hawk for signs that he is thinking about going. Circling and sniffing intently mean you have a few seconds at most to respond to the warning signals.

Don't just let him out alone to do whatever he needs to, go out with him and praise lavishly when he does a good thing, even maybe a signal word that you could always repeat at the appropriate time and he will connect the two. Mine all wee on command, I say 'get a wee wee' and they do!

So consentrate, and YOU'LL be perfect in no time. :)

Dawn R.