I apologize in advance. I am sure this is covered in Leerbur's house training video...but...I live in Bucharest Romania and by the time the video reached me I would be in a mental hospital and my dog would have a new owner.

We just moved here from TX and bought a teacup Peke from ....let's say a less than reputable breeder.

We choose a toy breed b/c it is so cold here in the winter. We were told that we could pad train him. After reading Leerburg advice I can understand why we are having so many problems. Tux is 5 months old and is still not house trained. I have tried everyting.

Within the last week I have bought a crate for him started offering food several times a day (rather than having is available at all times) and returned to taking him out to go rather than trying the pad method. We have had 2 or 3 good days so I am hopeful.

What about the winter time? I am expecting -10 below zero and snow all winter. I have never lived in such a cold climate before so I have no idea what to do about the dog.

Is it even possible for him to go out when it is -10 below and 6 inches of new snow???????

I have had no luck with pad training. He pees on his bed and sleeps on his pad or pees on the floor and sleeps in it.

I do have a glass enclosed balcony that was desingned to hang wet clothes in the winter time. Should I start training him in there. I will still have to put down pads to protect the concrete floor, but at least it will be warmer and dry all winter. Will he consider that part of the house and be confused why he gets punished if he pees in the rest of the house?

I have read so much conflicting advice that we, including the poor dog are a little confused. Does anybody have any experience with small beeds and very cold weather?

Thank you,
Debra

Pee pads are (IMO) a very bad idea. They train the dog to go indoors.

You have done the right thing by getting a crate. Any age dog can be crate-trained (I know from experience).

If you read this: http://www.leerburg.com/housetraining.htm
and remain consistent with praise, lots of opportunity to go outside, NO reliance on pee pads, and patience, you can undo the negative pee pad experience.

IMO, the dog will become conditioned to the cold as it changes. A sweater and paw care (maybe wax if you are in an area with a lot of road-salt) will help in really cold spells.

Brisk walking to get the blood going and get the potty mechanisms in gear are (IMO) a good thing. Moving right along and stopping for potty won't hurt the dog when you are alert to shivering and possible paw injury.

ALL JMO. I'm from New England, and it gets darned cold there, although not ten below very often.

Some dogs hate cold, but brisk walks are just something they will learn to accept.

I'm not being mean. I think it's mean to eliminate exercise. I wouldn't use the pee pads, period, because of the association. Can you have a sand box with dirt on the patio for the quick pee (in addition to the daily walks, I mean)? If it seems like more of a room, I wouldn't use it for potty. I'd figure out ways to incorporporate as close to normal a schedule as possible.

JMO. <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

And meanwhile, I'd definitely order the DVD #302, because many issues are covered in it. Small dogs are no less in need of the confidence and security they get from having training and a 100% pack leader than big dogs.

Good for you that you are doing meals and not free-feeding, btw.

I used to live in Wyoming, which at the time I lived there experienced winter temperatures of -30 to -40 degrees (not counting wind chill <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />. Now my dogs at that time were not small dogs but when it would get that cold they would be inside and only go out or be taken out for short, bathroom walks. Get yourself a very warm down coat and nice heavy, lined ski gloves or mittens. Oh, and wool socks and sweaters. When it's that cold, wool doesn't itch like it normally does.

While I didn't have a small dog, my cousins who live in Utah did. They would let/take her outside when she needed to go and Maltese, unlike Pomeranians, have no undercoat. Their dog would just go out and do her business very quickly and come right back inside.

If the enclosed area you mention can be reached by going through a door so that it doesn't feel like part of the living quarters to your dog, you could put a shallow box (low enough that she can use it easily) with some sod (if available) or sand in it for her to use on the worst days. The idea is to give her a spot similar to being outside.

My GSDs of course love cold weather and never seem to get cold in the snow, in fact usually they prefer to lie in the snow rather than in their houses when it's snowing - they get covered and wet and seem to be very comfortable. However I have two chihuahua - one long-coat, one short - both get very cold in colder weather, and are very sensitive to cold/wet conditions. They are also too small to walk in any depth of snow, though they try and have plenty of pluck to go for a while. I admit - I put little teeny sweaters and jackets on them when they have to be outside for any length of time. With the clothing, they are comfortable outside, even for a long time in the yard so they can get plenty of exercise and use the bathroom without me coming out with them. However when the snow is more than a few inches deep, I have to shovel it for them - a path to the "potty area" is the way I do it. Or, they follow the paths made by the GSDs and that works ok too unless the snow is really deep. Other than the cold due to their short thin coats, they are tough little dogs, just limited by their coats and size in getting around in the cold weather.

molly