Dog Health Questions: Indoor/outdoor dog training?

Why does my 5 yo female chihuahua poop on furniture, but will urinate on her wee pad as she was trained? Once or twice a year, she'll poop on the pad as she should and is wildly praised. I believe her bad behavior has to do with dominance, but I have no idea how to handle it.

Also, she is trained for both indoors and outdoors. When the weather is too cold or snowy, I'll take her out briefly to let her experience the cold and she always runs back to the door. She'll urinate on the paper once she's in, but will not deficate. Most of the time, I'll find it after the fact, but on occasion, I'll catch her in the act. I've tried everything: a low growl, "No"; direct her to the paper; abruptly flip her on her back; transfer the stool to the paper and use phases such as "good girl"; ignore her; etc--in all sorts of combinations. She'll sulk, then go to the pad, urinate for which I praise her and all is right in her world once again. HELP!

Dog Training - Basics

Recommended Answer:
Sounds like your dog is confused.

In her eyes... you've taught her it's okay to potty in the house. When she soils the puppy pad, you switch it for a nice clean new one and praise her. Well, the couch seems pretty much the same. She goes potty, you clean it up. Fresh clean place to potty!

I understand pads are popular with little dogs, but this is why I do not use them and insist my dogs go outside only. Most dogs have a hard time differentiating between the potty pad and the rest of your house.

Dog Training Tips - Training Dogs For Your Own Benefit

• She seems to think it is ok to poop wherever she wants. You should start from the beginning with potty training.
  
  Good luck!!!


• Sounds like you are not in charge, or the alpha, in your home.
  You need to get back to basics and make her understand you are the boss, and she is in your pack.
  Get a good book on pack order and how to be the boss.


• Oh please - stop with the dominance and flipping her on her back - she's a chihuahua for goodness sake, what's to dominate? That is so overdone and over used - Cesar Millan should be shot for bringing everything down to dominance, alpha and "calm state" - the guys not a trainer, just a t.v. actor.
  
  Your dog sounds confused - you vary her routine so much, in, out, weewee pads and papers sometimes - stick to one thing no matter what the weather and stop messing with her mind. Get her on a specific routine - wake up, go out, eat, go out, before bed, go out - same routine - watch for signs she has to go potty and base the daily routine with her around that - she's a dog, you're a human - you can figure this out and potty train the poor thing.


• You need to prohibit access to places your dog has accidents, period. Confine the dog and gradually increase the roaming space. If the dog backsteps, so does the freedom to roam the house. You have to take control of this situation and make a better effort to stop it.