What I do for grown dogs who don't know how to hold it for outside:
For a few days, I attach them via a leash to my waist, whenever they are out of the crate or not outside. Therefore, they have to follow me every where I go. This attaches them to me literally, and emotionally, too. They can get really bored while I'm sitting down doing something and they will eventually lie down. That's what I want them to do, especially if they are attention hounds.
While I'm in the house with the dogs, I narrow down the rooms they have available if they are off the leash. Then, I play with them on the floor of those rooms, or just sit and pet them there, so they can get the idea that this is their den. Most dogs do not want to pee where they hang out. This is why our back room and one of our bedrooms (seldom used) have become the regular victims of the odd dog. The regular dogs who live here never make a mess in the house because they know that we like all these rooms and want to keep them clean.
I have a dog here now who thinks the back room is THE place to go in the night (he's an 100 lb Weimaraner, so I don't have a crate that big). Once we found the first stain, we closed that room off and he hasn't peed inside since.
The other advantage of tying the dog to you for a few hours every day is that if you do catch him trying to mark or chew on something, you can correct him right away, which will help him learn the limits.
Karen
