Really--what works?

While they may be mostly trained at 4 months it is still not unusual to have accidents. Keeping them close to you without free reign everywhere will help.
I use Natures Miracle for any accidents.

I second the Nature's Miracle. You can buy it at Petsmart. It neutralizes the enzymes which cause odor... also takes up any stain.

Keep the pup tethered to you rather than let her loose all over the house. Until she is reliably potty trained, you don't want her to be able to hide from you in another room to pee or poop. Even when she's reliable about pottying, you still don't want to give such a young dog full access to the house. There are simply too many attractive things to get into (think chewing furniture, swallowing socks, pulling the toilet paper off the roll, eating remote controls); it's a safety issue for the pup.

I'll second Nature's Miracle. We bought a huge bottle of it when Tucker was potty training so that we wouldn't have to constantly shampoo the rugs. It works great.

We use Resolve for pet stains. Our vet suggested we crate trained our pup and it didn't take her long at all. Basically just keeping her in the crate, taking her out for potty...if she potties outside, she gets to stay out for a period of time. If she doesn't go potty, back in the crate for 20-30 mins, then try for potty again. It really worked in no time. Also, figuring out her signals was a big help. When she first started getting it in her head she had to go outside to potty, she would just rest her hand on my leg or arm. At first I didn't get it but then I'd realize she'd have an accident afterwards, or start pacing, and realized that was her way of telling me I need to go!! So look for things like that with potty training as well Good luck!!

Nature's Miracle!!!

Our girl, Joy, is 6 1/2 months old, and she only has access to the kitchen (it's baby-gated) unless my husband and I are directly supervising her. We know folks whose dog didn't have free run of the house until he was over a year old, and even then, the dog is not allowed in certain areas. Joy doesn't seem to mind - the kitchen is where I usually am, anyway!

I use Natures Mircale and I also have a hoover steam cleaner. I shampoo my carpets after Bailey has had an accident.

I have the "Little Green Machine" by Bissell. It is WONDERFUL!! My Maggie had a sensitive tummy in her later years and I needed something to get the puke stains out. I use the pet stain/odor formula. I use it now if Hank has an accident on the carpet.

This machine isn't a carpet shampooer, it's for small spots and stains.

Ditto on the Nature's Miracle and I have one of those Bissell Spot Shot things, too - that takes the Little Green cleaner stuff cuz Max has random pukes. (Not often, once in a while, we live in the woods and he sometimes eats weird stuff.)
We gave him free access to the house almost right away, but I was home so he was never far from my sight.

I'm so sad. Do you let your puppies walk around your homes? What do I do, keep her in the crate unless I can be working directly with her? She is 4 months.

Nature's Miracle for the first part. Riley is 14 weeks old. She hasn't had an accident in at least 2 weeks. But I stay on her pretty well. We have 2 baby gates up. They keep her confined to 1/2 of the house. We keep the bedroom and bathroom doors on that side of the house closed. Mostly she goes to the door when she has to go out but even so I take her frequently, even when she doesn't ask. I praise her greatly when she does go. Sometimes I let her in the other half of the house but only if I'm with her. If I turn my back she will have a shoe, part of a plant, a pillow from the couch, a magazine and basically anything else that is not nailed down!

jenlaur said:

I'm so sad. Do you let your puppies walk around your homes? What do I do, keep her in the crate unless I can be working directly with her? She is 4 months.

Nature's Miracle for the first part. Riley is 14 weeks old. She hasn't had an accident in at least 2 weeks. But I stay on her pretty well. We have 2 baby gates up. They keep her confined to 1/2 of the house. We keep the bedroom and bathroom doors on that side of the house closed. Mostly she goes to the door when she has to go out but even so I take her frequently, even when she doesn't ask. I praise her greatly when she does go. Sometimes I let her in the other half of the house but only if I'm with her. If I turn my back she will have a shoe, part of a plant, a pillow from the couch, a magazine and basically anything else that is not nailed down!

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I could have written the OP.
We have a 4 1/2 month and she saw my sons hop over the baby gates and now she pulls or jumps over them--just like my boys do. She mainly stayed in the kitchen/side room but because she learned Houdini tricks she now is either on a leash next to me or in her crate.

I feel bad keeping her in the crate for extended periods of time when she could be in the kitchen but escapes--any ideas on how to unteach her jumping over the gates.

And... great ideas for retraining potty training.

Do you let your puppies walk around your homes?

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Yes, most of the day. Bailey is housetrained. She rarely has accidents anymore, only when we don't see her sitting by the door when she needs to go out.

I use White Vinegar.

I used a steam carpet cleaner and plain carpet soap. We had white berber.

She may be too young to come and find you to let her out. Keep her confined a little better and watch for the signals, as suggested. It takes a while for them to understand they have to indicate SOMETHING.

Penny never did bark at the door. She paces and stares at us, panting.

On America's Funniest Videos I saw a Westie who ever so gently put her/his paw on a counter bell...the kind you tap when a clerk has left the counter area. It was so cute. Her mom was on the phone in the background. I think little Westie rang the bell about 6 times, very gently and had a pleading look on her face.

You can teach this by using the 'touch' trick.

Nature's Miracle is great, and it is best if the pup does not watch you clean up. The keyto housebreaking is preventing any accidents in the first place, since dogs tend to do again what they just did recently. If you can string several successful weeks together of outside potty, you'll accomplish youre goal, however any inside accident sets you back many, many days. Be sad with yourself, not the puppy; she is just doing what comes naturally. Make it your big focus for two weeks, and you'll see results. Praise her for going outside, teach her a phrase like "hurry up" or "get busy" to associate with going potty, and ignore any mistakes inside completely( but prevent those mistakes through wise management). The pup will go after all meals, after sleeping or drinking, after playing or chewing. . . get her out at all these times and only let her have free time for 30 minutes sessions when she is "empty".