We have kind of the same situation, my bf and I both work full time across town from our home, and neither one of us can make it home for lunch and be back to work in an hour.
When she first came home we were placing her on the pad every time she started to sniff around and praised her redicliously and gave her treats when she went pee or poop on the pad. That went on for a month or so with a few accidents here and there but never scolding her for them.
I am the first to get home in the afternoon, so as soon as I do we go outside in the backyard (I bring treats with me) and we play and wait for a while until she goes, then of course reward.
Consistancy is the key, our dog has free reign of the place while we are gone and there are no accidents because she has the pad alternitave in the bathroom.
I find that while we are gone during the day that she sleeps almost all day and has a full bladder when I get home so that part of the routine makes it so easy to reward her for going outside.
All it took for me was the 5-15 min after work before I sit down to relax to go out with my pup and play until she has to go pee and now whenever we go outside for the rest of the evening she knows to use the bathroom out there. |