[Bhikku]

My boy Ollie is getting into a really bad habit. He's good about going to the bathroom when he's taken outside, but he's starting to sneak off and poop or pee in the house when I'm not looking.

I keep him penned in the living room with me, but it's easy for him to slide under the papasan and get out of sight beside the couch or around the corner leading into the hallway. I found an old pile of poop under the coffee table in the study where I close him in at night, even though there was a used pee pad right near his crate. This morning, I found one under the plant stand, even though I had just taken him outside to do his thing.

I try to take him outside to go to the bathroom most of the time because I want him to eventually be totally housebroken (maybe leave a pee pad for emergencies), but in the middle of the night, I just put him on the pee pad and let him go there because it's so cold outside. He'll use the pee pad right away if he's been crated and "holding it" for three hours...but if he's loose in the house he'll just pee wherever he's standing.

So my question is - am I moving too fast? Should Ollie be crated in the living room with me when I'm not directly watching/playing with him? I hate crating him after he's been cooped up by himself all day except for an hour reprieve at lunch, but I have housework and other things to do; I can't watch him constantly.

Any other housebreaking tips you have would be great as well. Thanks!