I'd just like to say, it's not just american dogs. Alfie was very difficult to house train, I used pads and sometimes he was pretty good but most times he would just tare them to shreds. Looked like we'd had a snow storm inside most days. He's almost 1 now[ wed 17th] but still has the accident. Rosie is doing o.k so long as the weather is fine, she hates the rain, but so did Alfie as a baby, though it wasn't very nice when I descovered she'd been useing the space behind the sofa as a toilet. We live and learn.