[DanielleK]

It sounds like your pup has way too much freedom.

I suggest buying a crate and an xpen. This has worked WONDERFULLY for us and Brody was 11 weeks old when we brought him home.

Right now we have the xpen pretty small, and lined the open area with pee pads and then have his crate in there. We crate him on a schedule and when we let him out into the xpen, he needs to go potty on the pads (now we have a Rascal, but before that it was pads) before he can come out and play. Since I know he did his potty business, we let him out with us either in the yard or the house for about an hour of playtime (still watching him like a hawk though, b/c he is young.)

Then he goes back in his crate for some naptime and water and food. After about two hours we repeat the process.

It really sets them up for success. They will "hold it" while crated by nature b/c they do not like to soil their own den. Then when you let them out, it is into the pen not just out to run around, so they have no choice but to 'do their business' right where you want them to. (If in the beginning they do not go on the pads in a minute or two, put them back in the crate for about ten minutes or so and then try again. Do not take them out of the pen to play until they go on the pads. The first few days this might be time consuming and you may feel like they are never going to 'go' and be able to come out, but they'll get it eventually.) THen when they do go on the pads, give them a treat and lots of praise and let them out for some social and exercise and play time. Limit the play time according to their age (if they are young they will be more apt to have more accidents). Then after play time put them in the xpen to potty if they have to, and if they don't after a few minutes, put them in the crate. The time in the crate goes by their age, as well.

I would get rid of that rug, or at the *very least* get some Nature's Miracle and give it a very thorough cleaning and take it up for now. Also clean the floor underneath that rug with Nature's Miracle to kill the scent that will attract your pup back to that are. If you can, don't let him near that area unsupervised. You want to get him as far away from the bad behavior as possible, so that while he's learning what you do want, he's forgetting the bad habits.

At this point I would not give him free run of the house. Small rooms under close supervision. Or leash him to you.