I have trained both a Shih-tzu and Pom. by crate training and now Gizmo(all males). I know my vet very well and I have done it exactly the way he told me too and it has worked. During the first few days(sometimes a few weeks) unless you are playing with him, feeding him, bathing him, or taking him to potty, he stays in the crate. I train to go outside in a certain spot in my yard. If he make a mistake inside, I blot or pick it up with TP or whatever and I take it(yes take it) to the spot you want him to go and put it under a rock or something(yucky for a few days). If you just clean it up and put it in the toilet, they learn to continue to potty there and it just goes away. They will associate the smell with the correct place to go. Every time you take in out of the crate during the training mode, go directly to potty. Gizmo is 18wks old and now he only gets put into the crate with the door closed at night. During the day he goes in by himself and goes to bed. When he wakes up now, he goes to the door so I will take him to potty. He has been a little harder than the other two breeds but I think it is because he is smaller. They do learn though. This has worked for me and a lot of people I know. Hope it helps.
