My gizmo is 8 months old now, and he still has accidents in the house. We also gate him in the kitchen when we leave. But he still does it on the rugs in there, even when there is a pee pad down. My vet and my breeder told me that there urinary tract is not mature until they are somewhere around a year, so they can have accidents. He said the same about his bowls. But over all he is really good about knowing where to go. They also said that we should always have the dog know that we are the alpha dog. I know that sounds stupid, but I think its working for me. When we are sitting somewhere, always make sure the dog is lower than you. Because to dogs, who sits the highest, eats first, is the alpha dog. The one thats in control. But anyway, when we take him out to piddle, we make him sit in the door way and let us walk out the door first, and then we tell him to come out. Its about being the boss. It has done us lots of good here, hope it can help you too!!! Good luck, Heather
