[DBlain]

is anyone else home at during the period of time you are gone? IMHO you can not train a puppy when you are not there.

True some people are gone for that many hours during the day but not normally with a puppy. I really doubt anyone here will be able to help you. You bought a puppy home at 8 weeks, are gone 12-13 hours a day, most members would have told you both of these things are not a good idea anyway.

I think it is cruel to get a puppy only to lock it up in a big bathroom for more than half the day for most of every week. The bathroom probably does not even have any windows the pup can see out of. I assume you sleep about 7 or 8 hours, where is the puppy then, probably in a crate or the bathroom again. What about the other 4 hours you are up when home, I assume you have chores and things to take care of, what about the puppy then where is he and how much attention does he get. I think the puppy is frustrated and lonely and in a way probably pissed at you, I surely would be. When I worked long hours I had a dog walker, if you can't do that then do the right thing, rehome the pup to a person that has more time for it.

I was told by several vets, plus from experience that not all dogs are not happy peeing and pooping on pad. Lola is 100% outside housebroken, but when I got her I tried to train her like my last dog. I would lock her up for hours in the morning trying to wait it out while she used the paper, when she finally went it was not on the paper and she would walk all through it. I would be outside the door peeking in every 10 min or so, and sure enough even in that short span of time if she pooped it would be all over her, the walls and door. Lola would just not use the papers, no matter how hard I tried. However she took to going outside like no dog I have ever seen. I know the papers are necessary for lots of people but don't think it's some type of magic that dogs just know how to use. My last guy was 98% paper trained yet when mad at me for doing awful like daring to walk to the curb to get the mail without him, he would pee by the door or a kitchen mat. Dogs will also often regress when things change and when they are upset, going back to work was probably the trigger.