I've been away from the forum for a while but I'm back. Always got such good suggestions before and don't know where else to go.
History: I have 2 girls going to be 5yrs old in the spring. I live alone and work.
Things were going along OK for a while. For the 1st 2 1/2 yrs I lived in an apt (carpeted thru out) and put both girls in a large Xpen (locked) during the day while I worked and let them out to play in special areas where I could watch them in the morning before I went to work and then again when I came home at night. I took them out for a daily walk and they went on a group walk once a week. On the weekends they were out of the xpen most of the day supervised. If I left the house they went back to the xpen. They also slept in the xpen at night where ea had a separate crate (unlocked crate doors) and pee pad in the middle. During the day they had water, food and toys. I remove at night.
Potty training was 'OKish' since they were in the Xpen area a lot. One girl caught on fast and never has accidents. The other, not so much!
About a year ago I moved to a smaller apt which had pergo floors that I could clean easily. So I gated off my bedroom (carpeted and the bathroom) and let them roam free in the rest of the apt during the day. (the whole apt is only 700 sq ft) I still kept the Xpen up and it has food, water, bedding, pee pad etc. At night they still sleep there (altho crates have been removed now). I have noticed that the one who never seemed to get it is now going potty wherever she wants. If there is something on the pee pad she will not use it. If I put a new one down she goes and uses it immediately then won't go on it again. I am constantly changing them. She likes to stay right by the front door to sniff and will pee there. (But, at least she can't ruin the floor!)
Long story short. I have to move again next week and the new apt is about the same size but carpeted all thru except the kitchen and bathroom.I am frantic! I can't chance letting them roam free. No pee on the carpet!! I feel bad putting them back in the xpen all day again since it seemed they were so happy to run around and got lots of exercise. Or gate them in the kitchen (then they will think the kitchen is the potty room). Maybe they are too old to stay in that xpen or kitchen all day. I don't know what to do.
Also I feel I will be punishing the one who never makes a mistake because the other one is not doing what she should. The one who hasn't gotten it right is the alpha dog! I can't lock one up in the xpen and leave the other out. So what I do for one I have to do for both.
Help. They have never been crate trained in a locked crate. I hope there is another way to train the potty pooper!
Please help!