Hi, this is going to be kind of long but there's a lot of backstory. Please bear with me, I need help!
I have a three year old rottweiler/poodle mix. When I got him, my family lived in Long Island where we have a big backyard. He was never actually housebroken because we would just let him run around the backyard randomly. He would have accidents in the house sometimes but there were seldom consequences. I moved to the city a few months ago and brought my dog with me. I started a routine with him to walk him first thing in the morningn and at 10p before we settled in for the night. It was working well but then about two weeks into it my schedule at work changed so I could only do the night walk every other day. This didnt seem to cause too much of a change, he still had an accident once in a while but rarely. About six weeks ago I came down with bronchitis and pneumonia so I would walk him in the morning but by the time I got home in the afternoons I just couldnt make it up and down from my sixth floor walkup apt. My boyfriend would walk him when he was over at that time but this was sporadic. He's been having accidents increasingly since then. Its gotten to the point where I fully expect to find a mess when I get home from work everyday. When I do I take him over and I say "NO!! NO!!" and hit him (not overly hard) on the nose. I know you're only supposed to admonish them when you catch them in the act, but I can't think what else to do.

Can someone please suggest a way I can get him to stop going in the house while I'm gone - if I'm home all day he won't have an accident, even if he's only been walked in the morning. Evening walks are becoming less frequent so I know I'm partially to blame but it can't be helped. I've been trying to make up for it by taking him out for longer in the morning but I'm out of the house for at least 12 hours each day, sometimes 14 (work, gym, etc). Also is there a better way to get across to him that he can't go in the house if I come home and find an accident? I am open to anything at this point, even using newspaper or pads as long as it won't make my small apt smell like a kennel. I love my dog and I HATE how scared/sad he gets when he gets punished for having an accident and I surely don't want to send him to Long Island where I'll only see him every once in a while. Thank you, thank you thank you for any help

I am sorry if I offend you but it has to be said, you are leaving him for 12-14 hours a day and you are wondering why he is making a mess. I could not go that amount of hours without wanting to use the toilet could you?. It seems to me you have 2 options, 1, get someone to go in and take him out during the day. 2, find the dog a home where he will have company and can be taken out, not shut in all day. It is not the dogs fault at all, you have changed the routine more than once. Ill health cannot be helped but if you cannot look after him the way he should be, find someone who can. He does not deserve to be smacked and you are wrong to do so.Sorry but you did ask and I am sure other people on here will agree with me.You should not have a pet if you cannot give it your time.----Aggy

An adult dog that is fully potty trained can hold their bladders for up to 10 hours... but that is really a max and is usually at night with a lot of sleeping involved. I would guess, especially since this doesn't happen while you are home... that he really needs to go. If a dog door is not an option, I would say creating a space for him in the house to go is your only other option. Paper training is not something I would normally suggest because the boundaries are so unclear to dogs... but it can work. Try leaving some paper down in the kitchen. He should choose that over the carpet pretty soon.

I have to agree with Aggy on this one. She stated your 2 options and I agree there's not much else you can do. Being away from home for 12-14 hours a day is a loong time. What if you were stuck in the house that long? You get thirsty so you drink water, then, you gotta go to the bathroom, but there's no way to get to it until someone came home. There's only so long you can go and I would never expect my dogs or any dog for that matter to hold it for that long! If I was gone I'd definately expect a mess when I got home, and then I'd clean it up without yelling or hitting. You should NEVER hit your dog. That's not a way to punish them, and your dog is beginning to fear you!

Not to mention, making him hold it for that long can cause UTI's which you would have to take him to the vet for.

My husband and I are gone 10 hours a day due to work. We have our neighbor come over everyday, sometimes twice a day to let the dogs out. There are also dogwalkers you can hire to come by once a day. That's always a big help. I'd suggest if you are unable to afford a dogwalker to come by, then maybe you should give this dog to a good home where they will have time for him.