Bostons & Pee Pads

by Ashley
(Baltimore)

I have a 4-month old Boston and I absolutely love him! He has been a really good puppy, learning quickly and generally behaving. I am training him to go potty on pee pads so that he doesn't need me to take him out because I work a lot of hours (usually 10-12 per day).

I have a pad placed on every floor of the house, and he was getting really good at going only on the pads, and he knew where the pads were placed in the house. I was using positive reinforcement with treats. However a couple weeks ago he stopped using the pads when I was around -- he wouldn't run over to the pad like he had been doing before. It seemed as though he just couldn't hold it and would sometimes go right in front of me (other times he would run upstairs and go up there before I could run after him).

He seemed to know what he had done and that it was wrong. Does anyone have an idea of why he would just stop using the pads he had come used to using? Is there a technique I should employ besides just positive reinforcement? Thanks!