"mike d." spoke these words of wisdom in
:

Is the dog possibly ill, or possibly not being given adequate
opportunity to get outside to defecate?
My dog has been with us for around five years, and he has crapped in
the
house on maybe five occasions in that time, and it was because he was
ill and couldn't hold it long, and nobody was in the house to let him
outside.
On this subject, I would like to ask anyone who would answer:
How long does it usually take to house-break a puppy?
I ask this because my friend has a boxer, and it took him well over six
months, and the dog still hasn't got the procedure down pat yet. I
suspect my friend is using bad training techniques(rub the puppy's nose
in feces! and yell or hit the dog) and this may contribute to it. I
remember as a child, my mother housebroke several puppies for her lady
friends who had to work every day, because my mom was home at our house,
and I swear I recall dogs being housebroken in less than seven days. Is
this the way other people here remember it? Thanks, Mike.

Vigilence has a lot to do with housebreaking reliability.
The Monks of New Skete have the BEST book I've ever read on housebreaking a
puppy. If the dog does not have medical issues, I can't see how someone who
follows that book could not have a housebroken dog. It's the most
comprehensive book on the subject that I've ever seen.
http://www.amazon.com/Evans-Guide-Ho.../dp/0876055420
Some breeds are harder than others. The hardest I ever had was a Jack
Russell Terrier. It took 4 months. I did everything that has produced
excellent success results. One dog NEVER had an accident in the house until
he had a medical problem at 4 years old. But it took EXTREME vigilence from
the time before he was weaned and his mother quit washing him to do that.
Tuck was housebroken at 6 weeks old, and i thought it took him a long time.
Individuals vary.