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At about 6 months old, it seems lots of male dogs start marking. It's a natural behavior and there's not much you can do about it, and that may make pad training difficult. They often mistake carpets, rugs, or pillows for pads, and some dogs just never really learn that this one specific piece of material in this spot here is where I have to go. It's kind of a difficult concept for dogs. Why can't you go back to using the pads you were using in the first place that he was successful on?
If you insist on pad training, you're going to have to make time to supervise, or crate him when you can't so he doesn't go in the wrong place. Make sure to take him to his pad frequently (like, every 20-30 minutes), and praise and reward for going in the correct spot. If you catch him having an accident, interrupt with a word like "Oops!" and rush him to his pad. You don't want to scold him, as that might teach him that going in front of you is bad, and then he'll sneak off and pee. When you can't 100% supervise, crate him.
Is there a certain reason why you can't take him outside, other than it being inconvenient for you? Honestly, it sounds like it's going to be easier to train him to go only outside, especially with the marking and your roommates. Plenty of people live in multilevel apartments and successfully potty train their dogs, it just takes a bit of forethought and time.
Make sure to clean up any old accidents with an enzymatic cleaner like Nature's Miracle to eliminate the scent.
If you insist on pad training, you're going to have to make time to supervise, or crate him when you can't so he doesn't go in the wrong place. Make sure to take him to his pad frequently (like, every 20-30 minutes), and praise and reward for going in the correct spot. If you catch him having an accident, interrupt with a word like "Oops!" and rush him to his pad. You don't want to scold him, as that might teach him that going in front of you is bad, and then he'll sneak off and pee. When you can't 100% supervise, crate him.
Is there a certain reason why you can't take him outside, other than it being inconvenient for you? Honestly, it sounds like it's going to be easier to train him to go only outside, especially with the marking and your roommates. Plenty of people live in multilevel apartments and successfully potty train their dogs, it just takes a bit of forethought and time.
Make sure to clean up any old accidents with an enzymatic cleaner like Nature's Miracle to eliminate the scent.
