would this be an okay thing to do ... or completely barking?!

[Dieu]

Hello everyone. As some of you may know, we are having some trouble with 7 month old Shih Tzu's house (toilet) training. We are able to keep on top of it far more when we are home, but it's hard to know what to do for the best when we go out. I don't leave out a puppy pad as we left those behind ages ago, so it would feel like a confusing step backwards for him. So I had just resigned myself to coming home to accidents on the floor. He is not crated (and I have no intention of doing so) and is left in the lounge/kitchen area. He's not destructive, so it works quite well and is less stressful for him than the crate proved to be. I should add that we don't leave him often, or for very long.
Our garden is just off the lounge, and it's this back door we always use to let him in the garden. So how would this be as an idea: would it be okay, do you think, to leave the back door open while we go out for an hour or two? Our garden is totally enclosed, very safe, and absolutely impossible for anyone else to access.
I'm thinking that at least this way he might go out to relieve himself, but it just feels a little ... wrong. Not sure why, as the chances of him harming himself are very slim.
What are your thoughts?
Thanks.

Personally I wouldn't. Dog thieves are very crafty and an enclosed garden would not stop them.

I would rather come home and clear up the wee.

I would also crate or at least confine the dog if they are only left for short periods. The weeing could be down to anxiety which could be alleviated by giving the dog its own quiet space. But you know your dog and are with it 24/7 so absolutely do what is right for you re crating

Thanks Mary. We are in a basement flat, but the back garden is very high up off street level, so it really would be a mission impossible type scenario to access it! I should add that there's also no way for him to jump down (huge stone walls). At this time of year, he's used to using it for quick toilet stops and nothing else.
Even my behaviourist supports my decision not to crate him. Long story, but it doesn't work for him on several counts.
Thanks again for your reply.

Oh, missed your reply there potap123. Yes, I thought about a dog flap, as we also have a cat so it would be rather useful. In the interim though, I wasn't sure if there would be much difference between this and leaving the door open.

I guess it depends on where you live. My friend does it.

I personally wouldn't, but I like to come home to a nice warm house. I think I would get a dog flap from amazon on meet day delivery.

I wouldn't , and besides which surely long term you need him to learn that he has to hold on , I think I'd persevere . What do you do when you get home and find accidents as opposed to when you get home and there are none ?

I don't know Floralnomad, as I'm hopeful that this will one day come ...

Like a ppl said your insurance would probably be invalid if they knew you left the door open when you go out...you're supposed to secure your home

Your house would be freezing if you left the door open! And your house insurance would certainly be invalid, you'd basically be inviting burglars in. Definitely a dog flap, if you only have a Shih Tzu then you won't need a very big one. It frightens me when people have massive dogs that have dog flaps, if they're big enough for a big dog to get through, they're big enough for a burglar!

That's what we did we live in a very private quite close only neighbours and delivery people go by we just left the back door ajar. Now at 9 months dog is totally house trained absolutely didn't pee on the hardware shop floor yesterday
We have just bought a large catflap (microchipped) and put that in --little sod won't use it. Only thing to remember is that intentionally leaving back door open invalidates your house insurance.