Help with rescue dogs PLEASE!

[Lavabravacava]

Three weeks ago we took two lovely little dogs from a refuge. In many ways they are great. They are good with my children and have adorable little characters.

HOWEVER they use my house as a toilet! No matter how many times they are out every day, no matter how long they are out, when they come 'home' they will sneak off and do the toilet somewhere.

Yesterday it was so bad I wanted to take them back to the refuge. I had them out ALL morning, came in for lunch and then one snuck off and covered the bathroom floor in his toilet. I cleaned it up while my kids had lunch, sat down for my own lunch and then I realised the other dog looked sheepish. I looked in my DD room and the floor was covered. I have no idea how the dog could make so much mess, but there you go!
Took them out again after lunch, brought them in and one peed all over the couch.

I took them out twice more before bed, but getting up this morning they have peed all over their bed. I've just walked them round the garden at 6am and neither has done the toilet. I can't take them on a proper walk till my kids get up (will be before 8) but I will keep taking them to the garden every 30 mins to minimise the chance of toilering in the house.

So my question is - what can I do? I really want to keep them. I've got up this morning feeling like I can fix this - but yesterday I was despairing.

I really appreciate any Help, I want to do right by these lovely dogs.

Assume they have never been housetrained and treat them as if they were puppies, going right back to basics. Dogs don't want to use the house as a toilet, but they do need to be taught what you want them to do.

There is a very good guide to toilet training here

They don't know you want them to go outside. Limit their access to parts of the house where you can't quickly get them in the garden. Watch them like hawks. Out every 20 minutes. On lead. Praise for toilet. Out after sleep, food, drinks, playing too. The minute you see any sign get them OUT. Praise when they do go outside. Don't tell them off for going in the house. That will just make them hide away somewhere to do it. They won't get that going to the toilet inside is wrong. Just doing it in front of you is!

As pp said assume no house training and go back to basics like a puppy. Limit access to house until you crack it.

Also the fact that they sneak off to toilet in the house may mean they have been punished for it before. Be careful not to react when they do this, but to exaggerate the praise when they do go where you want them to.

Brilliant thanks. Today was a better day. Only one per in the house - and it happened at the most chaotic part of the day when I was getting my 3 kids ready for bed. They did everything else outside today and we made a fuss of them. Will get onto the 'every 20 mins rule' from tomorrow. We had them out with us most of the day today as it's the weekend. Dogs are home with DH tomorrow so he'll get on it.

Well done. Sounds promising.

Sounds silly but are you cleaning up their mess correctly? Normal bleach/cleaners aren't actually strong enough to break down the mess and remove all odour...and if the odour remains they'll keep going to the same spot. I have a special spray I use when house training - let me know if you want a link to it.

Also, if you can convince them to use a puppy pads (or even just newspaper) and then take that outside it helps them understand that's where you want them to go.

As PP have said, just keep at it and give loads of praise and treats when they do. If you want to go a step further, pick a phrase ("go pee" etc) and say it every time they do it outside followed by a treat. If done consistently they'll eventually pee on command.