Hi! We have just got a west highland terrier puppy last week. He is 9 weeks old and we are persevering with toilet training. I know it can take up to six months but at the moment, he soils the crate so we have abandoned the idea of shutting the door! I would be grateful if someone could tell me if I am doing the right thing:

I get up in the morning at 6AM and put him out, praising and treating him when he goes outside, saying "busy boy, good boy!". I take him out after feeding, sleeping and playing and the funny thing is, he will now go outside and do his business and look at me for a treat so it seems he is getting the message but I want to discourage him from going INSIDE as he does this very frequently, especially over night or if we are out for any perod of time, even if he has gone outside beforehand. I think he might have some separation anxiety as it just takes 5 minutes out of the room and he cries and wets the floor. However, he doesn't cry for very long. I have put puppy pads down on the floor, just to make it easier to clean up if anything! He tends to mess on the pads but occasionally he will go in the middle of the floor. He is confined to the kitchen and will sleep in his crate sometimes. He has gone three hours without messing if we are around but it's when he is alone when it all goes to pot! I have even left my t-shirt with him which helped for one night but despite renewing my scent every time, the effect has worn off!

Any tips?