Housebreaking the dog- HELP!

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We were very brave last month and bought a new dog. We found him matted and filthy at the local shelter, his red fur appearing a dingy brown. He stared at us from a cage filled with newspaper scraps. Fortunately he is a small dog. The room he was in was for the so-called "puppies," yet some of those poor creatures could barely move within their cages, certainly they couldn't exercise as they needed or even roll onto their backs. We asked that he be bathed before he was neutered but that did not happen. We brought him immediately to a rather unimpressive dentist off of Greenville Hwy to determine the cause of his cough. With barely a cursory glance, he was dismissed as having kennel cough. This was not the case. Our dog has asthma. If he overexerts himself or becomes agitated, this goofy palmeranian mix has a wretched, body shaking cough. But we're choosing to find that adorable. The real problem comes whenever we leave the house. We could have just walked him; he could have eaten nothing in hours. When we step beyond the threshold without him, he goes. I'm thinking about investing in carpet cleaning companies. Perhaps the stocks will earn me the money back that I've spent on cleaning, febreze, and odor removing powders. And then there's overnight. I swear the dog is fed on a strict schedule. Sometimes he makes it and we are so happy. But sometimes he doesn't. I'm coming to dread my morning descent down the stairs. Invariably I find something, especially on the landing of the stairs. This is before coffee mind you. BEFORE. Maybe I should move the coffee pot upstairs. We've tried treats and newspapers. We even tried locking him in the kitchen with a baby gate. The dog CLIMBS. He climbs the baby gate, hurts his paws, and then goes on the carpet. If he wasn't so cute I think I would have killed him already. Help please. I want my downstairs to smell nice. I don't want to kick a puppy outside in 30 degree weather. Help.