Okay we have a little yorkie... he is about 9 months old now. We have had him for awhile and haven't been really pro-active in housebreaking him. We got him to get it a little bit for awhile and then we kind of gave up... now he just goes where ever and doesn't even act guilty... partially our fault. But we are sick of it and need to get him trained in like a month or so because we will soon be moving and temporarily staying with my parents till we find a house in the state we are moving to. They will kill us if he pees or poops on their floors not to mention that we don't want him doing it in our new house once we find and buy one.
We tried puppy pads for awhile... he kind of seemed to get it a bit but he often missed the pad by like a couple inches or went so close to the edge that it went all over the floor anyway. We tried training him to go outside too. My concern with that is that he is just a tiny yorkie and we will be living in MI... I just don't think it will work out well in the winter time when there is two feet of snow on the ground. I don't think he will like it and I don't think it will really be healthy for him to be running around in that either... he only weighs like 4 pounds so he is tiny.
Any advice? And also how do we even go about training him in the first place? I think we have a plan figured out about how to tarp off an area outside if we can get him to go outside while we are in MI so that is not an issue. And I would rather he did his business outside anyway. Any ideas would be great. It has been so long since I potty trained a dog that I honestly don't remember how to go about it.
Thanks guys

Talk to your vet, they are always a great source of info. I have had 4 dogs through the years and I have always used the rubb the nose close to the pee and take them outside one and that always has worked for me, but for some dog it won't. You have to have a ton of patience its like training a baby to potty train there's a lot of accidents.

Best of luck

Yes, little Yorkies are so tiny and they're cutie pies. You can't let them fool you though. There is a German Shepherd in their somewhere! ;)

It's is so hard to start house breaking in winter, when there is a lot of snow. The poor little thing would get lost! You better get him a little sweater or he'll shiver to death.

I'm not a big fan of puppy pads, but if he knows the puppy pad, take it outside. When you catch him peeing inside, stay calm, no words are needed, other than a quick and firm NO! Just matter of factly take him right out and put him on his pad. You'll probably need to do this many times, but I think by now you probably know his routine, and when it's about time for him to go.

It would actually best to have him on a leash when you take him out. Repeat that several times a day, whether he has to go or not. When and if he does go, give him MAJOR praise, and even give him a treat, so he knows that this is how he receives love and attention.

Also, how often do you take him out for walks? If you drain his energy, (and don't think that just because he's small that he has any less than a bigger dog) he will be easier for you to house train, and be a much better pet overall.

Winter will be a little tricky when you get to your parents, to excersise him. Try and keep him active with throwing toys etc. It would be great if you or your parents have a treadmill. That is what I'm getting this winter for my fur babe. It's not too hard to get them to walk on it really, and it better than freezing their butts off... LOL!

Good luck to you! :)

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Originally Posted by mishelly3

talk to your vet, they are always a great source of info. I have had 4 dogs through the years and I have always used the rubb the nose close to the pee and take them outside one and that always has worked for me, but for some dog it wont. You have to have a ton of patience its like training a baby to potty train theres alot of accidents.

Best of luck

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I'm sorry Mishelly, no offence intended, but never ever ever!. rub their noses in it. Everyone used to think this was the way to go, but there are other ramifications by going that route. You really need to let your dog know who their packs leader is, and take on that role. It's true that you sometimes need to treat them like children when trying to teach them, but just as you wouldn't rub your children's noses in their pee, it won't work for your dog either. ;)

I was also going to mention, as this might also help. Since you have a tiny dog, when you catch him peeing, pick him up by the scruff of his neck, just like his mother would. Take him outside like that. He may cry or yelp, but this won't hurt him. He will only cry or yelp because he is objecting to what you are doing, just like a child would cry if he was held by his arm and made to sit on the potty. You kind of have to think of how a mother of a pack handles her young.

I suggest you clean the areas where he potties the most with good enzime removing cleaner. Those spots have been flagged as restroom areas to his little nose. Give him pleanty of opportunities to do his business outside, and reward him well when he does. When he is inside watch him closely for any signs of needing to go. A crate may be useful to you.

I just responded to a somewhat similar post. You should get some puppy training books, and start from step one. Here is the link to my recommendations:

https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/dogs/p...ng-280196.html

By the way, it's always important to be consistent with training from the beginning. Waiting until the pup is 9 months before taking it seriously is just asking for trouble.

Good luck. Invest your time and energy in the right way, and your pup's behaviors will follow.

Thanks guys! Im going to try a mixture of all of this advice!
In the past when we had dogs we always put their noses right up by the spots and then took them out and that always worked. But I also really like the idea of picking him up by the scruff of his neck... im going to feel bad about doing it but hopefully he will learn quicker that way.
One of my friends suggested that after cleaning the carpets really good that I use that bitter spray on the spots that he usually goes to because it helps them stay away from that area in the future... they did this with their dog and it worked right away!


linnealand

I saw on the link you gave me that you have your puppy trained to outside and have puppy pads inside... how well does that work? I want to do something like this for times when we are not home so he can go in an appropriate place but I'm not sure how to train him on both... doesn't that confuse him? I plan to get the book how to housebreak your dog in 7 days... does it address this in that book?
Thanks everyone for your advice...
And to clarify the reason we waited so long is because he was deathly sick when we got him and the vet asked us not to take him outside till he was better and fully vaccinated. Not an excuse but that is what happened.

OK, let's go down the list.

Most professionals will recommend teaching your dog to go outside as the exclusive solution. However, there are many people who need to use wee wee pads (like the elderly, people who live in high rises, etc.) for various reasons, and it's actually very easy to teach a pup to use them.

Buy the pads that contain an odor that attracts the pup to pee on it. Also, certain brands are really, really odor absorbent, which was important to us. We had Gridlock brand pads sent to us from overseas because their rating was so high on Amazon. They're good. Shop around and see what you like best. If you're keeping him in a smallish area at that time, he'll probably figure it out for himself. (by the way, if he is in a smallish area, keep his food, water, toys and bed as far away from that part as possible.) if he's not using it, you can always rub a tiny bit of his urine (use a cotton ball) or poop on the pad, and that will make it even clearer to him. Actually, when we first started, our pup was 8 weeks old. We kept several pads out at a time, and then we moved them closer together. Then we eliminated the extras, so now there's only one.

If one day you decide that you don't want to use wee wee pads ever again, you'll just have to be vigilant about taking him out extra times per day on a tight schedule. A dog will quickly learn the system given consistency, a little time, and a lot of big praise every single time he does the right thing. (if a dog has been using wee wee pads exclusively, as in never going out to pee, I've also heard that they can start by taking the wee wee pads outdoors and working up from there.)

The reason everyone on the planet doesn't use a combination of wee wee pads and going outside is because it is potentially more confusing than just using one or the other. Honestly, it has worked out great for us. I think this is really because we have kept training him as if he were only to go outside, and we've had him on a fixed "going out" schedule. If it's pouring outside, or if he can't hold it for some reason, he can use the pad. Truly, if he's going to pee in the house, I want it to be on a pad. He seems to strongly agree, although going outdoors is still his favorite method. In any case, he started peeing on the pads from the very beginning, and we really have had a minimal amount of accidents. The only thing is that every now and then he will pee half on the pad and half off it, so we make sure to keep the pad on a surface that is very easy to clean. We keep ours by the front door.

About interrupting inappropriate peeing by picking them up by the scruff of the neck: I've read that you make a distracting noise (like from a can with a few pennies in it or even a clap) and just pick your pup up and move him to the appropriate place. That worked for me, and there was no scruff involved. I know that es do this with their tiny pups, but I'm always afraid of hurting them somehow. I don't know if it's okay for adult dogs, for example, and 9 months is getting close.

I've always heard that you should consistently put food down wherever a dog is peeing in the house, especially if it's always in the same place. The idea is that dogs do not want to pee or poop where they eat. It works, but it takes some time. You divide their meals into smaller plates, and put one at each of the places its been peeing in. also, keep the plates there. I've never thought of putting bitter yuck or similar products in those areas, but it's good to know that it has worked for you. Of course, the spots should always be cleaned with a product specifically made for removing the odor of dog urine. Lots of people recommend "nature's miracle." also, don't clean with ammonia. To dogs, it smells like urine and encourages them to pee there.

Okay, that's a beginning... :) when you go to get the book, browse! Now that I have raised a puppy with training books, I can't imagine what it would have been like without them. There is so much great information out there, and it will only make your lives easier. I wish you luck! Let us know how things go.

Good tips Linney, I had to spread the rep. Perhaps I really should have made myself a little more clear with holding the dog by the scruff. The general idea, is that it reminds them of their mother, and their instincts kick in. This doesn't mean to just grab them only by the scruff. You can support them by putting your other hand under them. That was my fault that I didn't make that clear.

It's just the sensation of being grabbed by the scruff. I have always used this method to train my dogs. I use it in different training situations. I also use it when giving affection. They have always seemed to pick up on the fact that I am the mother... or in other words, their pack leader.

I got a very interesting daily news letter today, that I signed up for long ago, which is very helpful. If you go to Eukanuba.com, right now they are offering a free dog training video, along with a free money off coupon. They also have a daily online puppy training video, where you can watch different ones daily. It's really cool, and gives some good tips. The site has a ton of other things where you can learn more about your breed of dog. I went through it and looked, and I loved it!

Also, if you want to get the newsletter that I get everday, and is always very interesting and has great info, go to Pet Place:Pet Care Information - Pet Information - Pet Health Information

Good luck with your pup, and I appologise for not clarifying what I meant by picking him up by the scruff. My gosh, that was silly of me. If I was to pick up my Niki like that... oh boy... I'd probably pull her skin right off her... LOL! (she's 45lbs) I would probably put my back out too! ;)

Hey thanks guys! I went out and got the book How to housebreak your dog in 7 days and have already learned a lot from it! Im starting to feel more confident in this. And I just went to the eukanuba site and requested the free dvd and read up on the characteristics of the yorkie. Ive got one question so far on the crate training... the books tells me to confine the dog at like 1:45 and then doesn't say to do anything till like 6... does that mean to leave the dog in his cage that whole time? Im going to feel bad about doing that but I really want him trained.

Hmmmm! If you are home, that seems rather odd to do that. I'm not sure what book you got. I have never crate trained any of my dogs, so I'm not so sure on this one. I do know it's best to give them a very small crate, according to size. They feel more protected that way. But maybe one of the others can answer to that.

I'm glad you ordered your free dvd. I ordered mine too! I always like to get any info I can. I really liked that site. Lots of good and fun info.

In your case, if he isn't used to a crate, I would play enthusiastically with the dog, then confine him (crate should = den or safe place) for a short time at first (an hour?), even lie down on the floor next to the crate to read a magazine or a book, but don't talk to him, then let him out to do his business and to play with you until he is tired, then put him back in for two hours, let him out and go through the same procedure.

Gradually, hour by hour, lengthen the time he stays in the crate, but always greet him heartily when you let him out, potty him, feed him, give him water, play with him energetically while he is out and go for a walk or whatever as you and the dog "bond" and begin to cooperate in your training efforts.

This means you will have to devote a weekend or several days of purposeful training and be consistent. Inconsistency toward husbands, dogs, and children won't train any of them. And remember -- you are now the alpha "dog" so don't give in to him so he continues to think he is the alpha.

But defintely don't punish him or hurt him in any way.

Think of being a parent to him -- be firm but loving.

Good advice Wondergirl. The only thing I really wouldn't do, is excite him when you let him out of the crate. This might cause separation anxiety problems when you are gone. Just walk up, and without words, open the crate door and walk away. When the dog comes out and calms down, then is the time to praise him, but not until. Otherwise, he could be nervous in the crate, just waiting for that big greeting when the door opens.

You shouldn't go to the crate immediately when you come in the door. Let that be as low key as possible. I know it's hard, but just ignore when you first enter the home. Don't let your dog out when he is really excited. You will just have to ignore that. It's not mean, it's a phychological excersise, and they will eventually realise what you expect of them. That will reduce the possibility of other problems arising, that could be harder to fix.

I know, it's hard for me to walk into my door, even though Niki isn't crated, but I don't pet her or talk to her until she has calmed down. Sounds silly doesn't it? They are so happy to see you. But it really does establish your role as the pack leader, and you can love them up to pieces once they have calmed down. They are happy to see you no matter what, so you just have to excersise your control as their leader, and they are much easier to train that way! :)

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Originally Posted by kraussnumber2

Hey thanks guys!! I went out and got the book How to housebreak your dog in 7 days and have already learned a lot from it!! Im starting to feel more confident in this. And I just went to the eukanuba site and requested the free dvd and read up on the characteristics of the yorkie. Ive got one question so far on the crate training....the books tells me to confine the dog at like 1:45 and then doesn't say to do anything till like 6....does that mean to leave the dog in his cage that whole time? Im gonna feel bad about doing that but I really want him trained.

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Wow! That was really fast! I'm impressed.

As for your last question, hmm... I don't think so. The book works for puppies, and that would be too much time for a tiny pup. If you tell me what page you were on, I can take a look for myself.

We used the core of those methods, but without the crate. When our pup came home with us, he already had a crate aversion. I followed all of the tricks and recommendations I could find, but we decided that we would just have to gradually teach him to like the crate and take care of the house training separately. Just the same, it has all worked out. (he is also a zillion times more tolerant of his crate now, but most of the time, he's allowed the run of the house, and the crate door is just left open--with occasional treats inside.)

It was on page 53... schedule no. 3.

I am kind of thinking that is way to long to just leave him in the crate... especially while I am home. Im kind of thinking that we will do the same as far as not using the crate training parts of it.
I am worried about putting him in there because he hurt himself in there a couple times in the past... we were in a different place and he was in there way longer then he normally was and he jumped on the bars so much that his little feet were all cut up and super bloody! It broke my heart! And he couldn't walk for a day both times. The first time wasn't too bad and I hoped he wouldn't do it again but the second time was so bad that I haven't put him back in the cage since. It has been like 3 months or so. But I willing to try it... plus I will be home and it won't be for long so I can watch him and make sure he isn't hurting himself cause I would like to get him used to being in there again.
And I really want him potty trained. I plan on starting the 7 day program listed in the book tomorrow morning. I am going to super clean the floors as much as possible and take him out till he goes tonight so that we can start fresh in the morning. I am hoping that he catches on quickly. My husband is out in the field with the military for ten days so I am hoping to surprise him with progress when he gets back! Thanks!

I was just going to write you actually. Did you check out Pet Place:Pet Care Information - Pet Information - Pet Health Information ? I just got a fantastic news letter today from Dr. Jon.

I'll tell you really quick why it was so helpful. About a month or so ago, I had let Niki outside late at night (into the morn. hrs.) on a Saturday. She quite often likes to go out at night, and I'm a night owl, so it's not unusual. All of a sudden I heard a sound like I have never heard before. It sounded like a flock of geese were in my backyard. I rushed to the door, and there was my little Niki with bulging eyes, and sounding like she was choking. I grabbed her and brought her in and started to do the heimlich maneover oh her, even though I've never done anything like that before. She started throwing up blood, and I was terrified.

I called the emerg vet, and had to wait for several hrs to meet with the vet, and it cost me $100 just to walk through the door. The whole bill at the end was over $300. It ended up she had a lung infection, but she got over it fine with meds, although I hardly slept for a week because I was constantly getting up to make sure she was all right. Anyway, the reason I'm telling you the story, is to say how great this site is. The newsletter today explained what this sound was that she was making. I thought, and others told me, that she was coughing. Well that's not what it was at all. It's called a "reverse sneeze" Quite often it's not a problem, or anything to worry about. (unless of course, like Niki, they start to throw up blood)

So after I got this newsletter, that helped me understand, I decided to check out more of the site info. There is a book and dvd, along with other bonus items, that you can buy right now for $15.00 off the regular price of $39.99. If you just go to the right hand column, you can click on Yorkies, and it will take you to where you can get this book and dvd, on how to 100% potty train your dog in 5 days, or usually less than that.

I thought it might be helpful for you, along with the book Linney recommended. Heck, I'm going to order one. It's only $25 bucks. Even though Niki is completely trained, I've been thinking of getting her a buddy, maybe in the spring. While I was reading about it, I thought of you! Good luck with your housebreaking, and if the book that Linney works fine, then that's great too. I just thought I would mention this to you also. Even if you don't get the stuff from pet place, sign up for the newsletter. You get them everyday, and I have learned tons from them! :)

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Originally Posted by kraussnumber2

it was on page 53....schedule no. 3.

I am kinda thinking that is way to long to just leave him in the crate...especially while I am home. Im kinda thinking that we will do the same as far as not using the crate training parts of it.
I am worried about putting him in there because he hurt himself in there a couple times in the past....we were in a different place and he was in there way longer then he normally was and he jumped on the bars so much that his little feet were all cut up and super bloody! It broke my heart! and he couldn't walk for a day both times. The first time wasn't too bad and I hoped he wouldn't do it again but the second time was soo bad that I haven't put him back in the cage since. It has been like 3 months or so. But I willing to try it...plus I will be home and it won't be for long so I can watch him and make sure he isn't hurting himself cause I would like to get him used to being in there again.
And I really want him potty trained. I plan on starting the 7 day program listed in the book tommorrow morning. I am gonna super clean the floors as much as possible and take him out till he goes tonight so that we can start fresh in the morning. I am hoping that he catches on quickly. My husband is out in the field with the military for ten days so I am hoping to suprise him with progress when he gets back! Thanks!

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Okay, I have the pages in front of me.

"general timetable for 6- to 12-month-old puppy eating 2 meals a day; owner at home all day"

It does say to confine from 1:45 to 6:00. I didn't pick up on that because we were doing it with a 2 month old, and like I said, we had to do it without the crate. Okay, I'm about to mess the details up for the following line, but hopefully someone will jump in to correct me because I can't remember exactly how it goes right now. I think it's something like, in the beginning, what's usually recommended (for daytime) is up to one hour in the crate for every month of the puppy's age; this way it's 2 hours for a 2 month old, 3 hours for a 3 month old, etc. up to a certain point. Then there are other people who say it's one hour for for every month of age, plus one; this would mean up to 3 hours for a 2 month old, etc.

In any case, what I would do is use the core elements of the book, and make whatever adjustments you need, just making sure that the purpose of each action doesn't sway off base. For example, if your pup pees 15 or 20 minutes after he eats or drinks, then adjust your schedule and take him out then. I think the real purpose of the schedule is to use it as a guide. Once you get into his rhythm, just keep going with it and you'll be set.

First of all, it sounds like your poor little pup has some pretty bad anxiety issues with his crate. I definitely would not crate him if he's getting upset like that. I feel like the purpose of that time is just to have some down time. If I were you, I would just keep him in a smaller room, like the kitchen or the bathroom (as suggested in schedule 4, or in the same place as you are so you can keep an eye on him. If you're doing the wee wee pad/outside combo, you can also keep a pad there (especially if this is where his pad is always going to be in the future; if not, you might not want to put it down at all).

As a side note, you can slowly, slowly build up his confidence with the crate. It will take a lot of time, but it will work out. I keep our crate open, and I put little surprises in it every now and then, from toys to treats. Start with very, very short sessions of being in the crate with the door closed, and then work your way up to more and more time. On the dog's side, the whole purpose of the crate is for it to feel like a positive and safe little place of his own.

If I were away and came back to a gift like the one you're going to be presenting to your hubby, I would jump for joy. What a fantastic little idea! I absolutely love it.

Starby, that's an unbelieveable story. You must have been terrified! You poor thing, and poor, poor Niki... I really hope she's is doing better. You know, she is sooo lucky to have you by her side. How does a dog get a lung infection like that? Do you remember the name of the article or the link? I really appreciate the information too, and I will be exploring the site for its goodies. You are one amazing little cat. :)

Thanks Linney. Yes it was very very scary to see Niki like that, and then had to wait for the vet. I guess what happens is, the reversed sneezing can be normal, just like a human sneeze, when they get something in their nose. But then they can also get a cold, or allergies to something, which causes irritation in the nasal passages, and they can swell, and at times their little noses can start to bleed.

In some cases, it can be a symptom of something else happening, as in Niki's case. It is a warning of an upper respiratory viral infection, and I guess that is what happened with Niki. I'm going to ask the vet more about it, when Niki gets her next check-up in Dec. and have them run more tests. I don't want to ever go through that again.

From what I've read, it can even be a symptom of nasal cancer. The vet put Niki on antibiotics, muscle relaxants, and mild pain killers. It seemed to clear up within a week, and she seems fine now, but I want to be sure it's not a symptom of something more serious.

I'll try and paste the link to the newsletter I got today for you.

Sorry I got off topic here folks. I just saw the sale on the housebreaking book etc. and went off in another direction. I appologize Kraussnumber2, for changing the subject here from housebreaking to sneezing. Although, for some of us humans, those two are sometimes related... LOL!

I just tried to copy and paste the link, and it didn't work. I think if you follow the other link, you should be able to find everything though.

My 2 cents about puppy pads and places to "go" indoors is it creates confusion, or at least it did in my shih tzu. I'm not sure he ever got the concept that sometimes it was okay to pee in the house, other times he was marched outdoors when caught tinkling.

That being said, some situations call for it, and he was none the worse for it, lived a long 14 years and it was particularly handy as he aged and couldn't get out in the cold because of arthritis.

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Originally Posted by graffitilvr

my 2 cents about puppy pads and places to "go" indoors is it creates confusion, or at least it did in my shih tzu. I'm not sure he ever got the concept that sometimes it was okay to pee in the house, other times he was marched outdoors when caught tinkling.

That being said, some situations call for it, and he was none the worse for it, lived a long 14 years and it was particularly handy as he aged and couldn't get out in the cold because of arthritis.

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I agree that it may sometimes cause the dog to be confused. On the other hand, it looks like it really works for some dogs, which is great! Whatever works best for your dog and you is perfect! It's never worked for me, but that doesn't mean it won't work for someone else. :)