I swear she knows what she's doing...

[Bella'sMommy]

I am so frustrated with Bella! I've been working on house training her. She used to be pretty good with the pads, but I was having the throw rug problem that everyone else seems to have! So, I decided that teaching her to go outside would be the answer. I guess I should mention that she turned 2 in April. Anyway, at first it was taking us forever outside before she would pee. Then after a few days, she would pee within the first 10 minutes of being outside, but only about every 3 hours. Now, I think she's just decided that she doesn't want to go outside anymore. Last night, she held her pee for eight hours, after she drank a whole bowl of water! I was taking her outside every 15-30 minutes too, and then when she wasn't going I was putting her back in her x-pen. (she won't hold it when we're sleeping though..only when I'm taking her out every little bit) Now, today, I've had her outside 3 different times (at about 25 mins each time) since she woke up 3 hours ago and she just sits down and looks at me. I walk all over the yard and she runs from where she's sitting over to where I'm at and then sits down and stares up at me again. I've tried the leash thing too but it seemed we were having better success when she was off leash. She refuses to go outside, but as soon as I let her out of her pen and into the hallway she goes. I haven't been letting her loose to play unless she's gone to the bathroom since she's started this. Is it possible that she just can't be trained to go outside? Is there something I'm not doing or am I doing something wrong? She won't eat ANY treats outside. She pees and I try to give her her favorite treat and she turns her nose up at it. I do, however praise her and cuddle with her and bring her inside to play fetch. I just don't get it. Anyone know of a good boarding school on the other side of the country to send her to? I'm only kidding of course but I am extremely frustrated! I feel like I can't even leave the house for more than an hour because I'm afraid she'll go in her x pen and become even more confused! Please, if you have any advice, let me have it!

[scoobymom]

I found that if I take Scooby for a brisk little walk by the time we make it back home he is ready to do his business. I do this about four times a day and he has been doing great with it.

[Bella'sMommy]

Thank you for the suggestion! I'll try anything!

[maxmom]

Originally Posted by scoobymom

I found that if I take Scooby for a brisk little walk by the time we make it back home he is ready to do his business. I do this about four times a day and he has been doing great with it.

That's how I trained Max, and really worked, specially for #2, no walk, no poop.

[LDandPasquale]

Originally Posted by scoobymom

I found that if I take Scooby for a brisk little walk by the time we make it back home he is ready to do his business. I do this about four times a day and he has been doing great with it.

Originally Posted by maxmom

That's how I trained Max, and really worked, specially for #2, no walk, no poop.

Hmm thats a good idea...altough i've trained Pasquale to go on a pee pad inside....i also would like for him to learn to go outside. Cause when i take him for a walk...he holds it til we get home and then runs to his pee pad and goes...i guess i really cant complain.

Although i missed the throw run thing? Does she think your throw rug is the pee pad?

[scoobymom]

Scooby thought my white bathroom rug was a pee pad. Actually my red entry rug too. So the pee pad training was just not going to work for him. I could not have any rugs! So we worked on our outside training and I am lucky enough that I live only two miles from work and go home everyday at lunch to give him a walk andlots of kisses. I am considering going and buying just one rug to see how he does now.

[Bella'sMommy]

Thank you all! Looks like we'll be walking around the neighborhood. Whatever it takes!

[Bella'sMommy]

Originally Posted by LDandPasquale

Although i missed the throw run thing? Does she think your throw rug is the pee pad?

Yes, she thinks the throw rugs are pee pads. We have a very expensive wool rug under our dining table, and that's the one she goes to every single time! She can't hit the cheap kitchen rug, living room rug, or any other rug out of the 8 we have in the house! I read a post a few days ago about this that made me laugh....It said that in order to stop them from using the bathroom on the rugs they placed pee pads on top of them and no one went near them! Sounds like Bella!

[Zanders' mom]

Something that worked for Jazzie, when walking your little girl, whatch her squat to pipi, as she is GOING YOU say, Good girl pipi, it is best to Name "it" (I read this in a book) when she is done tinkling give her a treat immediately, it can be something TINY like a cheerio. This worked so well for Jazzie - I point to the grass and say go pipi, she squats and goes , it is her best trick .
The other thing that worked for her in the house is I hang jingle bells (bought at Michaels) on a fabric, (string whatever you have) I would stand at the door and say outside pipi, I'd take her paw and help her smack it, then a cheerio, 2 - 3 times and she got it, she loves cheerios .

Keep at it, persistance is the key, do searches online for potty training, I saw saw you tube videos as well. Then tailor the info to fit you and your furbaby. Good luck.

[Bella'sMommy]

Originally Posted by Zanders' mom

Something that worked for Jazzie, when walking your little girl, whatch her squat to pipi, as she is GOING YOU say, Good girl pipi, it is best to Name "it" (I read this in a book) when she is done tinkling give her a treat immediately, it can be something TINY like a cheerio. This worked so well for Jazzie - I point to the grass and say go pipi, she squats and goes , it is her best trick .
The other thing that worked for her in the house is I hang jingle bells (bought at Michaels) on a fabric, (string whatever you have) I would stand at the door and say outside pipi, I'd take her paw and help her smack it, then a cheerio, 2 - 3 times and she got it, she loves cheerios .

Keep at it, persistance is the key, do searches online for potty training, I saw saw you tube videos as well. Then tailor the info to fit you and your furbaby. Good luck.

Thank you so much for taking the time to write all of that! I really need tons of help! I'll definitely start praising her as she's going. I've been waiting until she's done b/c I'm so afraid if I start talking to her while she's in the process she'll get excited and stop! That is a great trick, btw! If Bella ever pees on command I might just fall over from a heart attack!

I bought the tell bell almost a week ago, and she's terrified! She won't even go to the door anymore because she's so afraid of it! It's still by the door, but now I've quit making her ring it, and I've stopped ringing it too. Now, I'm just trying to get her used to it. I feel like we made some progress last night because she ate a few treats off of it and didn't run, hide, and pee on herself when she nudged it and made it ring. One day at a time with these little ones, I guess.

Thanks again!

[Bella'sMommy]

Well, I don't want to jinx anything, but it seems that the advice I was given may have worked. I took Bella outside when we woke up (in the back yard off leash) and she just stared at me. So, I went inside put her harness and leash on her and started walking her around the neighborhood. We didn't even get to the neighbor's driveway when she peed. I hope this isn't just a fluke! Boy, I'm gonna be a walkin' fool from here on out! Thanks again for the advice! You have no idea just how much it's appreciated!

[mascot]

Good job Bella!!!!! Mascot also will not do a #2 unless I walk him, he is my 1st yorkie.... and is a year today (Happy Birthday Mascot).... but he will not potty unless he walks. So morning walk, 3:00 walk, and 9pm walk..... all 3x he will poo like clock work! ps he is the only furbaby I have ever had to walk to poo, the others would go on command.... but again he is my 1st yorkie.

[Bella'sMommy]

Originally Posted by mascot

Good job Bella!!!!! Mascot also will not do a #2 unless I walk him, he is my 1st yorkie.... and is a year today (Happy Birthday Mascot).... but he will not potty unless he walks. So morning walk, 3:00 walk, and 9pm walk..... all 3x he will poo like clock work! ps he is the only furbaby I have ever had to walk to poo, the others would go on command.... but again he is my 1st yorkie.

Happy Birthday, Mascot! I'm so glad to hear this works for you! It gives me hope that it will continue to work for Bella. Bella is also the only dog I've owned that's given me trouble when house breaking has been involved. I'm so convinced that yorkies aren't really dogs....

[mascot]

Thank you and I agree....

[silyjillie]

I read a post once that they put an x-pen outside in the grass and everytime they took their dog out they put her in the pen. Because it wasn't very big their dog didn't have much room to play and it was very boring to them and they'd pee rite away. If you did it for a few weeks it'd also get Bella use to only going in a certain area of your yard. I've always remembered this because I thought it was a very good idea. I didn't have a yard when I got Meeko so, I was left to take him on walks. But, someday when I get another and hopefully have a yard, I'll definitely be doing this.

I'd also start making it a comand. Just as she's peeing say go potty and reward rite away. This way if you're in a rush one day or it's raining you can just let her out say go potty and she'll go rite away. Good luck!!!