Alternatives to Crate Training??

[sunshine57]

Hi, I'm new to this forum and this is my first post. I have a one year old yorkie named Cooper. We've been having trouble house training him. Most days he does really well with letting us know he has to go potty outside and when we take him outside he has no problem going. We take him out in the morning when he wakes up, before we leave the house, when we return and before bed. And if we are home we take him out frequently or when he lets us know he has to go. Sometimes he does sneak off and has accidents when we are home though.

But the bigger problem is when we aren't home. I know crate training is recommended, however it is just not something we would like to do. When he was younger I tried using an ex-pen which worked for a little while until he figured out how to jump out of it :/ Now we keep him in our bedroom whenever we leave the house. He has been getting better and having fewer accidents, but there are still times when he cannot hold it which I understand is hard since he's so little. I have tried puppy pads and he used them when he was a few months old, but if he is left with them now he just chews them to shreds even though he has MANY chew toys.

My question is.. does anybody have any alternatives to crate training?? Or just any tips for house training my little guy. Thanks!

[MY OSCAR]

hi , welcome.
my boy would not use the potty also
so trained him to use a litterbox with a grate system.
he now uses it 100 % .
i bought the big squirt , no grass pad, he did not care for that.
this is the website..
check it out..

RASCAL DOG LITTER BOX COMPANY, L L C HOME PAGE

[DvlshAngel985]

Have you tried a tray for the piddle pads? It holds the pads down and. Ames them harder for him to get to and rip up. I've seen some trays with something over it which might also work. When your not home I'll admit it's harder to potty train since you're not there to give a correction. Have you tried those pens that only have vertical bars? There is nothing for him to use to climb out. There are also pens with tops to keep them in. When you're home, to help avoid accidents keep him in a safe place where he can't make a mess until you know you can give him 100% of your attention. Be honest about that. Your schedule seems fine, just stick to it and you'll see results hopefully soon.

[sunshine57]

I have tried the trays for the puppy pads but he still figured out a way to chew them apart. I'm not sure that I'd really like to do the litter box thing. I've thought about the fake grass since he goes outside fine, but I don't know anyone that has used that or how well it really works. When we are home he's almost always in our sight.. he's very snuggling and loves to play and will follow us everywhere. There's just sometimes where we get distracted making dinner or doing whatever and he'll sneak off, but that's on rare occasion. I just don't want to have to crate train him.. I just don't have it in my heart to keep him in a crate for 8 hours a day. I'll have to check into the pens with the vertical bars. They would have to be pretty tall though because little man can jump!

[107barney]

Washable pee pads might help. I sell them and so does Ryan another member here on YT. I'd say train to use the pad, keep the dog confined to a small room or area, and give it time. It took me a long time to fully train my dogs with my schedule but they all get it.

[Mom to Hot Rod]

I see that you've tried the expen. Can you try gating him off in a room such as the bathroom or kitchen? I know that there are gates that are pretty tall and have only the vertical slats. I didn't do the crate thing either, we opted for the expen. Fortunately fur us, mine never discovered that he (they) could climb out.

[megansmomma]

Originally Posted by 107barney

Washable pee pads might help. I sell them and so does Ryan another member here on YT. I'd say train to use the pad, keep the dog confined to a small room or area, and give it time. It took me a long time to fully train my dogs with my schedule but they all get it.

Originally Posted by Mom to Hot Rod

I see that you've tried the expen. Can you try gating him off in a room such as the bathroom or kitchen? I know that there are gates that are pretty tall and have only the vertical slats. I didn't do the crate thing either, we opted for the expen. Fortunately fur us, mine never discovered that he (they) could climb out.

I think a combination of these two ideas might work. I've been using 107barney's washable pee pads for almost 2 years and love them. Prior to this I used the disposables and they were horrible. We always had a mess and they would be torn up all over the floor. These are much more durable and they are very thick and absorbent. My three have never done anything to them other than using them for the purpose intended. They are worth the money and are also beautiful!

[Carmeow]

My girl also escapes her pen. We have her on disposable pads and she does great on them. We ordered some washable pads and for some reason our girl refused to potty on them and used them as a bed instead. I will say though, the breeder I got her from uses the grass patch thing for all seven of her yorkies and swears by them. You can get one at bed bath and beyond.

[sunshine57]

Originally Posted by 107barney

Washable pee pads might help. I sell them and so does Ryan another member here on YT. I'd say train to use the pad, keep the dog confined to a small room or area, and give it time. It took me a long time to fully train my dogs with my schedule but they all get it.

What are the washable pee pads made out of? That might be something that could work because for the short period of time he stayed in his ex-pen I laid down a towel and he would mostly use that. But now for some reason he doesn't use the towel anymore..I guess because he's confined to a bigger area that he previously was.

[MikaTallulah]

OP how long are you asking him to hold it for. I know mine when healthy can all hold it for +6 hours but are rarely left for more than 4 hours. In my opinion every accident is a small step backwards. I would resist the space he has. I used a playpen for mine til then were very reliable about holding it and going outside only to potty. You can buy a baby proof dome for them too if needed. It worked great for me and mine. I still use it when they are sick.

Graco Sport Pack n Play Dome Tent Sun Shade GREAT | eBay

You can do something similar with the x-pen using netting or plant netting. I had to do this with mine because my littlest Roxy would escape the x-pen by jumping right over the wall. The netting stopped her.