HELP! very frustrated...

[taylorb]

My dogs are soooo bad & don't seem to be getting any better. Max will be a year old in June & Miley will be a year old in August, I thought they might start improving by this time but no such luck.

The main issue is housetraining- they will just use the bathroom wherever they are at & the bad part is they KNOW they are not supposed to go in the house because if you see them do it they take of running with their tail tucked under, they just don't care. They never ask to go outside to potty. And then there is Max who marks on EVERYTHING..even the fridge & the oven!! We don't even have another male dog in the house.

Miley is so sweet & lovable and loves to lay around with you but if she is not sleeping she is out of control. She fixates on things and just go nuts, she will whine & bite & jump into things & fly through the air just to get whatever it is. She gets very obsessed.

We have our patio & part of our yard fenced in and if she sees a car she flies over the fence and goes after it & will not let up. If either of them get out the door & see another dog, car, or person they take off & will not stop no matter how nicely or how sternly you call after them.

There are a couple other issues but since I've already written a novel on here I won't discuss them haha. Please if anyone has advice I would greatly appreciate it, I love my babies so much & would never want to give them to someone else but I don't know what to do anymore!

[jeanm1963]

I think first off you need to ask yourself , HOW consistant are you with your house training?
I think that was the most difficult part of having a puppy, I however, dedicated myself to doing so. I got up every 2-3 hours and took her outside even if I thought she could hold it. I brought with me, boiled chicken and praised her non stop if she went. We then went in and went right to bed. I never used a crate but I was home all day. I am also not good at crate training, I did use a pen tho. Can I suggest you get a play yard pen.
Amazon.com: North States Superyard Classic XT...
This is the one I used, it also makes a rectangle I put her bed, toys , food , water on one end and pee pads on the other, when I first got her as I lived in boston and we had 2 feet of snow. After a couple weeks I opened the gate , I assume she smelled her pee pads and went right there. Perhaps your pups do not know exactly where to go potty.
Dogs are not spiteful they do not wish to disappoint you and make you angry they try to please you. I think your dogs just are unsure of where and when to go potty. I think you just luck out in the morning because she has held it in all night.

[sweet_tikka]

how the heck does a yorkie jump a fence? mine just learned how to jump onto a chair haha.

when I got Tikka, I got frustrated because she was housetrained when I got her but then for the first 2 almost 3 weeks she wasn't understanding that she had to go out on a leash [apartment living] instead of having a yard to roam.
I got a yard cable with a metal spiral steak and just clipped her onto it, keeping a close eye on her, and I put her out every 2 hours until she went potty rewarding her with treats. And if she went potty inside and I CAUGHT HER [it useless if you dont catch them] then showed her the potty and said "no no go outside" then put her outside. We haven't had an accident in over a week now


If they are jumping the fence, then I would def. say you need a yard cable either way. I would NEVER let Tikka or Pooter outside if I knew they could get out and chase everything that moves... I've had a dog hit by a car, it's very traumatizing to have to hold your pup in your lap to vet while they suffer :/

[gemy]

First may I suggest you go to the training section here, there are lots of threads about housebreaking a Yorkie.

There is a cute story about housebreaking, if your dog has made a mess then, take a newspaper roll it up and hit yourself over the head with it, repeating to yourself bad Mommy bad Mommy..... lol

What is much more dangerous to your pups life and health, is this being able to get out of your yard and chase cars. This as you know is a disaster waiting to happen.

You need to either a) fix your fence so they can't jump it b) they are not taken out into the yard unless on a lead c) create a large Xpen enclosure so that they can run around in.

You also if not already should take them to an obedience class, where you will be trained on how to train your dog(s).

Good luck with your pups

[Ringo1]

I would suggest walking them as well of an evening after dinner. This will help to address any out-of-control behavior issues AND hopefully they will eliminate on the walk.

[Saeka]

Training works wonders, but you have to be consistent with it.

As far as the pottying in your home, you have to TEACH THEM to signal going outside or look for the signals yourself. When I see Rhia sniffing around, I know that it is time to go outside. There are other methods people use too, such as ringing a set of bells at the door to go out. If they are escaping your yard, leash them when you go out. Leash them until they learn how to come when called when they are outside. As far as the energy and going crazy, they're still puppies. Walk them maybe once or twice a day and it will help. Not only will they go potty n the walk, it will get rid of some energy.

[AlicetheYorkie]

First, if your male dog is marking everything - get him nuetered and that should stop (otherwise it's not "marking", he's just lifting his leg to pee). Housebreaking takes MAJOR consistancy and yes, it can be frustrating, I totally hear ya there. You need to take them outside more often and confine them to an expen or kennel when you can't watch them like a hawk. As far as the running away, they're not doing it because they "know it's wrong" to potty in the house, they're running If you're frustrated and coming at them with anger, that's what they're reacting to, not knowledge that they did something "bad". You have to remain calm when it happens, swoop them up and "gently" say "no" then take them outside. If they don't go outside then, put them in the kennel or follow them around and try again a bit later or when you see them start to go again. Toy breed dogs tend to take longer to housebreak and it requires more frequent trips outside too.

The hyperness is kind of typical of a Yorkie, they are "terriers" or course. A good long walk once or twice a day should burn some of that extra energy out. I'd also highly suggest a training class if you're having a hard time getting them under control and to obey you. Well behaved dogs don't just happen as they age, it takes lots of work and consistancy. If they're able to jump your fence, you either need to fix the fence or tie them up when they're outside.
Good luck - patients and consistancy are the keys

[ASTPhi877]

You've gotten some good advice so far: be consistent, confine them to a small area within the house when you can't give them your complete attention... also seek assistance so that you can learn to TRAIN your dogs (it makes a HUGE difference!) and exercise the heck out of them by taking them on structured WALKS... Not just running around the backyard, because that really isn't a replacement for a walk.

I only want to add one thing: I read recently that, while WE might interpret the submissive posture of a dog who has just done something we deem 'wrong' to indicate guilt (and, by extension, that the puppy understands that he was doing something bad) doesn't mean that he actually does understand. What is actually more likely is that the dog figures out that his owner gets MAD when he is CAUGHT doing that... Not that what he was DOING was bad... And so then he just tries not to be caught!

Learning that distinction really helped me to not take their behavior personally. They just haven't learned yet that they aren't supposed to be potting there!

Good luck with your babies!

[DvlshAngel985]

Originally Posted by ASTPhi877

You've gotten some good advice so far: be consistent, confine them to a small area within the house when you can't give them your complete attention... also seek assistance so that you can learn to TRAIN your dogs (it makes a HUGE difference!) and exercise the heck out of them by taking them on structured WALKS... Not just running around the backyard, because that really isn't a replacement for a walk.

I only want to add one thing: I read recently that, while WE might interpret the submissive posture of a dog who has just done something we deem 'wrong' to indicate guilt (and, by extension, that the puppy understands that he was doing something bad) doesn't mean that he actually does understand. What is actually more likely is that the dog figures out that his owner gets MAD when he is CAUGHT doing that... Not that what he was DOING was bad... And so then he just tries not to be caught!

Learning that distinction really helped me to not take their behavior personally. They just haven't learned yet that they aren't supposed to be potting there!

Good luck with your babies!

AWESOME POST!!!! I agree with pretty much what everyone has already said. Chin up, take a deep breath, and go back to step one of potty training.

[Perrella]

Couldn't agree more....great posts and advice. It's up to you to set your dogs up to succeed. You can do this...diligence & patience will pay off.