Advice needed for my new Yorkie

[carollyn88]

Hello all,

I'm a new Yorkie owner of a boy named Bandit. He is 8 months old. I'm starting to have issues and I need advice on how to handle this.

We have (or had) Bandit trained to potty on pee pads back in our hallway. He still pee's on the pads but in the last couple of months, he stopped pooping on the pads and is pooping every where in the house, on the carpet. Yesterday, he did it right beside my husbands recliner. We always know when he has done it because he acts guilty and comes running to hide.

He was doing so good pooping on the pads. I wonder what happened? Why did he stop using the potty pads to poop? Some where along the line, we confused him some how? I don't know! We've done everything trying to anticipate when he's going to poop. We'll close off areas of the house so he can't get to my carpets and all kinds of different tactics. I fed him last night and know he poops after he eats so I took him outside. Is all he did was play with the cats. He would not poop.

This morning, he had a big poop on the pad, but about 30 minutes later he came running and went to sleep in my lap. I knew he was guilty so I went on my search. Sure enough, I found two more turds.

We've taken him outside to try and train him, but we have a couple of wild cats out there and he can't go out side alone. And I can't go out each time either due to a medical condition.

Right now, we're thinking of making a special fenced in place for him to run in the yard. But it was really cold outside this morning 30-40 degrees. Should I just try this fence idea and take him out and leave him? I need to find a solution. Please help!

-Carol

[carollyn88]

I tried to edit my post.

Those two additional poops this morning was on my carpet, not the pads!

[Lovetodream88]

I think with puppies training them to go outside and on a pad inside can be really hard maybe just pick one to train him to do for now.

[lexi43]

For some reason it's very hard to housebreak a yorkie. I've heard that from a number of people. It took Zach a year to housebreak and to be honest he still has accidents once in awhile. The idea of the fence is good. We have large backyard and we let our dogs out a few times a day. You might try an xpen with his pee pad inside with him. I did that with my puppy and it worked. The only thing that might work is obedience school but that gets kind of expensive. You have to have loads of patience with them.

[Magnus]

Have you figured out his schedule? I think I've read somewhere that instead of trying to get them to go on schedules made by you, figure out what their schedule is. I noticed that with my two. Magnus can and will hold till he's either let out or taken out at any time of day. But Zoey usually has to go at specific hours.

[kimp5]

Like the other post said pick one thing and stick to it. I would have him go on the pads. Your going to have to fence him in an area (xpen)when you cant watch him. cover the area with pads and slowly pull each one away every day or so until your down to one. then let him out but watch him. If he starts to go elsewhere tell him firmly "no no, bad poopy" and put him on the pad. If he goes in the wrong place you can also put that poop on the pad.
Jess didn't do well until I was very firm with her. She has an occasional accident now and again but it is rare. We have a pad on the first and second floors. Praise the heck out of him when he goes in the right place.

[carollyn88]

Originally Posted by Magnus

Have you figured out his schedule? I think I've read somewhere that instead of trying to get them to go on schedules made by you, figure out what their schedule is. I noticed that with my two. Magnus can and will hold till he's either let out or taken out at any time of day. But Zoey usually has to go at specific hours.

I pretty much know his schedule but the thing is, he will poop....then 10-15 min later may poop again, not all the time, but most the time. So the first time this morning, he poooped on the pads, about 15 min later, he pooped on my carpet.

I don't think I confused him in any way. I didn't start trying to train him outside until just recently when he started this pooping on my carpet. He's been pooping on the pad like such a good boy for months, he just recently started getting confused and doing it on my carpet mostly, sometimes on the pad.

So I thought I would start trying to train outside since he's not doing it on the pad anymore. I'm soooo frustrated. But I love my little baby so much.

[carollyn88]

Originally Posted by Lovetodream88

I think with puppies training them to go outside and on a pad inside can be really hard maybe just pick one to train him to do for now.

He's been trained on the pads for months. He's been doing so good and we've been bragging about him. It's just been recently, about 6 -8 weeks or so that he stopped pooping on the pads and on my carpet.

This morning, he pooped on the pads and boy did I PRAISE him, well, about 15 minutes later, he went and pooped again but on the carpet this time.

We've been pretty consistent with training him on the pads. I just started taking him outside since he's been doing it on the carpet. I thought, well maybe he doesn't like the pads anymore. So I started taking him outside a couple three weeks ago to try that. He pooped outside once about a week ago for my husband but hasn't since.

I just wish I had an idea of some way to fence a small part of my yard off for him that way I could leave him out without watching him so close. My husband told me today that he don't think that will work, he thinks the dog will be trying to climb out of whatever we build. I have a large back yard with a large swimming pool.... I can not leave him out alone at all like I did my pomeranian.

Thanks for your feedback.

[Magnus]

Originally Posted by carollyn88

I pretty much know his schedule but the thing is, he will poop....then 10-15 min later may poop again, not all the time, but most the time. So the first time this morning, he poooped on the pads, about 15 min later, he pooped on my carpet.

I don't think I confused him in any way. I didn't start trying to train him outside until just recently when he started this pooping on my carpet. He's been pooping on the pad like such a good boy for months, he just recently started getting confused and doing it on my carpet mostly, sometimes on the pad.

So I thought I would start trying to train outside since he's not doing it on the pad anymore. I'm soooo frustrated. But I love my little baby so much.

Your baby sounds bit like my Magnus. As far as I can tell, depending on how much food and what kind of food he gets, he will go poop 2-3 times during our nightly walks. (Walks usually about 30-40 min) Not always but sometimes. And sort of like Bandit, Magnus was previously pad trained and was great. But since he started pottying outside, he won't go on the pad anymore. He'll go near the pad but not ON the pad. (This is only when he wasn't let out for some reason)

Another thing is that he'll pee when I just let him out on the fenced patio but rarely poops even if it's time for him to. But he'll poop when I take him out by a leash to walk. When you take him out to potty, maybe you can try staying out bit longer?

[theporkieyorkie]

LOL!! You are not alone!! I have a 2 year old and a 10 year old and both of them still have accidents. My mother has 2 of my older dogs kids and she's had them since they were puppies and they still have accidents in the house. They are all males.

I have literally had people stop me while I am with my boys and ask me how I potty trained them, because they are having such a hard time with their yorkie.

My older dog won't use a pee pad, but he does ask to go outside. He's fairly good at the potty training thing now. I tried to train my younger guy to go outside but I literally have to make him go out. He hides under the coffee table when he sees his leash! He will use a pee pad...sort of. He often has near misses and sometimes he's totally not even aiming for them.


Both of my dogs are fabulous about going to the bathroom on walks though. When I was taking my dogs on walks twice a day this summer, I probably had the least amount of accidents. I live in Michigan, so it's not possible to keep up that schedule now, but I still try to get them out as much as I can.


If you could figure out when bandit's poop schedule is, maybe you could take him for a walk around that time. I swear, mine started holding it just for their walks...maybe he will too!!


I wanted to add....I really tried to get the boys on a walking schedule. They knew when they got up, they could expect a walk and later in the evening, they could expect one. I think a somewhat consistent time when walking them also helped.

[carollyn88]

Originally Posted by Magnus

Your baby sounds bit like my Magnus. As far as I can tell, depending on how much food and what kind of food he gets, he will go poop 2-3 times during our nightly walks. (Walks usually about 30-40 min) Not always but sometimes. And sort of like Bandit, Magnus was previously pad trained and was great. But since he started pottying outside, he won't go on the pad anymore. He'll go near the pad but not ON the pad. (This is only when he wasn't let out for some reason)

Another thing is that he'll pee when I just let him out on the fenced patio but rarely poops even if it's time for him to. But he'll poop when I take him out by a leash to walk. When you take him out to potty, maybe you can try staying out bit longer?

I've taken him on walks several times, even on vacation and he will not even pee outside. So now we worry about going on vacay because poor Bandit held his bladder all the way from Nashville to Ft Worth, Tx even tho we stopped many times to try to get him to pee, he just won't go outside. I guess cause we trained him on the pads.

He pees on the pads REALLY good. It's just the pooping. Like this morning, the first thing when we woke up, he pooped by my refrigerator. I had the doors closed off that lead to the carpet, cause it's easier to clean it off tile then it is carpet. But it was too early and I didn't feel like going outside to watch him cause I just woke up myself.

I took him on a long walk yesterday and all he likes to do is sniff poles. I'll keep trying your advice. Maybe something will work.

Do you mind me asking you a question, off topic? What kind of dry food to you feed Magnus? The reason I ask is my Bandit stopped eating his blue buffalo and acts like he just doesn't like it. But yet, when I get the cat food (friskies seafood sensation) he LOVES it. But I know cat food is bad on him. I read last night about different kinds of dry food, proteins, chicken allergies, etc. I read so much that it's just confused me even more on what to feed him.

[carollyn88]

Originally Posted by theporkieyorkie

LOL!! You are not alone!! I have a 2 year old and a 10 year old and both of them still have accidents. My mother has 2 of my older dogs kids and she's had them since they were puppies and they still have accidents in the house. They are all males.

I have literally had people stop me while I am with my boys and ask me how I potty trained them, because they are having such a hard time with their yorkie.

My older dog won't use a pee pad, but he does ask to go outside. He's fairly good at the potty training thing now. I tried to train my younger guy to go outside but I literally have to make him go out. He hides under the coffee table when he sees his leash! He will use a pee pad...sort of. He often has near misses and sometimes he's totally not even aiming for them.


Both of my dogs are fabulous about going to the bathroom on walks though. When I was taking my dogs on walks twice a day this summer, I probably had the least amount of accidents. I live in Michigan, so it's not possible to keep up that schedule now, but I still try to get them out as much as I can.


If you could figure out when bandit's poop schedule is, maybe you could take him for a walk around that time. I swear, mine started holding it just for their walks...maybe he will too!!


I wanted to add....I really tried to get the boys on a walking schedule. They knew when they got up, they could expect a walk and later in the evening, they could expect one. I think a somewhat consistent time when walking them also helped.

Bandit will use the pee pad really good. Very few, if any, accidents on the peeing part. He's just confused on where to go to poop. I've stopped getting mad at him when he poops on the carpet because that hasn't worked.

My Bandit poops minutes within waking up. But then again, he'll poop a few minutes later after the first poop so I never know where that poop is going to end up. I wish there was a safe place outside I could take him when he wakes up as I don't want to go outside when I first wake up ( and without having to watch him) and he could stay outside for a few minutes and do his business. But I have a big yard and pool. So I guess we need to work on making a fence within a fence, I guess.

I've taken him on walks several times, even a long walk yesterday and he won't even pee outside when he needs to. LOL.
He is beautiful and oh so lovable but boy he is weird when it comes to potty time.

Thanks for the advice.

[Teegy]

Tufty and Teegy both came to me pee pad trained. For the first while I kept a pee pad close to where they slept and not far from where they ate. As they progressed I moved the pee pad to the door and one in the bathroom (figured if they missed the one in the bathroom, tile is easier to clean and also later on when they are completely removed, I'd rather a pee or poo on the toilet floor). The one by the door encouraged them in that direction and when I saw them head for it , I grabbed them and took them out the door.

[theporkieyorkie]

Have you tried picking up his poo and putting it on his pee pad??

When we first starting using potty pads this year, Ricky was peeing on them but wasn't pooping on them, so I put a pee pad down where he kept pooping and put his poop on the pee pad in hopes that he would know to go there. I think the lightbulb clicked on because he is now pooping on/near them(his aim isn't the best)!!

[Magnus]

Originally Posted by carollyn88

Do you mind me asking you a question, off topic? What kind of dry food to you feed Magnus? The reason I ask is my Bandit stopped eating his blue buffalo and acts like he just doesn't like it. But yet, when I get the cat food (friskies seafood sensation) he LOVES it. But I know cat food is bad on him. I read last night about different kinds of dry food, proteins, chicken allergies, etc. I read so much that it's just confused me even more on what to feed him.

I feed both Magnus (15.5 lbs) and Zoey (5.5 lbs) Blue Bluffalo Life Protection for small breed. Magnus isn't picky with food so he'll eat whatever I give him but Zoey isn't as easy. So I mix Zoey's kibbles with little bit of canned food.

I know there's overwhelming of info out there and sometimes it makes it harder to decide what's best. Some pups are just very picky eaters. With that said, I'd like to suggest you pick few brands and contact the company to request samples. Some will send you small sample packet to try out, others will provide send you a discount coupon instead. You eventually find something he'll like and is good for him. Good luck!