How long can she hold it? - YorkieTalk.com Forums

PamEnamel · 03-04-2015, 10:56 AM

We just adopted an adult Yorkie. My first. Her name is Mercedes and she's 15 months old. She's crate trained but not yet housebroken.

I work from home so taking her out frequently is normally not a problem. However, I have to go on business trip in a week. My husband is normally away from the house for 12 hours during the day. I have a feeling that is WAY too long for this little girl to hold it! Even in her crate.

I can have a friend drop by to let her out of her crate and take her to the backyard, but I can't really ask for more than once a day. My question is, is one mid-day break enough?

Thank you for your help!

Pam

Lovetodream88 · 03-04-2015, 11:24 AM

You could have your friend come by once and then pay someone to come buy for a second time and take her for a walk.

JadeD · 03-04-2015, 05:25 PM

That is a long time to ask her to hold it. To hold it for 6 hours, go out for a few minutes and then hold it for 6 hours again. It might be possible, depending on the dog. My 9 year old yorkie might be able to do it, but again pushing it.

Can you hire someone to come by and let her out a couple times during the day while you are gone? If that isn't an option then I would put her in a large crate with a pee pad in one part of it so if she has to go and can't hold it she has the option to go on the pee pad without soiling her bedding. That is what I would do.

I am lucky that I only work a few half days (4 hours or less) per month and when I travel I take my yorkie with me (I only travel to visit family or go camping).

Good luck and I hope it all works out for you.

Dayswalters · 03-04-2015, 05:52 PM

If no one can walk her, I would get an exercise pen and use puppy pads. I know it's not ideal but it will allow her to ,ove around and be able to go to the bathroom. 12 hours in a crate would be really tough on any dog but Yorkies are high energy.

DBlain · 03-04-2015, 06:45 PM

Most of my yorkies could hold it for six hours at that age and so can Lola my present pup who is a yorkie mix, but the key is will they go/do something the last time they go out before you leave and will they go potty when the person that comes over lets them out. I can almost guarantee that when I or anyone else puts Lola out she will pee, but that is because I take her via a leash, I tell her to "GO POTTY", she knows to go on command and is rewarded with a treat. However many dogs, especially those that are let out loose just winding up playing or sniffing and never bother to potty because they do not feel a dire need. Dogs are not like humans, they do not think I better go now because I will have to hold if for six more hours. For instance when I am going on a long drive LOL even if it means sort of forcing myself I know I need to go to the bathroom before I leave. Dogs don't understand that, so if they don't have the urgent need often they will not potty. So that means your dog might actually be holding it longer than 6 hours which might not be possible. I have let a friend's dog only to have her stand at the door looking to get back in and she refuses to get off the porch so this means that two hours after I leave she might have to go and the 6 hours stretch my friend figured has now become 8. So LOL I just took the long way around answering your question, so while I believe it is possible for a 15 month old yorkie to hold it for 6 hours unless you know your dog's potty habits I can not guarantee you will not have an accident to come home to. My suggestion is you try it in advance to see how long you pup could go, or if you know every time someone lets you pup out they go potty. I do however feel if your pup currently only goes outside to potty and you prefer it that way that you do not introduce potty pads. most pups have a hard time figuring out when it is OK to potty inside and when it is not, so you might be asking for trouble.

PamEnamel · 03-05-2015, 10:23 AM

Thank you for all the replies! This is very helpful.

Donna, Mercedes is proving to be very good at squatting and peeing the minute I set her on the grass outside. This is GREAT news. I don't think she will try and hold it when the pet sitter comes to take her out.

I AM going to see if I can get both the pet sitter and one of my friends to take her out to give her two breaks during the day rather than just one.

I'm trying to get her to learn how to use the dog door, but so far no luck. Once she can do that, I will at least be able to let her have run of that area rather than being locked up when we're out. But I think that's a ways down the road.

We did have another accident today, but it was my fault again. I knew she hadn't pooped yet, and let her wander out of my sight. sigh. I need to be more vigilant.

Pam

JadeD · 03-05-2015, 11:13 AM

I did not think about the dog holding it because the very first thing I teach a dog I have is the "go potty" command. From the moment I get the dog as soon as they start to potty I say "go potty" and then praise them like crazy and since they are being praised for something they do anyway, they pick up on that really fast. All my dogs know when I take them out and say "go potty" that they are expected to potty.

If she can hold it for 6 hours now then she should be fine. My two dogs could do that as they have had to on rare occasion. I have a neighbor that we will let each other's dogs out as needed. She is rarely gone all day and I am rarely gone all day. We just contact each other if we will be and we take each other's dogs out around noon if one of us has to be gone. It works our really well. She has a fence though so I just have to let hers run around and tell them to potty and then put them back inside, where she has to walk mine on leashes so I guess she has more work to do, but mine are better behaved so that makes up for it right?

DBlain · 03-05-2015, 11:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PamEnamel

Thank you for all the replies! This is very helpful.

Donna, Mercedes is proving to be very good at squatting and peeing the minute I set her on the grass outside. This is GREAT news. I don't think she will try and hold it when the pet sitter comes to take her out.

I AM going to see if I can get both the pet sitter and one of my friends to take her out to give her two breaks during the day rather than just one.

I'm trying to get her to learn how to use the dog door, but so far no luck. Once she can do that, I will at least be able to let her have run of that area rather than being locked up when we're out. But I think that's a ways down the road.

We did have another accident today, but it was my fault again. I knew she hadn't pooped yet, and let her wander out of my sight. sigh. I need to be more vigilant.

Pam

sounds like she is doing very well on the quest to be 100% housebroken. I have to say though that the thought of small dogs letting themselves out when no one is home is a very scary idea for me. I don't know your yard and fence layout but these guys can squeeze through very small holes, they are easily and often stolen out of people's front and backyards, many here will tell you stories of how they have had a small dog picked up by a hawk, just goggle hawks on here and you will see how much of a problem they are becoming all over this country. The next thing is that they will eat weird stuff, I have read on here about yorkies poisoned by various types of palm trees, nuts, seeds, snakes, toads, rodents, stung by bees, fire ants, etc. I have a lot of windows on my home so I sometimes have dead birds in my yard from them flying into my windows, if I miss one that lands on the deck as soon as I let Lola out there she makes a bee line for it and I know if I did not call her off she would be chomping away at it all day

Members have posted how they walk their yard constantly on the lookout for something that would be dangerous and low and behold their pup still finds something that they missed. If a big dog eats weird stuff it will not always effect them but it is often fatal for a yorkie. The only way I would let a dog out on their own is if I had a padlocked fully enclosed outside kennel cage and then I still might not do it. Sorry for my long post but LOL I cant stop thinking of all the yucky type of stuff Lola might get into if I was not watching her all the time

JadeD · 03-05-2015, 01:09 PM

I don't know that any dog is ever totally perfect. I have a 4 year old setter and he is housebroken but if he can't hold it any longer he will actually go into his crate and pee. Not sure why since he does not like to pee in his crate. If he absolutely has to go when he is locked in his crate then he will eventually go, but I am talking like 1-2 times a year. My little Yorkie does really well. He pee'd in the house the day after I brought him home, new environment I am sure. Then I left him with my teenage daughter and he pooped in the house and it would not have been a big deal if she hadn't stepped in it and then walked all over the house. So, where he had pooped on the vinyl floor (easy to clean) she then spread it across 3 carpets and into the bathroom where the poop actually fell off her shoe. I came home to what is now know as "the big poop incident." Had she been watching him she would have seen him go to the door and hang out, which is what he does when he has to go. However, she learned. I cleaned up the mess and cleaned her shoes (I am a nice mom). No other problems at our house. He did leave a tootsie roll on my mom's kitchen floor though for no apparent reason and we just cleaned it up and went about visiting with her and her dogs.

Overall my dogs are great in the house, but accidents do happen and that is okay. My big dogs bedding gets washed on the sanitize setting and put back in his crate. He has a waterproof bed pad lining his crate, then a sheet and a comforter and then a baby blanket. He also has recurring urinary infections so I know sometimes he just can't hold it and he does a really good job. We added yogurt to his daily food and he has not had an infection for several months.

PamEnamel · 03-06-2015, 06:21 AM

So I'm thinking about what everyone has said, including the concerns over letting her have free run of the fenced back yard.

I'm so used to my other dog, Porsche, just letting herself out when she needs to go, I never think about it anymore. It brings up another question with regards to Mercedes.

If I take her out, and she does her business (which she is doing consistently! Yay!) how long is she good for? I'm rewarding her for doing her business on the grass both by praise and petting, and by then letting her have free run of the house for a while instead of going back into her kennel.

How long do you think I can safely let her run around without having to watch her like a hawk after she does her business? An hour? Two hours? I want her to be out and about, and playing with Porsche as much as possible, but I also have to work so I can't watch her all the time.

03-04-2015, 10:56 AM	#1
PamEnamel YorkieTalk Newbie! Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 3	How long can she hold it? We just adopted an adult Yorkie. My first. Her name is Mercedes and she's 15 months old. She's crate trained but not yet housebroken. I work from home so taking her out frequently is normally not a problem. However, I have to go on business trip in a week. My husband is normally away from the house for 12 hours during the day. I have a feeling that is WAY too long for this little girl to hold it! Even in her crate. I can have a friend drop by to let her out of her crate and take her to the backyard, but I can't really ask for more than once a day. My question is, is one mid-day break enough? Thank you for your help! Pam

03-04-2015, 11:24 AM	#2
Lovetodream88 Yorkie mom of 4 Donating YT Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: LaPlata, Md Posts: 23,247	You could have your friend come by once and then pay someone to come buy for a second time and take her for a walk. __________________ Taylor My babies Joey, Penny ,Ollie & Dixie Callie Mae, you will forever be in my heart!

03-04-2015, 05:25 PM	#3
JadeD YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: NC Posts: 1,201 Blog Entries: 1	That is a long time to ask her to hold it. To hold it for 6 hours, go out for a few minutes and then hold it for 6 hours again. It might be possible, depending on the dog. My 9 year old yorkie might be able to do it, but again pushing it. Can you hire someone to come by and let her out a couple times during the day while you are gone? If that isn't an option then I would put her in a large crate with a pee pad in one part of it so if she has to go and can't hold it she has the option to go on the pee pad without soiling her bedding. That is what I would do. I am lucky that I only work a few half days (4 hours or less) per month and when I travel I take my yorkie with me (I only travel to visit family or go camping). Good luck and I hope it all works out for you. __________________ It's raining Yorkies here! LOL Teek ,Rowan , Raksha (Grand Puppy) , Raelyn

03-04-2015, 06:45 PM	#5
DBlain Donating YT Addict Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Oakland County MI Posts: 6,190	Most of my yorkies could hold it for six hours at that age and so can Lola my present pup who is a yorkie mix, but the key is will they go/do something the last time they go out before you leave and will they go potty when the person that comes over lets them out. I can almost guarantee that when I or anyone else puts Lola out she will pee, but that is because I take her via a leash, I tell her to "GO POTTY", she knows to go on command and is rewarded with a treat. However many dogs, especially those that are let out loose just winding up playing or sniffing and never bother to potty because they do not feel a dire need. Dogs are not like humans, they do not think I better go now because I will have to hold if for six more hours. For instance when I am going on a long drive LOL even if it means sort of forcing myself I know I need to go to the bathroom before I leave. Dogs don't understand that, so if they don't have the urgent need often they will not potty. So that means your dog might actually be holding it longer than 6 hours which might not be possible. I have let a friend's dog only to have her stand at the door looking to get back in and she refuses to get off the porch so this means that two hours after I leave she might have to go and the 6 hours stretch my friend figured has now become 8. So LOL I just took the long way around answering your question, so while I believe it is possible for a 15 month old yorkie to hold it for 6 hours unless you know your dog's potty habits I can not guarantee you will not have an accident to come home to. My suggestion is you try it in advance to see how long you pup could go, or if you know every time someone lets you pup out they go potty. I do however feel if your pup currently only goes outside to potty and you prefer it that way that you do not introduce potty pads. most pups have a hard time figuring out when it is OK to potty inside and when it is not, so you might be asking for trouble. __________________ Lola my amazing little yorkie-pom Donna

03-05-2015, 11:13 AM	#7
JadeD YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: NC Posts: 1,201 Blog Entries: 1	I did not think about the dog holding it because the very first thing I teach a dog I have is the "go potty" command. From the moment I get the dog as soon as they start to potty I say "go potty" and then praise them like crazy and since they are being praised for something they do anyway, they pick up on that really fast. All my dogs know when I take them out and say "go potty" that they are expected to potty. If she can hold it for 6 hours now then she should be fine. My two dogs could do that as they have had to on rare occasion. I have a neighbor that we will let each other's dogs out as needed. She is rarely gone all day and I am rarely gone all day. We just contact each other if we will be and we take each other's dogs out around noon if one of us has to be gone. It works our really well. She has a fence though so I just have to let hers run around and tell them to potty and then put them back inside, where she has to walk mine on leashes so I guess she has more work to do, but mine are better behaved so that makes up for it right? __________________ It's raining Yorkies here! LOL Teek ,Rowan , Raksha (Grand Puppy) , Raelyn

03-04-2015, 05:52 PM	#4
Dayswalters Donating Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: California Posts: 842 Blog Entries: 1	If no one can walk her, I would get an exercise pen and use puppy pads. I know it's not ideal but it will allow her to ,ove around and be able to go to the bathroom. 12 hours in a crate would be really tough on any dog but Yorkies are high energy.

03-05-2015, 10:23 AM	#6
PamEnamel YorkieTalk Newbie! Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 3	Thank you for all the replies! This is very helpful. Donna, Mercedes is proving to be very good at squatting and peeing the minute I set her on the grass outside. This is GREAT news. I don't think she will try and hold it when the pet sitter comes to take her out. I AM going to see if I can get both the pet sitter and one of my friends to take her out to give her two breaks during the day rather than just one. I'm trying to get her to learn how to use the dog door, but so far no luck. Once she can do that, I will at least be able to let her have run of that area rather than being locked up when we're out. But I think that's a ways down the road. We did have another accident today, but it was my fault again. I knew she hadn't pooped yet, and let her wander out of my sight. sigh. I need to be more vigilant. Pam

03-05-2015, 01:09 PM	#9
JadeD YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: NC Posts: 1,201 Blog Entries: 1	I don't know that any dog is ever totally perfect. I have a 4 year old setter and he is housebroken but if he can't hold it any longer he will actually go into his crate and pee. Not sure why since he does not like to pee in his crate. If he absolutely has to go when he is locked in his crate then he will eventually go, but I am talking like 1-2 times a year. My little Yorkie does really well. He pee'd in the house the day after I brought him home, new environment I am sure. Then I left him with my teenage daughter and he pooped in the house and it would not have been a big deal if she hadn't stepped in it and then walked all over the house. So, where he had pooped on the vinyl floor (easy to clean) she then spread it across 3 carpets and into the bathroom where the poop actually fell off her shoe. I came home to what is now know as "the big poop incident." Had she been watching him she would have seen him go to the door and hang out, which is what he does when he has to go. However, she learned. I cleaned up the mess and cleaned her shoes (I am a nice mom). No other problems at our house. He did leave a tootsie roll on my mom's kitchen floor though for no apparent reason and we just cleaned it up and went about visiting with her and her dogs. Overall my dogs are great in the house, but accidents do happen and that is okay. My big dogs bedding gets washed on the sanitize setting and put back in his crate. He has a waterproof bed pad lining his crate, then a sheet and a comforter and then a baby blanket. He also has recurring urinary infections so I know sometimes he just can't hold it and he does a really good job. We added yogurt to his daily food and he has not had an infection for several months. __________________ It's raining Yorkies here! LOL Teek ,Rowan , Raksha (Grand Puppy) , Raelyn

03-06-2015, 06:21 AM	#10
PamEnamel YorkieTalk Newbie! Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 3	So I'm thinking about what everyone has said, including the concerns over letting her have free run of the fenced back yard. I'm so used to my other dog, Porsche, just letting herself out when she needs to go, I never think about it anymore. It brings up another question with regards to Mercedes. If I take her out, and she does her business (which she is doing consistently! Yay!) how long is she good for? I'm rewarding her for doing her business on the grass both by praise and petting, and by then letting her have free run of the house for a while instead of going back into her kennel. How long do you think I can safely let her run around without having to watch her like a hawk after she does her business? An hour? Two hours? I want her to be out and about, and playing with Porsche as much as possible, but I also have to work so I can't watch her all the time.