Very frustrated

[maritoma]

I just don't know what to do anymore, my yorkie is now 4 months old and i have tried every potty training method. Pee pads didn't work, now we are going out and he started going but now he doesn't poop outside all the time, but when i leave him at night with a pad he poops about three times on it, steps in it, gets it all over the walls, crate, gate and i have about a 30 min. morning job every morning cleaning up. If i put him in the crate he poops in the crate, please help! what should i do? should i put him in the crate and let him out during the night even though he might already have poop in it and will probably do nothing outside? i have tried changing food, he gets no food after 5 and no water after 8 and last walk at 10. Someone help!

[bchgirl]

Do you know what time he's pooping? Meaning are you sure it's at night and not in the morning? Mine both need to poo right after they get up...so that means first thing in the morning...they go out.

Or crate him inside his crate at night. He won't go inside his crate...then when you get up...take him outside.

[maritoma]

I am not positive of the time, but i think its in the really early morning 4 a.m. maybe, and oh yes he does poop in his crate, not only at night that is a given, but during the day when i can't watch his every move i'll put him in there and this is after going outside and he'll poop, and never give me a sign that he has to go out.

[Amanda7]

Training a yorkie can be very challenging sometimes. I had the same problem with Snickers pooping in the crate and stepping all over it. But he gradually grew out of it. Dogs won't potty where they sleep, but puppies aren't dogs yet.

I was told that puppies cannot control their potty functions until they are six months old, and I did see a major improvement after six months. So hang in there! Keep up the crate training and try and get him out before he poops, if you can. Both of my yorkies were not fully potty trained until about 8-9 months.

[Amanda7]

I forgot to mention that Snickers had separation anxiety and he would freak out when he was left alone in the crate. He'd have diarhea in the crate even if we left for a short while. He just hated that crate. Once I confined him to the kitchen or bathroom, he started going on the pee pads on is own. Maybe you could give this a try. They don't all take to the crate.

Thankfully, once we got Baxter his separation anxiety disappeared. Hope this helps.

[kalina82]

does he poop at random times throughout the day? are you leaving food down for him at all times or is he on a schedule?

[RONLYNN]

Teddi sleeps with me but I always have a pad on the floor on the other side of the bed and I keep my door shut when I sleep but about 3 or 4 days out of 7 she will sometime during the night crawl down the bed and go over and poop on the pad and then come back up on the bed. It took a while to potty train her but now I keep 2 pads in different areas of my house and she knows where they are. She really likes to go outside though (I think she thinks that is the grown up thing to do!). Good luck, your dog is still very young....they catch on finally!

[Ladylavender]

Originally Posted by maritoma

I just don't know what to do anymore, my yorkie is now 4 months old and i have tried every potty training method. Pee pads didn't work, now we are going out and he started going but now he doesn't poop outside all the time, but when i leave him at night with a pad he poops about three times on it, steps in it, gets it all over the walls, crate, gate and i have about a 30 min. morning job every morning cleaning up. If i put him in the crate he poops in the crate, please help! what should i do? should i put him in the crate and let him out during the night even though he might already have poop in it and will probably do nothing outside? i have tried changing food, he gets no food after 5 and no water after 8 and last walk at 10. Someone help!

If you think he is pooping around 4am then I would definitely set my alarm, for before that and get up and take him out. I know that Millie at 16 wks, had to go out at least 2-3 times a night. She would whine and I would get up, take her out, and put her back in the crate and go back to bed. Also, her wake up time was around 5am. She was done with sleeping for a while. The routine got old, but she did not mess in her crate. She probably kept this up for over 1 1/2 years. She just started getting down to 1 x a night, regularly. I'm ok with this, because I have to get up to go potty myself, once a night, so when I get up, I take her.

How much space is there in the crate? You may have purchased the smallest crate there is, but it would still be too big for a 2-3lbs puppy. You need to block about 2/3rds of the crate with boxes or towels, so there is only enough room for him to lay and turn around. Also, throw some small food particles or crumbs in there. They usually won't relieve themselves where they eat.

But the biggest thing you are going to have to do, is get up in the middle of night and take him out. You may have to be outside for 20 minutes (in the beginning) until he gets what is expected of him.

Personally, I would rather get up and have interrupted sleep, then to find a horrific mess to clean up every morning. But that's just me, but I know for others, sleep in more important.

[soccbydo]

Originally Posted by maritoma

I am not positive of the time, but i think its in the really early morning 4 a.m. maybe, and oh yes he does poop in his crate, not only at night that is a given, but during the day when i can't watch his every move i'll put him in there and this is after going outside and he'll poop, and never give me a sign that he has to go out.

Oh dear, that is frustrating, that is how scooby my yorkie was, didnt matter how many times he went out he still did it in tne crate and wallowed in it. I wonder why they do this? It is not exactly perfume

When I got bijour the new pommie couple weeks ago that is what he was doing. Now he is not doing it in the crate anymore thank god. How big is the crate? Maike sure it is only big enoug to stand, turn around and lay down, no extra room for poop or pee.

I feel your frustration as I lived thru that for several months. It is not plesant nor is it fun.

Keep a journal of his wee and poo, this is what I do, it is better then you can time his frequency. He is just only 4 months and still a wee baby, so just have a bit of patience limit his space as he is still quite small. Feed him only what he should have for his age and not a drop more. If he goes out and does nothing do like what I am doing currently with my pommie, no poo no pee, back in the crate, but make sure the crate is not too big, if it has extra room as I have learned, he will eliminate in there. I had to change Bijou's crate to a smaller one, he did poo in the bigger one, but not in this one.

[JCarlson2004]

Potty training ... I remember those days well. Don't worry, it CAN be done! Yorkies can be difficult to potty train but with a little extra effort, anyone can totally be successful at it!

Everyone has give you excellent advice already, so I won't bog you down with anymore. Just remember that your pup is still VERY young. Sometimes it takes a year or even two years (in some cases, not all cases) to potty train a dog. Some people are lucky and their dogs catch up quickly. My Codie caught on sooooooo unbelievely quickly ... he was potty trained by 4 months old but I wasn't that lucky with the rest of my dogs lol

Good luck to you!!

[Brookef18]

My puppy is four months also. Potty training is very tough on the nerves... but We knew this before we even got the pup!!!

I am a little concerned about your pup not eating after 5:00 at night. That is a very long time for your pup to go with out food. Sadie gets her last meal about 9:30. I get up at 6:00 and take her right out and then feed her. These babies are still little... they need to eat often.

As far as potty training goes. Find one place to make as a potty and stick to it. We have potty pads in the basement in a play pen. She knows this is potty and she goes when ever I put her in it. When she gets older and it gets warmer...she will go outside. I have a potty pad in her expen but she never uses it. It's there if she ever wants to but so far nothing!!!
She still will go on my floor while she is running around playing during the day. I think she just hasn't figured out that she is supposed to hold it until she gets to the potty. I take her every hour or more...
If the create isn't working out why not try an expen. At least you puppy won't be sitting in his own poo. Sadie just got an expen for when I have to go out during the day. She sleeps in a create just big enough for her to lay down and turn around in at night. Her create is on a table, facing me as I sleep. I can reach over and get her out of the cage if I needed to. She likes to see me and be close. She never once has gone in her create. She has a water bottle hanging in her create so she drinks at night and still holds it.
Maybe your create is to big, or maybe you need an expen. Your baby sounds confused. I'm so sorry you are going through this. It is tons of work to potty train but once they are it is well worth it. Chewy is fully potty trained and he was from a pretty young age... There is hope.

[soccbydo]

Here is a great article I just found on this site

http://www.barkbytes.com/training/house.htm

I just copied it to here as it is easier to read. It has some really good tips for when we get frustrated

House Training Your Puppy
by George Jones
House training is one of the first tasks that every new dog owner will undertake in the introduction of their puppy to its new home. There are three categories of house training types :
a) Basic house training ; the establishment of an allowable toilet area for your pet.
b) Submissive wetting ; urination occurring when greeting, disciplining or high excitement.
c) Marking ; upon reaching puberty - some dogs (male or female) will mark their territory.
House Training :
House training should only take approximately two weeks to establish as a routine provided;
a) you must be consistent and committed
b) you are prepared to train your pet from the moment you take possession. Have a leash, collar, a designated area and are prepared to maintain a schedule.
Retraining a dog that has already established bad habits can take six weeks or more.

As soon as possible get your new puppy to the vet for a complete check-up. This will assure you that you have obtained a healthy pup and alert you to any medical complications that can make house training more difficult. Situations such as intestinal upset, intestinal parasites and urinary tract infections can make house training difficult to impossible.

The designated toilet area can be as general as outside of the house or as specific as a particular corner of the backyard. You must have a specific plan as to what the designated area is going to be. You can not teach the dog what is acceptable if you are uncertain.

Your attitude is one of the most important ingredients in house training your dog. Your puppy does not know what is wrong. If there is a mistake tell him "no" but do not discipline too severely. You only want him to know that you are displeased, you do not want the pup to feel that you are the source of pain. When the pup has done well, pat him, praise him, let the dog know that you are very pleased. The pup will want to do things that please you. House training can be a foundation for all future training. Affection and praise as a reward for proper response - "no" signaling displeasure and guidance to show the dog what you do want.

Scheduling:
1. Create a schedule that is practical for you to maintain. If you can not stick to your schedule - you can't expect the dog to adhere to it.
2. Do not allow your dog to free feed until house training is well established. Be very careful of your dogs diet - avoid foods and/or snacks that can be upsetting to his digestive tract.
3. Schedule your dog's bed time and waking-up time. Adhere to these times as closely as possible.
4. Young pups will require frequent nap times, be sure that your schedule can accommodate the pup's naps. Remember that the pup will need to be taken outside after each nap.
5. Emotional intensity - after intense emotional stimulation (badly scared, frightened, or a particularly rowdy play session) the pup may need to relieve himself.
6. Within two to three days, most dogs will be able to "control themselves" for eight hours during the night. You must keep in mind that your daytime schedule will need to be somewhat flexible. By paying attention to your dog, you will learn his nap requirements. Your dog will learn "the routine" and you will both have a schedule that you can live with.

Supervise in the House :
1. By knowing where your dog is at all times, and what he is doing, you can avoid mistakes. When a pup stops playing and starts to look around for a "good spot", he needs to go out. By observing your dog you will quickly learn to tell the difference between the pup's exploring his new universe and his searching for a "good location".
2. If the pup starts to make a mistake, firmly but quietly say "No" and take the dog straight to his toilet area. Do not yell at the dog. Do not chase the dog. At this point it is up to you to be observant of your dog. Any mistakes that are made are due to your not paying attention.
3. If you can not supervise the dog for a period of time, put the dog in a confinement area (prepared with papers) or confine him to the room where you are.
4. When you are relaxing (watching TV, reading or on computer), have the dog with you. Give the pup some of his toys to play with. Have the dog on his leash or confine him to the room where you are, so that he doesn't wander of and have an accident. Teach him that it can be enjoyable just being with you.

When you can't be with your dog:
1. Provide a small area confinement area (bathroom with all "chewable" items removed, fenced off area of the garage, or a crate).
2. Do not leave food and water with the dog, or fill him with cookies or snacks before you leave. You should schedule the pup's breakfast to be at least 2 hours before your planned departure time. That way the pup can eat, digest his food and relieve himself prior to your departure.
3. Ideally, if you are going to be gone for more than eight hours, someone should give the dog a drink and an opportunity to relieve himself.

Taking the dog out (to the latrine) :
1. Take your dog on leash to the designated toilet area. Stand quietly, so that the dog can find the right spot. Do not distract the dog. Do not praise the dog during his search. If after about 5 minutes your dog hasn't gone to the bathroom, return him to the house (keeping a close eye on him) for about 1/2 hour, then try again.
2. As the dog starts to relieve himself; calmly praise him. Use a chosen word or phrase (good potty or wonderful potty). This phrase will only be used for praise in going potty.
3. When the dog has finished relieving himself praise him more enthusiastically. Let him know that you are very proud of him.
4. Remember your dog's routine. Some dogs will "potty" two or three times per outing in the morning, but only twice per outing in the evening. Urination is often followed by defecation, while other dogs will do the reverse.
5. Even. if the weather is foul, do not let your dog know that you don't want to be going outside with him. By teaching your dog that even in bad weather going outside is "the thing to do", to please you, then he will be more willing to convey his needs to you.
6. While you are learning your dog's "time table", take him out immediately after he wakes up, after he has eaten and after all play sessions.

Catching the dog "in the act" :
1. Without yelling, firmly say "No". If you still don't have the dog's attention, clap your hands.
2. Get the dog outside, to the designated latrine area. If the dog relieves himself outside praise him. Proceed with the potty routine.
3. Clean the mess with a deodorizing or odor killing cleanser. If the dog smells his own scent as having been used as a bathroom area, the dog will continue to use the area.
If the cleanser is not able to eliminate enough of the scent so that the dog can not detect it, you can help mask the scent over with vanilla extract. Just one or two drops will make it impossible for the dog to smell any lingering odor.

If you find a mess after the fact :
1. Do not punish the dog.
2. Accept the fact that you were not paying attention to the dog.
3. Do not show the dog that you are upset. Calmly put the dog on his leash and bring him to the location of the accident. With the dog at your side, firmly scold the potty. Do not scold the dog.
4. Blot up some urine, or pick up some stool with a piece of paper. Take the evidence and the dog to the latrine area. Place the paper on the ground and with the dog watching praise the potty for being in the "right" place. Temporarily leave the paper there. (Remove it when the dog isn't watching)
5. Clean up the remaining mess in the house as outlined above.