How to stop puppy from going to the bathroom on the floor? - YorkieTalk.com Forums

Allan · 09-27-2005, 01:38 PM

Hello-

My wife and I recently (about a month ago) got a 4 month old Yorkie puppy. He is great, however, we have one problem... We are paper-training him (as we live in an apt). When Zack is in his pen, he goes to the bathroom on his wee-wee pad every time. However, when we let him out, he will go to the bathroom on the floor. A couple of times, he has jumped into his pen (through the open door) to use the wee-wee pad, but more often than not, he just goes on the floor. We still praise him when he does use the wee wee pad, and don't yell him when he goes on the floor. A few times, when we caught him in the act, we picked him and put him on the pad in the pen.

My question is what is the best way to tain him to ONLY go on the pads? Are we doing anything wrong? Should we not let him out of his pen that much? Should we leave an additional wee wee pad outside his pen in the room that he is playing?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

thanks!

PrinceAmos · 09-27-2005, 02:35 PM

I think what you're doing sounds pretty good. Remember...he's just a puppy and puppies have accidents. They are most certainly not trained overnight, and yorkies can be notoriously difficult to housebreak. I know many people who were still working on housebreaking at 9months-1year old.

If you let him out of his pen, make sure that you can watch him. If you can't watch right over him, put him back in his pen cause he will undoubtedly go potty on the floor when you aren't looking.

Hope this helps!

B-Shai's Mom · 09-27-2005, 03:18 PM

I may not be doing this puppy potty training right either... but Bella (3 months today) has a pad in her play-pen that is open when she is out playing, one in the living room and one in our bedroom. It took her about a week to figure out where they all were... but we started to notice that she just couldn't make it back to the kitchen so the ones we positioned throughout the house are getting utilized when she is out to play. She is a stinker and still has her accidents.... but she is making progress! I am sure at some point that I am going to get tired of having so many potty pads EVERYWHERE, but maybe at that point she will be older and wiser and it will just work out

Good Luck!!! and Congratulations!

Hamoth · 09-27-2005, 10:07 PM

Quote:

However, when we let him out, he will go to the bathroom on the floor.

Sounds like your dog thinks that the rest of the apartment is "Outside". He thinks that once out of his pen, he is outdoors.

This is a common issue with puppies and is totally normal. Some experts say that you should deal with these things by having one room that's "the puppy room". And then when they are allowed out of that room, it is on a lead attached to your hip or belt. It's supposed to be a highly successful mode of training. I didn't do this since going outside is easy for us.

Be sure that he has very few (I suggest ONE) pad locations. Ideally, with ONE place to potty, there will be no room for confusion in the big bad world. Also work on training your dog to potty on cue, and taking them to the pad when you can see they might need to go. Look for sudden disinterest in playing, sniffing the ground, walking in circles. Sniffing with a purpose in circles means it's time to go to the pad. USe a treat to lure your puppy to the pad. Get them on it with a command or by gently placing them there, and command "go potty". When you regulate bathroom time, you are in command.

If you have a balcony, you might think of making it puppy-safe and setting up a bathroom for him there instead of inside.

Whatever decisions you make now, these will create that dog that you will have for the next 12-18 years! Decide what you ultimately want, and google search for answers.

Allan · 09-28-2005, 06:12 AM

Thanks for the comments. My concern is not that Zack is having accidents. (We are fine with those.) Rather, that he thinks that once outside the pen, he can got to the bathroom wherever he chooses. I guess we just have to keep a better eye on him when he runs around. We don;t have a balcony unfortunately, so we just leave his pen in the hallway.

Does anyone know how to take a picture and shrink it? I'd like to post of pic of Zack but the smallest one I have is around 700K and the site says the max is 200K.

thanks again

PrinceAmos · 09-28-2005, 06:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Allan

Does anyone know how to take a picture and shrink it? I'd like to post of pic of Zack but the smallest one I have is around 700K and the site says the max is 200K.

thanks again

http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/faq.php?

Click on this and go to How to Post Photos. That should help!!

wd6474 · 09-28-2005, 02:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Allan

Hello-

My wife and I recently (about a month ago) got a 4 month old Yorkie puppy. He is great, however, we have one problem... We are paper-training him (as we live in an apt). When Zack is in his pen, he goes to the bathroom on his wee-wee pad every time. However, when we let him out, he will go to the bathroom on the floor. A couple of times, he has jumped into his pen (through the open door) to use the wee-wee pad, but more often than not, he just goes on the floor. We still praise him when he does use the wee wee pad, and don't yell him when he goes on the floor. A few times, when we caught him in the act, we picked him and put him on the pad in the pen.

My question is what is the best way to tain him to ONLY go on the pads? Are we doing anything wrong? Should we not let him out of his pen that much? Should we leave an additional wee wee pad outside his pen in the room that he is playing?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

thanks!

no need for my input. hamoth says it best.....

YorkieChanel · 09-29-2005, 12:16 PM

Sorry no time to read right now. But one thing trainer told me and read about its that you should have about 3 PEE PADS around the house. not just one. Being that they are soo little, they might be playing around and just loose it. Nothing you can do there. But if they got spots, (MORE PEE PADS) they can manage to hold it really quick to get to it.

troubletb · 09-29-2005, 12:23 PM

I think your cage is probably too big! The cage should be big enough to lay, turn around and sleep in. But they shouldn't go to the bathroom in it. When you first take him/her out you should bring her to the wee wee pad and make them stay there until they do their business. Then of course praise him when he does it. Let him play for a few hours, put him back in his cage, and do the same thing all over again. Always bring him to the pad first before anything else. Good Luck

This is what I'm doing with my two little ones, 9 weeks and 14 weeks. I just started, but seems to be working! I did however train my westie like this and he was the best trained dog I have ever owned!

09-27-2005, 01:38 PM	#1
Allan Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: NYC Posts: 73	How to stop puppy from going to the bathroom on the floor? Hello- My wife and I recently (about a month ago) got a 4 month old Yorkie puppy. He is great, however, we have one problem... We are paper-training him (as we live in an apt). When Zack is in his pen, he goes to the bathroom on his wee-wee pad every time. However, when we let him out, he will go to the bathroom on the floor. A couple of times, he has jumped into his pen (through the open door) to use the wee-wee pad, but more often than not, he just goes on the floor. We still praise him when he does use the wee wee pad, and don't yell him when he goes on the floor. A few times, when we caught him in the act, we picked him and put him on the pad in the pen. My question is what is the best way to tain him to ONLY go on the pads? Are we doing anything wrong? Should we not let him out of his pen that much? Should we leave an additional wee wee pad outside his pen in the room that he is playing? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. thanks!

09-27-2005, 02:35 PM	#2
PrinceAmos Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Lake Norman, NC Posts: 128	I think what you're doing sounds pretty good. Remember...he's just a puppy and puppies have accidents. They are most certainly not trained overnight, and yorkies can be notoriously difficult to housebreak. I know many people who were still working on housebreaking at 9months-1year old. If you let him out of his pen, make sure that you can watch him. If you can't watch right over him, put him back in his pen cause he will undoubtedly go potty on the floor when you aren't looking. Hope this helps! __________________ Erica, Amos, & Lexy Amos http://www.dogster.com/pet_page.php?i=199021&j=t Lexy http://www.dogster.com/pet_page.php?i=199031&j=t

09-27-2005, 03:18 PM	#3
B-Shai's Mom Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 35	who really knows :) I may not be doing this puppy potty training right either... but Bella (3 months today) has a pad in her play-pen that is open when she is out playing, one in the living room and one in our bedroom. It took her about a week to figure out where they all were... but we started to notice that she just couldn't make it back to the kitchen so the ones we positioned throughout the house are getting utilized when she is out to play. She is a stinker and still has her accidents.... but she is making progress! I am sure at some point that I am going to get tired of having so many potty pads EVERYWHERE, but maybe at that point she will be older and wiser and it will just work out Good Luck!!! and Congratulations!

09-29-2005, 12:23 PM	#9
troubletb Love my Yorkies Donating Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: New Port Richey, Florida Posts: 2,244	I think your cage is probably too big! The cage should be big enough to lay, turn around and sleep in. But they shouldn't go to the bathroom in it. When you first take him/her out you should bring her to the wee wee pad and make them stay there until they do their business. Then of course praise him when he does it. Let him play for a few hours, put him back in his cage, and do the same thing all over again. Always bring him to the pad first before anything else. Good Luck This is what I'm doing with my two little ones, 9 weeks and 14 weeks. I just started, but seems to be working! I did however train my westie like this and he was the best trained dog I have ever owned! __________________ Karen~ Bell, Lilly and Peter's Mom http://www.freewebs.com/floridayorkies/

09-28-2005, 06:12 AM	#5
Allan Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: NYC Posts: 73	Thanks for the comments. My concern is not that Zack is having accidents. (We are fine with those.) Rather, that he thinks that once outside the pen, he can got to the bathroom wherever he chooses. I guess we just have to keep a better eye on him when he runs around. We don;t have a balcony unfortunately, so we just leave his pen in the hallway. Does anyone know how to take a picture and shrink it? I'd like to post of pic of Zack but the smallest one I have is around 700K and the site says the max is 200K. thanks again

09-29-2005, 12:16 PM	#8
YorkieChanel Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Miami Posts: 71	Sorry no time to read right now. But one thing trainer told me and read about its that you should have about 3 PEE PADS around the house. not just one. Being that they are soo little, they might be playing around and just loose it. Nothing you can do there. But if they got spots, (MORE PEE PADS) they can manage to hold it really quick to get to it.