Final Training Stages - YorkieTalk.com Forums

joannec · 02-20-2007, 10:02 AM

Piper needs a little help in these final training stages. He is 8 months old. When we got Piper, he was confined to the laundry room with his litter box, crate, and toys. He would come out and play, go for walks, training, etc., but his bed and home were in the laundry room, and that is where he would go to bed each night. He has had some seperation anxiety his whole life with us, and will bark and cry when we leave him. We ignore or correct regularly, and it is not that bad. In the last two months he has moved into the gigantic kitchen, still with all of his things, and when we are home, he has free access to the house with us. He will go to his litter box on his own, and he is very good and smart about behaving.

Here is the problem. We want Piper to sleep in the house, and have general access to the house at night like he does during the day. We got him a new bed in our room, which is very close to his kitchen, and we tried leaving him out at night. He jumped to try to get up on our bed (he can't without his stairs) for about two hours in the dark. Then, my husband kicked him out of our room, and just shut our door, and he ran around the house all night, and peed on the carpet. He lost his mind!

How can I get him to sleep in the house like a normal dog? I don't want him on the bed because he is 5lbs., my husband and I are both over 6'0 giant people, and I am a rough sleeper. I don't want him to get kicked or trapped in blankets. Should I try again? Maybe I should wait until he is older, just like the stages I went through with his rooms? Have any of you had experiences with this and got your pups to adjust? I think it would help with his seperation anxiety, but don't want to undo any potty training, etc. Thanks for the tips!

psugorilladdr · 02-20-2007, 12:21 PM

Well... with my 2 yorkies (1 yr and 6 months) they have both slept with us basically the whole time we've had them. At first we did the crate, but it just wasn't working out, our male would bark and cry all night. We live in an apt and we've pushed the evicted line because of trying the crate with both of them...

I have a major problem with my 6 month old girl and separation anxiety, it's horrible! It became a problem after Christmas break (we're both college students)... She's scratched the back of my bedroom and bathroom doors to get out, not to mention the 6x4 hole she dug behind the door 2 weeks ago

.... I don't know what to do either about that. Hers has moved to the car too, she shakes and cries the whole time. It's horrible. The male just sleeps.

Have you ever crate trained before, they say if you can they will not just learn to sleep there but will actually want to... Not successful for me though...

Good luck!

KFG · 02-20-2007, 03:38 PM

We have a similar issue. Oliver is 10 months old and is doing well with training but is not quite completely there. He seems pretty content to sleep in his crate at night and even when I crate him during the day, but I would love to let him have run of the house during the day. I almost did for a few hours today but he wouldn't go to the bathroom before I had to leave so I didn't want to set him up for failure so he went in the crate. I am planning on letting him have an hour while I am out this week and see how he does. I want to make sure he is ready so he will be somewhat successful.

jjl720 · 02-20-2007, 06:18 PM

All my dogs have been crate trained from day one. THey cried the first few weeks and then got used to it. My Max is 10 months old and is really reliable as far as house breaking. He has the run of the kitchen during the day but I do not give him the run of the house unless he is with me. He is crated at night or when we will be gone more than 3 hours(which is usually never). He goes in the crate on command and will even go there when he has had enough playing. It is his safe spot. I think the key for me was to start at day 1 and never let him sleep with us. I'd love to have him with me, but don't want to start a habit that will be hard to break if I can't continue. For me it was better to never start.

joannec · 02-21-2007, 07:24 AM

Piper has run of the house. He is litter box trained. He is even left home for several hours alone, and he is ok. But, he doesn't know what to do when the humans go to sleep, because that is usually when we baby gate him in the kitchen with everything he needs. How do I get him out of the kitchen to sleep at night in the house, but NOT in our bed. He would happily sleep in the bed, but mama would get no sleep for fear of crushing him. Anyone made the transition to out all night, and how? Thanks for the great responses so far!

SONYSW · 02-22-2007, 07:45 PM

Try to play with him before going to bed. If he is tired he will sleep well.

02-20-2007, 10:02 AM	#1
joannec Yorkie Talker Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: IL Posts: 23	Final Training Stages Piper needs a little help in these final training stages. He is 8 months old. When we got Piper, he was confined to the laundry room with his litter box, crate, and toys. He would come out and play, go for walks, training, etc., but his bed and home were in the laundry room, and that is where he would go to bed each night. He has had some seperation anxiety his whole life with us, and will bark and cry when we leave him. We ignore or correct regularly, and it is not that bad. In the last two months he has moved into the gigantic kitchen, still with all of his things, and when we are home, he has free access to the house with us. He will go to his litter box on his own, and he is very good and smart about behaving. Here is the problem. We want Piper to sleep in the house, and have general access to the house at night like he does during the day. We got him a new bed in our room, which is very close to his kitchen, and we tried leaving him out at night. He jumped to try to get up on our bed (he can't without his stairs) for about two hours in the dark. Then, my husband kicked him out of our room, and just shut our door, and he ran around the house all night, and peed on the carpet. He lost his mind! How can I get him to sleep in the house like a normal dog? I don't want him on the bed because he is 5lbs., my husband and I are both over 6'0 giant people, and I am a rough sleeper. I don't want him to get kicked or trapped in blankets. Should I try again? Maybe I should wait until he is older, just like the stages I went through with his rooms? Have any of you had experiences with this and got your pups to adjust? I think it would help with his seperation anxiety, but don't want to undo any potty training, etc. Thanks for the tips!

02-21-2007, 07:24 AM	#5
joannec Yorkie Talker Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: IL Posts: 23	Anyone that has progressed beyond this? Piper has run of the house. He is litter box trained. He is even left home for several hours alone, and he is ok. But, he doesn't know what to do when the humans go to sleep, because that is usually when we baby gate him in the kitchen with everything he needs. How do I get him out of the kitchen to sleep at night in the house, but NOT in our bed. He would happily sleep in the bed, but mama would get no sleep for fear of crushing him. Anyone made the transition to out all night, and how? Thanks for the great responses so far!

02-20-2007, 12:21 PM	#2
psugorilladdr YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Oklahoma Posts: 713	Well... with my 2 yorkies (1 yr and 6 months) they have both slept with us basically the whole time we've had them. At first we did the crate, but it just wasn't working out, our male would bark and cry all night. We live in an apt and we've pushed the evicted line because of trying the crate with both of them... I have a major problem with my 6 month old girl and separation anxiety, it's horrible! It became a problem after Christmas break (we're both college students)... She's scratched the back of my bedroom and bathroom doors to get out, not to mention the 6x4 hole she dug behind the door 2 weeks ago .... I don't know what to do either about that. Hers has moved to the car too, she shakes and cries the whole time. It's horrible. The male just sleeps. Have you ever crate trained before, they say if you can they will not just learn to sleep there but will actually want to... Not successful for me though... Good luck!

02-20-2007, 03:38 PM	#3
KFG Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: May 2006 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 109	We have a similar issue. Oliver is 10 months old and is doing well with training but is not quite completely there. He seems pretty content to sleep in his crate at night and even when I crate him during the day, but I would love to let him have run of the house during the day. I almost did for a few hours today but he wouldn't go to the bathroom before I had to leave so I didn't want to set him up for failure so he went in the crate. I am planning on letting him have an hour while I am out this week and see how he does. I want to make sure he is ready so he will be somewhat successful.

02-20-2007, 06:18 PM	#4
jjl720 Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: New York Posts: 83	All my dogs have been crate trained from day one. THey cried the first few weeks and then got used to it. My Max is 10 months old and is really reliable as far as house breaking. He has the run of the kitchen during the day but I do not give him the run of the house unless he is with me. He is crated at night or when we will be gone more than 3 hours(which is usually never). He goes in the crate on command and will even go there when he has had enough playing. It is his safe spot. I think the key for me was to start at day 1 and never let him sleep with us. I'd love to have him with me, but don't want to start a habit that will be hard to break if I can't continue. For me it was better to never start.

02-22-2007, 07:45 PM	#6
SONYSW Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 215	Try to play with him before going to bed. If he is tired he will sleep well.