Potty Training Older dogs - YorkieTalk.com Forums

linm · 06-26-2007, 07:30 AM

We got our 2 Yorkies a month ago. They weren't rescues; they came from a reputable breeder that had kept them for different reasons and had now concluded that she really couldn't give them good pet homes. We were thrilled to get them and they are adjusting really well. Cora is 4 years old and Rupert is just 1 year.

My issue is with the Potty Training. The breeder had told us that they were both Pee Pad trained. Well, not quite.

The guys were kept in pens with a crate and a pee-pad in the pen. They would use the pee-pad in their pen.

When we brought them home, we introduced them to the backyard! They both got it pretty quick and will now take themselves out if they have to go and we are in the TV room/Kitchen area (where the sliding door to the backyard is). I take them out there first thing in the morning, last thing at night and often during the day. If we go out for awhile, we leave them in their pen upstairs that has access to a bathroom where the pee-pads are. They use them if they have to, but more often, wait until we get home and take them into the backyard.

My problem is that they never ask to go out and don't seem to make any signs that they need to go. Rupert, the youngest at 1 year old, tends to circle a lot (I think from growing up in a pen), so I can't use that as a cue. If we are in any other space in the house, they have accidents! If I work in my office or workroom, they hang out with me but can't seem to connect the pee-pads in the next room as the appropriate place to go! They will just squat and go wherever they are! Cora seems to walk to the top of the stairs where the closed gate is and do her business there. I think she wants to get outside but, no cues! I try to watch them but can't seem to do it constantly!

I will be home alot this summer so I am tying to set a timer to ring every 1 1/2 hours to remind me to take them out. I have also ordered a couple of bells; I thought I would try to train them to ring to alert me, but does anyone have any other suggestions? Crate Training does not seem to be the answer as that would just reinforce what they learned at the Breeder's.

Buffalogirl · 06-30-2007, 05:59 AM

Hi, I'm glad to read your post because we are having issues with our 14 mon. old Freyja. Originally tried to train her to use pee pads and she is about 75% accurate. Unfortunately she has started to scatter her poop everywhere and it's starting to get our carpet really yucky. We got a steam cleaner and hopefully that we get the scent out of the carpet. We decided we need to train her to go outside but I am concerned about crating her for long periods of time because she sleeps all night in her crate. She is also used to having full access to the house. Keep posting about how you are doing.

kalina82 · 06-30-2007, 08:21 AM

i would basically start from the beginning. Treat them as tho the are puppies who are not house broken. Crate training can still work with them. Make sure you put them on a feeding schedule as well.

First thing in the morning take them outside. Then give them breakfast. Right after they are finished eating put them in their crates/pen(without pee pads) for 15-20 minutes. This lets the digestive system work and they will probably have to 'go' after 15 minutes. After times up take them outside and tell them to 'go potty' or whatever cue you want to use. If they both go then they get 'free time' for 30 minutes to an hour. After this time is up put them back in their crate/pen. Basically what is going to happen is that they go potty and then get play time for 30-60 minutes then get more crate time. Dinner is the same as breakfast. As they start to do better on this schedule with holding their pee/poop and not going in the house you can lengthen the play/free time. eventually they will hold it until you take them out because they know you will be taking them out soon.

If you want to train them to give you a sign they have to go out, many people here use bells on the door. When you start to use the bells ring them yourself and say 'potty outside' or whatever right before you open the door to go out to potty. then start picking up their paw and hitting the bells to go potty. soon they will start going to the door to hit the bells themselves to let you know they have to potty.

i hope some of this helps you out.

linm · 07-04-2007, 07:04 AM

I got very similar advice from a Trainer that we will be going to for Obedience training. She also suggested a journal. You record when they eat, drink water, pee, and poop. It is really helping in 2 ways. One it shows us their schedules and also it reminds us to take them out!

The biggest issue seems to be the pee-pads texture. It seems that anything with that texture is fair game. We were camping this weekend and they did their business on the mats by the picnic table several times. They would walk to the very outer edge of the mat to get as far away from us as possible but not take the extra 2 steps to the grass! However, by the end, we were seeing an improvement.

Erin · 07-04-2007, 05:27 PM

The bells will help if you can get them to ring the bells. It's also good if they have access to the door so they can learn to go to it. If there is a gate in the way they might get confused. I had 2 crates for Loki when he was a puppy and if I wasn't watching him, he was in one of the crates. Sammy is so small she would either be on my lap or I'd park her in a laundry basket.

Sammy was nearly 1 when we got her. She had been taken outside and also had pee pads in her pen. She was not trained. We've had her for a few months now and she is to the point where I don't even have to constantly watch her. I just keep an eye on the clock and make sure she gets out every couple hours. A few times a day she will try to "ask" to go out by sitting by the door or barking at me, but she isn't into the bells quite yet. She usually waits for Loki to need to go out and then comes running over to go too. Anyway, it CAN be done. I used to have to watch her every second and now I can let her run around the house.

Buffalogirl · 07-09-2007, 11:12 AM

I took Kellie's advice and started Freyja on a eating and walking schedule. She is getting better (she has done all her poops outside for the last week with one "accident". The pee is a little more challenging. She will pee outside and then pee inside about 15 minutes later. Well, I guess we'll just keep trying!
Patti & Freyja

Buffalogirl · 08-08-2007, 09:50 AM

If you want to train them to give you a sign they have to go out, many people here use bells on the door. When you start to use the bells ring them yourself and say 'potty outside' or whatever right before you open the door to go out to potty. then start picking up their paw and hitting the bells to go potty. soon they will start going to the door to hit the bells themselves to let you know they have to potty.

i hope some of this helps you out.[/quote]

Well so far so good. Freyja has been doing 90% of her poops and pees outside. I bought some bells at the craft store so that she can signal but...Freyja is terrified of the sound of the bells!! Any other way to teach her to signal us?

Patti & Freyja

06-26-2007, 07:30 AM	#1
linm Donating Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: May 2007 Location: Vancouver, BC Posts: 127	Potty Training Older dogs We got our 2 Yorkies a month ago. They weren't rescues; they came from a reputable breeder that had kept them for different reasons and had now concluded that she really couldn't give them good pet homes. We were thrilled to get them and they are adjusting really well. Cora is 4 years old and Rupert is just 1 year. My issue is with the Potty Training. The breeder had told us that they were both Pee Pad trained. Well, not quite. The guys were kept in pens with a crate and a pee-pad in the pen. They would use the pee-pad in their pen. When we brought them home, we introduced them to the backyard! They both got it pretty quick and will now take themselves out if they have to go and we are in the TV room/Kitchen area (where the sliding door to the backyard is). I take them out there first thing in the morning, last thing at night and often during the day. If we go out for awhile, we leave them in their pen upstairs that has access to a bathroom where the pee-pads are. They use them if they have to, but more often, wait until we get home and take them into the backyard. My problem is that they never ask to go out and don't seem to make any signs that they need to go. Rupert, the youngest at 1 year old, tends to circle a lot (I think from growing up in a pen), so I can't use that as a cue. If we are in any other space in the house, they have accidents! If I work in my office or workroom, they hang out with me but can't seem to connect the pee-pads in the next room as the appropriate place to go! They will just squat and go wherever they are! Cora seems to walk to the top of the stairs where the closed gate is and do her business there. I think she wants to get outside but, no cues! I try to watch them but can't seem to do it constantly! I will be home alot this summer so I am tying to set a timer to ring every 1 1/2 hours to remind me to take them out. I have also ordered a couple of bells; I thought I would try to train them to ring to alert me, but does anyone have any other suggestions? Crate Training does not seem to be the answer as that would just reinforce what they learned at the Breeder's.

06-30-2007, 05:59 AM	#2
Buffalogirl Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Canada Posts: 60	potty training older dogs Hi, I'm glad to read your post because we are having issues with our 14 mon. old Freyja. Originally tried to train her to use pee pads and she is about 75% accurate. Unfortunately she has started to scatter her poop everywhere and it's starting to get our carpet really yucky. We got a steam cleaner and hopefully that we get the scent out of the carpet. We decided we need to train her to go outside but I am concerned about crating her for long periods of time because she sleeps all night in her crate. She is also used to having full access to the house. Keep posting about how you are doing.

06-30-2007, 08:21 AM	#3
kalina82 Phantom Queen Morrigan Donating Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: North Jersey Posts: 6,655 Blog Entries: 1	i would basically start from the beginning. Treat them as tho the are puppies who are not house broken. Crate training can still work with them. Make sure you put them on a feeding schedule as well. First thing in the morning take them outside. Then give them breakfast. Right after they are finished eating put them in their crates/pen(without pee pads) for 15-20 minutes. This lets the digestive system work and they will probably have to 'go' after 15 minutes. After times up take them outside and tell them to 'go potty' or whatever cue you want to use. If they both go then they get 'free time' for 30 minutes to an hour. After this time is up put them back in their crate/pen. Basically what is going to happen is that they go potty and then get play time for 30-60 minutes then get more crate time. Dinner is the same as breakfast. As they start to do better on this schedule with holding their pee/poop and not going in the house you can lengthen the play/free time. eventually they will hold it until you take them out because they know you will be taking them out soon. If you want to train them to give you a sign they have to go out, many people here use bells on the door. When you start to use the bells ring them yourself and say 'potty outside' or whatever right before you open the door to go out to potty. then start picking up their paw and hitting the bells to go potty. soon they will start going to the door to hit the bells themselves to let you know they have to potty. i hope some of this helps you out. __________________ Kellie and Morgan Girls Soccer Team Goalie!!!!

07-09-2007, 11:12 AM	#6
Buffalogirl Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Canada Posts: 60	potty training update I took Kellie's advice and started Freyja on a eating and walking schedule. She is getting better (she has done all her poops outside for the last week with one "accident". The pee is a little more challenging. She will pee outside and then pee inside about 15 minutes later. Well, I guess we'll just keep trying! Patti & Freyja

08-08-2007, 09:50 AM	#7
Buffalogirl Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Canada Posts: 60	Potty training older dogs Part 2 If you want to train them to give you a sign they have to go out, many people here use bells on the door. When you start to use the bells ring them yourself and say 'potty outside' or whatever right before you open the door to go out to potty. then start picking up their paw and hitting the bells to go potty. soon they will start going to the door to hit the bells themselves to let you know they have to potty. i hope some of this helps you out.[/quote] Well so far so good. Freyja has been doing 90% of her poops and pees outside. I bought some bells at the craft store so that she can signal but...Freyja is terrified of the sound of the bells!! Any other way to teach her to signal us? Patti & Freyja

07-04-2007, 07:04 AM	#4
linm Donating Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: May 2007 Location: Vancouver, BC Posts: 127	I got very similar advice from a Trainer that we will be going to for Obedience training. She also suggested a journal. You record when they eat, drink water, pee, and poop. It is really helping in 2 ways. One it shows us their schedules and also it reminds us to take them out! The biggest issue seems to be the pee-pads texture. It seems that anything with that texture is fair game. We were camping this weekend and they did their business on the mats by the picnic table several times. They would walk to the very outer edge of the mat to get as far away from us as possible but not take the extra 2 steps to the grass! However, by the end, we were seeing an improvement.

07-04-2007, 05:27 PM	#5
Erin Donating YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Chicago Suburbs Posts: 2,635	The bells will help if you can get them to ring the bells. It's also good if they have access to the door so they can learn to go to it. If there is a gate in the way they might get confused. I had 2 crates for Loki when he was a puppy and if I wasn't watching him, he was in one of the crates. Sammy is so small she would either be on my lap or I'd park her in a laundry basket. Sammy was nearly 1 when we got her. She had been taken outside and also had pee pads in her pen. She was not trained. We've had her for a few months now and she is to the point where I don't even have to constantly watch her. I just keep an eye on the clock and make sure she gets out every couple hours. A few times a day she will try to "ask" to go out by sitting by the door or barking at me, but she isn't into the bells quite yet. She usually waits for Loki to need to go out and then comes running over to go too. Anyway, it CAN be done. I used to have to watch her every second and now I can let her run around the house.