Any kind of punishment for going potty is only going to make a dog, especially Yorkies who we know are smart and sensative little dogs, want to hide his potty going from you that much more. Their little brains don't connect going in a certain spot with punishment, especially if it is timed after the fact. The only thing they connect the punishment with is that you are mad because of their potty (regardless of where it happened). So they are naturally going to try to hide from you to do it. That only makes training all the more difficult since you will have a tough time getting your dog to signal to you that it's time to go potty.
This is why it is imperative that you only reward and time the reward to happen at the moment they are going on the right place while they are going. If the potty happens in the wrong place, ignoring is the best way to handle it. Just clean it up and don't say or do anything beyond that. Yorkies are very reward oriented, so you can trust that your puppy will work harder to try to get that reward by going in the right place very quickly. |