Quote:
Originally Posted by Erin  But crate training is letting your dog out at regular intervals. It's not locking your dog up all day. And you don't put pads in the crate - the crate is so they learn not to eliminate and then you immediately take them outside to the correct place to eliminate. I crate mine when I'm not home, but that's for their safety and usually less than 3 hours a day.
chardjo - You said you want to train him and then let him roam free? That will not happen with your current setup. You need to hire a professional dog walker or take him to doggie daycare or do something. He will not train himself. There are professional dog walkers that are insured and bonded just like a cleaning service Do a little research and I'm sure you'll find a reputable one.
I'm not going to tell you that you shouldn't have a Yorkie. But if you want a reasonably well trained one you need to make sacrifices. When Loki was a puppy we couldn't leave him alone for more than 2 hours. That meant we couldn't even go see a movie for about 6 months. We won't kennel them and don't feel like dumping them on our family so we don't go on vacation unless they come. We leave events early to go home and spend time with them. We *constantly* watch the clock when we are out shopping or whatever to make sure they don't stay in their crates too long. My husband mostly works from home but if he has a meeting or something they go to daycare or I come home from work and let them out at lunch (and give up my lunch to drive 20 mins each way). Yorkies simply cannot be left alone, whether in a crate or a pen or a bathroom, for 10 hours during the day and then all night. (Please clarify - do you work so far away that you can't come home? Why is Chris so opposed to a dog walker?)
Maybe you are willing to make those types of sacrifices, but Chris made it sound like Tanner "it" was in the way of "Chris and Heidi time" and that he could be put away like a doll. He came on a board full of Yorkie lovers - people who spend all day talking about their dogs, posting pictures and videos of their dogs, discussing what their dog's poop should look like (!!!) and he made it very clear that he didn't like your dog, "it". Then he countered every suggestion we had with a reason why that was not possible or why he didn't like that idea. I'm not quite sure what he thought would happen?????  |
I never said I was crate training him. I found the best way to train him is to give him treats.. He is a really quick learner. He learned sit in one sitting with him. Lay Down is hard.. And stay is getting much better! We have been accident free (potty free) for two days now in the house! And I am enjoying that! I am making great progress. All Tanner wants to do is please me, I definitely see this and he does a great job!