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Originally Posted by ReyesJ  Here's a question. My Yorkie is house broken but every now and then she will have an accident. How do I discipline her for this? How do I prevent this from happening? |
I need a little more information. When is she having the accidents? When she is left alone? When there is a change in her schedule? Are they pee or poo accidents? Is she having the accident in the same place, or in different places?
The most important thing to remember is to never discipline her for having an accident. This teaches the dog to actually fear the act of going potty...it does not teach her that where she went potty is wrong. She will then start hiding and going potty in places like under beds, behind furniture, etc.
If you do not catch her in the act of going potty, just clean the accident up with an enzymatic cleaner and go about your way. If you catch her in the act, say "Uh oh!" in a surprised tone (no yelling!) and scoop her up to take her outside to let her finish her business. Stay outside with her and keep an eye on her to be sure she goes. Praise her for going outside if she does. Go back in and clean up the accident.
To prevent accidents, feed her on a schedule. Take her out at scheduled times and stay outside with her to be sure she goes. When she starts to go pee or poo, say "Go potty!" and praise gently. If you are consistent, she will learn to go on cue! Watch for potty signals such as: sniffing the ground, circling, frantic walking, sudden unexplainable barking, intense or worried look, or sudden loss of interest in play.
If you can't watch her while she runs loose but need to get things done, you can always put a leash around your waist and clip her to it! She will be by your side and you can see if and when she needs to go! She also won't have the opportunity to run off and find a potty place!