YorkieTalk.com Forums - Yorkshire Terrier Community - View Single Post

QuickSilver · 01-25-2009, 04:31 AM

Thor used the pee pad again! For the second time in his life. Maybe not an actual pattern, but I see the start of great things!

I finally sucked it up and put Thor into potty training boot camp. He and I have been confined to my living room at all times, unless I'm sleeping (my bed, which he won't soil), or at work (he's on my desk, which he won't soil, and he can't jump off of). I also got a bell which he is currently terrified of.

I've also been treating and praising every time he goes outside. All the stuff I knew I needed to do, but I thought I could get away with, since he was like 85% house trained.

Anyway, he woke me up at 3:30 this morning and was barking at random sounds, roaming around my bed and generally being a pain in the ass. I decided to get up for a bit, so I put him in the living room and puttered around the apartment for a few minutes. When I get back, I see the most beautiful yellow spot I have ever laid my eyes on, right on the pee pad.

Just the evening he had been NAPPING on the pee pad, and I thought, wow, Thor is just not a pee pad kind of dog.

So my question is: when can I let him have free run of my apartment again? The living room is the only room I have with a door, besides the bathroom, so unless I buy two baby gates, it's either the living room or the full apartment. When do I have assurance that he's sees potty as something ONLY to be done outside or on a pad, not in random corners where I might not notice?

As I understand doggie behavior, I think Thor just couldn't hold it, and since the living room is now his "den", he used the most likely pee spot he could find. But what if he doesn't consider the rest of my apartment his "den"?

I told myself I would wait until he learned to use the bell, which I think is going to take another couple weeks. I can live with that, I guess, I've only been camped out in the living room one week, and I figured it could take three.

Will he ever completely learn what he is supposed to do?

Sorry for the novel, I'm groggy and excited all at once.

01-25-2009, 04:31 AM	#9
QuickSilver Thor's Human Donating Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: San Francisco, CA Posts: 5,929 Blog Entries: 31	Whooooooo!!!!!!!! Thor used the pee pad again! For the second time in his life. Maybe not an actual pattern, but I see the start of great things! I finally sucked it up and put Thor into potty training boot camp. He and I have been confined to my living room at all times, unless I'm sleeping (my bed, which he won't soil), or at work (he's on my desk, which he won't soil, and he can't jump off of). I also got a bell which he is currently terrified of. I've also been treating and praising every time he goes outside. All the stuff I knew I needed to do, but I thought I could get away with, since he was like 85% house trained. Anyway, he woke me up at 3:30 this morning and was barking at random sounds, roaming around my bed and generally being a pain in the ass. I decided to get up for a bit, so I put him in the living room and puttered around the apartment for a few minutes. When I get back, I see the most beautiful yellow spot I have ever laid my eyes on, right on the pee pad. Just the evening he had been NAPPING on the pee pad, and I thought, wow, Thor is just not a pee pad kind of dog. So my question is: when can I let him have free run of my apartment again? The living room is the only room I have with a door, besides the bathroom, so unless I buy two baby gates, it's either the living room or the full apartment. When do I have assurance that he's sees potty as something ONLY to be done outside or on a pad, not in random corners where I might not notice? As I understand doggie behavior, I think Thor just couldn't hold it, and since the living room is now his "den", he used the most likely pee spot he could find. But what if he doesn't consider the rest of my apartment his "den"? I told myself I would wait until he learned to use the bell, which I think is going to take another couple weeks. I can live with that, I guess, I've only been camped out in the living room one week, and I figured it could take three. Will he ever completely learn what he is supposed to do? Sorry for the novel, I'm groggy and excited all at once. Last edited by QuickSilver; 01-25-2009 at 04:34 AM.