Hi, my name is Helene and I have just joined your forum. Just wanted to say hello and plead for a little help. I have always wanted a yorkie and about a month ago my son and daughter-in-law blessed me with an early Christmas gift
. My Delilah is 4 months old and I love her to death..
Right now I am having issues on trying to "potty train". Delilah doesn't like being outside, which I can understand because it is cold out right now. I have her "somewhat" pad trained. I say "somewhat" because sometimes she will go on the pad and sometimes she won't. I make sure I put the pad in the same place every time. I crate her at night and when we are not home, but it never fails, she poops and pees in her crate every time and doesn't seem to care.
Another issue I have is that I work. I leave the house at 6:30am and sometimes don't return until 5:00 ish...I let her out with a pad in the morning and put her in the crate when I leave. Then my husband lets her out again when he gets up. He does not leave for work until 10:30, so she is in the crate from 10:30 until I get home.
I realize she is little, and young and I cannot expect her to hold it that long, but even when I am gone only a little while, like on the weekends she doesn't even attempt to hold it.
So I guess my questions would be, first in order to make her go on the pad all the time would it be smarter for me to confine her to a smaller area with a pad instead of putting it by the back door? What do I do about her messing in her crate even when she is only left in there a small amount of time?
I have always had big dogs and never had training issues. Sure when they were new puppies they would mess in their crate, but it didn't take any time for them to attempt to hold it ...I let them outside every 30 minutes or so when I was home..and eventually they learned. I have a 6 month old lab that never messes in her crate or the house.
I guess it is different with little dogs? I really love my little girl...am I expecting too much out of her at this young? age