My Bridget was a rescue and at 7 months I am so pleased with her pottying I could burst. I expected so much worse. When I first got her at 12 weeks she had no idea that there were special places to to her business (which is to be expected). I tried to put her in a crate - part with pads and part with her bedding/food/water, etc. (mostly for safety reasons). I work during the day and therefore expected her to potty in her crate (that's why there were pads). She HATED the crate....she would spill her water - tear up her pads, and poop and pee everywhere. But I was told that is where she should be by a lot of well meaning friends. When I'd get home I worked on getting her to use pads outside the crate. She did well with a lot of praise and persistance (and treats). But would NOT poop on the pad (she would go anywhere and everywhere else....even by my foot as I was standing at the sink). Someone mentioned that some dogs do not like to poop where they pee - so I put down pads in a different location....still no luck - but would always poop in her crate. Once she was a little more comfortable with her new surroundings, I gave her free run of her own bedroom, blocked off from the rest of the house by baby gates with pads placed in several different locations in the room. The crate was left up with the door opened. THAT is where she decided to poop....IN HER CRATE!!! Well - it wasn't on the carpet, so that was fine with me...I just kept putting clean pads down every day in her crate and she pretty much trained herself. I first removed the "crate" part leaving the plastic base with papers....to see if that would change anything and she still went there - I am gradually moving the pad to where I want it to be.....and she's doing great....all in baby steps!!
I guess my point (if I can remember what I was going to say)...is that it might not have been the text book way to train her, but once she decided on a spot - (and I know not ALL spots they chose are acceptable) - that is where I put down the pad, and gradually move it so that she didn't realize that it changed. As soon as I get home I take her outside and she will do her business outside. I can tell from the pads about how long before I got home she used them, and it seems like maybe mid-day. So by the time I get home - she is doing the "potty dance" to go outside. Pads really are an amazing thing - I don't know what I'd do without them. You just never know when something may come up that will cause you to be away from home for longer than anticipated and it gives them a chance to relieve themselves if needed.
They ARE like babies - we baby-proof our homes so they are safe - we need to puppy-proof them also (Bridget also has a fasination with electrical outlets....baby plugs were inserted). Plastic tablecloths on the furniture or over the bed "just in case" . Not that it's acceptable, but at least nothing is ruined during the training process.
Sorry - this potty thing has so many new yorkie parents so upset, but all the reading I did before getting Bridget told me to expect it to take a long...long...time. No one should be upset, especially with a puppy this young.
(too bad long posts don't count extra toward the number of counts needed to join the YT Gift Exchange....I'd be there already!!) |