 1st time Dog Owner - New to group
Hi everyone, I am a long-time dog lover and just got my first Yorkie 3 weeks ago. He is the first dog I have ever owned and I waited so long to get a dog to make sure I was financially stable and had the time to devote to him. When I got him, he was 4 months old so he is a little older than the traditional puppy age. He is a tiny little pup at only 2.2 lbs and I love him. I did my homework regarding training before getting him, I read training books and stuff online. I have taken him to see the vet and we start puppy education classes tomorrow evening. But potty training is NOT going well. He has not gone outside once since I got him 3 weeks ago. He holds his bladder and poop well but doesn't know where to release it. He pees/poops consistently in his crate. I take him outside every hour when I am with him. We go on long walks. He sniffs everything. Then I put him in his crate and he goes again. This morning he started to poop in his crate, I took him outside for 30 minutes so he could finish and the moment we came back inside, he pooped again in the crate. I'm at a loss. He is a little older so he has formed habits that are hard to break. I am looking for help. I am using rewards/treats but haven't given him a treat once because he hasn't gone outside. Are there any tricks I am missing? |