[yorkieusa]

Originally Posted by yorkietalkjilly

Oh, Lord, my Tibbe was 9 months old when I got him and had lived all his little life in a HORRIBLE crate! He knew nothing but pottying in his crate and refused to go anywhere except in his crate. I took that little guy out every 15 minutes after I got him home, exhulted and "treated" every squat and before long, the lure of outside smells, other dogs odors in the area, leaving his mark and his learned love of a clean crate began to work magic. I quit the "treataing" but continued the praising. At 14 months, I quit the crate entirely and just watched him like a hawk. I would crate him when I had to be away from the house for a while until at 1 1/2 years he had his last "accident" in the house, having visited the living room rug in the middle of the night. Now he is 3 years and perfectly clean in the house. When I think back about that first 2 months of running outside every 15 minutes until he began to learn where he liked to potty best, I grow weak with gratitude that his little brain eventually got it. I couldn't go through that again for anything but boy, did the hard work pay off with this little guy. He much prefers going outside and will NOT go in the house for anything. I leave pee pads down when I have to go on errands, etc., but he will not use them - he just holds it for outside. I wish he would use the pads when I'm away but he is so fastidious he will not. When at the vet, he will not go in the crate there either they tell me. So, stick with your little guy's training and eventually the dog will begin to learn that outside is where all the smells are and that that is the absolutely best place to do one's business. Plus, it leaves all their own lovely smells to compete with all those neighborhood dog's smells wafting about the air and I think that is what they want - to leave their mark outside where other dogs can sent their odors. From what I understand, they can smell other dogs' scents from yards away! And my little guy doesn't even raise his leg to mark on a tree - he just squats like a girl dog but he seems to really enjoy that he has added to the neighborhood "air quality" and he very merrily runs in the house when done as if to say "let them deal with that!" - so proud of himself. So stick with your hard work and give your stubborn little baby time to learn where the most rewarding place to do one's business is - OUTSIDE where all the good smells are!

Wonderful story! I don't think I could go through it again, either.