[whitcline08]

Originally Posted by Bnot

I highly recommend crate training, as do many other here.

You can purchase a crate at any pet supply place or Walmart, or other stores like that.

You keep them in it, and let them out to go potty. After potty, you let them play some. Then put them back in. They learn to "hold it" while in the crate, cause they don't normally like to potty where they also sleep. I wouldn't crate them for more than 3-4 hours at a time.

The crate only needs to be big enough for them to stand up, and turn around in. Any bigger and they will pee and poop in on end and sleep in the other end. Some of the bigger crates have dividers with them. Some folks have even put boxes in it to make it smaller. Whatever works.

The idea, is most of the time (after that first few days) they don't pee and poop in their crates, which is a bed for them. Seems a lot easier than trying to run around behind them, and catch them doing it, and cleaning it up.

Lots of people also use an x-pen. Its about 3x5 feet. They put the crate and toys, food and water in one part, and a pee pee pad at the other end. Thats how Venus learned to "go" on her pee pads.

I tried the pen, but Venus climbed out of it, using her crate as a "ladder".

Its easier to train them in "smaller areas".

Yorkies have little bladders cause they're small dogs. Seems I just read that for every month, you can say they'll hold it 1 hour. I don't know if this is true or not. So with Venus being 5 months, she should be able to hold it 5 hours, using that method.

Crate training sure works better than the older methods! I sure never got this far with my older yorkie, that I didn't crate.

So do you keep ur pup in her crate most of her time during the day or just when you can't watch her? I have read some books that say crate them except when they need to pee/poo and except for a little play time and another says to hook them to you all day unless you have to leave the house and can't watch them?