To Balderdashian. Yup, I know. I went through it all. I too, thought I was prepared. Nope. I didn't get a big enough gate to gate off the kitchen, so I had to supplement the one I had with a big box. I also couldn't tell if she had to potty because all they DO is freakin sniff. EVERYTHING. I mean everything. I take her out and she finds the nastiest places to sniff.
You CANNOT give her the run of your house. Please, please don't do that. You will SO regret it.
I tried to get her to potty outside this a.m. because it is beautiful here, but that didn't work. I tried putting the pee pad down. Didn't work. She just cried. So I took her back inside and let her go on the pee pads. Some people actually have luck with them going inside and outside. I don't know if that is going to work for me (or you).
I also know what you mean about the freakin crate training. Ya right, so you are supposed to take them out for a few minutes, if they don't go, put them in the crate, then just keep doing that. Who has the time to do that if you work?? Besides that, I am sorry, but I just don't believe in keeping a dog cooped up in a crate for hours at night and then hours during the day. These are LITTLE DOGS with LITTLE bladders and they can get urinary tract infections if they hold it too long. Plus, they WILL potty in the crate if they have to go too bad. Then you have another whole mess on your hands.
Ahh, the schedule. The stupid schedule. AGAIN, how can you keep a schedule when you work and have to take care of your own life? I ended up beating myself up because I couldn't keep the stupid schedule.
But you know what? Last night, something happend that put all this into perspective for me. She was on my lap chewing on a rawhide bone and a piece got caught in her throat. She started gasping for air and choking. I freaked out. She was looking at me like, please help me. I opened her mouth and stuck my fingers down her throat and she puked up a chunk of rawhide. My dog almost died. I was shaking and crying after it happened. But she was o.k. I will NEVER give her rawhide again.
I am posting this because after that happened, I realized that her pooping and peeing on the floor is not a good thing, and me not being able to keep a stupid schedule is not a good thing, but you know what? It is all NOTHING compared to the fact that she could have died on my lap. So now, I am a lot calmer about stuff and am going to do what works for me and her. If she isn't going to go outside, then she isn't going to go outside. I will work on getting her to go on the pee pads all the time. If I can't walk her 3 x a day at the EXACT SAME TIME, then I can't walk her and I am not going to stress out over it or beat myself up. I am going to do the best I can and be thankful that I still have her.
I hope this helps you guys that are going through new Yorkie he1!. And please think ten times before you feed your doggie rawhide. There are better alternatives out there like beef bully that doesn't get chewed up the same way. |