[MY OSCAR]

Originally Posted by speedyb

Hello,

I love my little Oliver [just turned 1 year last Friday]. He was pretty easy to housebreak, and is very good at only going to the bathroom outside. I never used pee-pads with him because I was very adamant that he would never learn that it was okay to pee indoors... but that is when I lived in California.

I just moved to Indiana, and trying to
1. get him ready for the winters, and
2. get him ready for the few days I am gone on a work trip and he is home by himself for hours upon hours [my husband usually is out 5:30am - 8:30pm this time of the year]

I am trying to prepare him for this by training him to pee inside. I even got the grass-like mat and the pee-smelling spray. He refuses to use it. I have been trying to be good at this and consistent, but it is turning out to be a mess of accidents and lots of crying from him. It is currently 11:15am and he hasn't gone to the bathroom since 10:30pm last night... I feel like I am torturing him. He cries and runs to the door because he has to go to the bathroom, and I have been dragging this pee pad all over the apartment in hopes that he will understand that if he uses it he will get a treat, lots of praise, and bladder relief.

As long as I am here, I am willing and able to walk him, even in the snow. I will even get him those little booties. But I am not sure having a 6.5-lb. dog in a snow storm would be the best, and more immediately I am worried about my work trip for next week.

I am not sure what else to do. I truly feel like I am torturing him, and I know this will be for his own good come the blizzard season. Please help. I am about to finally take him outside because now I am afraid he is going to get a UTI.

well i guess one thing you could try would to place a potty pad just outside the door that he uses.
put a leash on him and take him out place him on the pad and encourage him to use the potty pad by saying go potty , if he does praise him like crazy and give a treat.
practice this for awhile. if he gets to use the potty pad outside the door consistently them move the pad inside the door.
when he goes to the door place him on the pad and say go potty if he does give a treat.
you may have to do this a million times.
yorkies are very smart as you know so i am sure he will catch on