[yorkietalkjilly]

Since you are asking that question, I'm thinking maybe you haven't had a puppy before or housebroken a dog before. Can I give you some advice and of course, if you are an old hand at it, just ignore it - but the question made me think maybe you are new to puppies and housebreaking.

Remember you are bringing a baby into your home. You must realize (hehehe) that life as you knew it is over for a while. You can't expect a little doggie to not pee on that lovely soft surface - so don't. Placing a blanket over that rug won't really help as once she goes on that blanket, even if the scent doesn't get to the rug below, she will get the idea it is okay to go on soft things down on the floor in that same area instead of learning to go to her assigned potty spot outside or on a pad inside.

Remove rugs, electric cords, potted plants or anything your tiny little one can get into and give over to setting her up for success in potty training, reducing the changes she will have an accident or hurt herself or get into something dangerous or off limits. You will enjoy her more if you don't expect anything much of her as in not expecting her to leave your nice rug alone and other things like that. Expect her to make a mess tearing up your papers, mail or anything left where she can get to it, potty everywhere she shouldn't and chew everything in sight. That way you will see to it that she doesn't get put or left alone for a moment in any place you don't want potty or close to anything you don't want chewed.

Once your little baby has grown into a little lady with some training, impulse control and good discipline, you can start to re-introduce her to your valued things as you watch her like a hawk. When she starts to act like she might squat to pee or potty, you can stand immediately, say "no, let's potty outside/on the pad" to hopefully freeze her in her tracks as you go to her and take her outside or to her potty pad. Eventually when she is on that rug and you are watching her, she will learn that once she begins to act like she might potty on it, you are there to intervene with "no", usually with an unhappy look on your face or some amount of displeasure as we react many times instinctively before we think - and take her out or to her pad. In time she will associate all of this with the knowledge this rug is not a place to potty and if she starts to, she will be brought up short, rushed to her appropriate potty place. Eventually, she will be on the rug, feel the need to potty and start to go there, instantly remember that she should not as you will just intervene with a "no" and rushing her elsewhere and instead she will look at you, go around in circles or go stand by the door to get let out - or go over to her potty pad. And the first time you see her gain that impulse control and put two and two together and stop herself, make a move to go in the appropriate place - that's the time for great celebrations for her. Really praise her as you rush her out or once she's gone to her pad and finished. Look her in the face, smile and gush over her wonderful accomplishment. She will get the message that what she just did was very good and she'll want that instead of hearing your kind of hurried "no", seeing a bit of a frown and being swept up and to the potty place. She will decide that controlling her want to squat, asking to go out or going to her potty spot and getting smiles and praises is better by far.

As I say, if you know all of this and I misunderstood, please just disregard but if you are new to housebreaking, maybe you can use some of it.

Best of luck and good wishes for you new baby, Josie, coming home today. How exciting!