I am a first time yorkie owner too, although mine is now 11 months old, sometimes it seems like I brought her home just yesterday. She was 12 weeks old when I got her. I read every book on could get my hands on, there are lots out there and yes some are contradictory. However keep in mind that your baby is unique and won't necessarily fit into any mold that books describe. I think that was the biggest lesson I learned. I read everything because I wanted to do it all just right. It seemed the consensus was to crate train as "puppies will never pee in their den". Ha that was totally not true for my baby. I had a small crate and she would pee in it every time. Even though I would take her out every hour, she would come back in and pee in her crate. So I soon realized that while the books tell you that is the best way, my baby was unique. So I learned to start going with the flow, if one thing didn't work I would try something else. She never got the full run of the house, but instead of the crate I just gated off a small area where my desk is (I work from home) and would then take her out every hour to pee, she eventually got it, albeit slow. So just remember that what works for one may not work for another, they are all indivduals. Good luck to you, while it is a lot of work, it is the most rewarding thing I have ever done in my life and I love my little Zoe more than anything in the world. |