[yorkietalkjilly]

Welcome to YorkieTalk. I hope you enjoy this site as it has taught me so much, I'm always happy to see new Yorkie owners.

I imagine your little guy is still settling into your home, probably has a lot of insecurity and is a bit shut down. He likely won't really come out of his shell until he's more secure and has come to realize he can trust you and the surroundings. Does he have other dogs or cats or children in the home? Are you married and does he get along with your spouse? When do you take him out to poop?

He could have spent all of his life or a good deal of it in his crate and to him that is the only place he knows to go. Or, it could be the only place he feels secure in. I would simply start taking him out every 30 minutes when you are home. Sounds exhausting, right? It will be - but it will likely catch your dog one of those times he really needs to poop, he'll get a gentle praise and a nice treat from a smiling mommie who he can tell is thrilled to death and by the time it happens a 3rd or 4th time, will begin to associate going out with treats, smiles, happy mommie and - and this is big, he will start to appreciate a clean nest in his crate. After a few more times, he'll start to learn by association and begin to try to retain his stool when in the crate until he is let outside. It will be slow going but he will get there if you don't expect too much too soon.

The every 30 minutes is actually the quickest, sure-fire way to imprint your dog that going outside is something he can do. Dogs usually readily pee outside in order to spread all of the hormones and pheromones and other scents that broadcast their history, cause a social response among other members of their species and apparently even speak to recent travels and activities in some way. They enjoy marking their territory with urine outside. Pooping isn't quite as natural for the domesticated dog, especially one that has probably grown used to crate pooping.

After two or three weeks of 30-minute imprinting the outside trips and treating and praising him every time he goes, you can stretch the times out to 45 minutes, an hour and then just when he starts to circle, sniff intensely or search about, standing looking intensely at you or scratching at the door - all indicators he needs to go outside. And even if you catch him in the act of pooping in his crate or in the house, just say "No" or "uh oh"(not harshly), scoop him up and take him outside, even if he's finished going by the time you got to him. You want him to get the message that outside is always associated with peeing or pooping. Eventually, with those frequent trips outside, smile, happy, treating mommie when he goes outside and liking his clean nest, he will learn to hold his potty until he is taken outside. A well-housebroken dog can hold their bladder and bowels for over 12 hours but they have to work up to that ability. Good luck to you.