[DBlain]

If he just started doing this after 4 years something must have changed, or he could have an infection or health issue, have you ruled this out. IMO no one can really offer you advice unless you give us a lot more info. You did not mention your lifestyle or some of his behaviors, for instance does he do this when you are home or gone, does he do it shortly after going potty, does he lift his leg mostly in the same area of the house, does he lift his leg and almost nothing comes out. In regards to you, how many hours are you normally gone when you leave the home. Are others there when you are not. How does he normally go potty, inside or out, if he pottys outside how does he alert you he has to go out. If this is new behavior and health is not the issue, for some reason he has decided to start marking his territory, new pet, dog in heat, not enough attention, it's winter and he does not get out as much.

My last male was paper trained about 98 percent of the time; and used the paper about 10 times a day, but if I went to get the mail or take out the trash or did not carry him up the stairs when I went up 99 percent; of the time he would squat on the rug by the front door. I know that was not from having to go or even marking, that little bugger was showing me that he was pissed. Lola is 100 percent; housebroken and can go for 6 hours without needing to go out, but on a walk she sniffs and squats constantly and just a dribble comes out, she seems to marking her territory, which LOL the male dog never did. My male was neutered very young and was paper trained and he almost never lifted his leg even on a walk. So that's why I think that different wetting reasons might need different corrective actions.

To me the Belly Band and crate is necessary for your house not to be trashed but it will not cure the dog of lifting and marking, you have to get to the root of the problem or live with a dog always in a belly band. I see at a lot of the yorkie meetups that the stud dogs lift their legs more than the others do and they do so while wearing their belly bands. Yorkies especially males are much harder to house break than larger breeds but many people have been successful at it. It's also probably the number one reason they often wind up being given away. I wish you luck and if you give us some more info we might be able to help you a bit more.