[Kiera333]

I have a housebreaking problem.

My Yorkie just turned 1 on Aug 8th, and he is a really good boy all around. We have 1 issue; he was using pee pads regularly, but he would also use our rug sometimes(which is now in the garbage), or rugs at my inlaws etc. We tried various ways to get him to stop, and nothing worked.

This spring (when he was 9 months) we made him a porch potty-like box to put on the deck outside of the sliding door, with fake grass and a drain etc. He took to using it right away. We even taught him to use a bell to let us know when he has to go out.

He sleeps in his crate at night, holding it for 8-10 hours. During the day if we have him in the crate for a few hours, he holds it. If he is in his play pen during the day, even sometimes for 7 hours, he holds it.

Our issue is that when he would be loose in the house, and you go to the bathroom, or to change the laundry, or to the car because you forgot something, and he rings the bell, if someone doesn’t let him out, he pees or poops on the floor.

This includes if we have just let him out a few times that morning already.

We took away the bell thinking that it is because he believes he can go out on command. Now he goes to the door and cries for us to let him out, and it’s the same thing.

Now I am wondering if we ruined him with the pee pads and thinking he can go whenever he wants and shouldn’t hold it.

When we catch him in the act, we tell him No, and put him outside on his potty patch. If we are with him 24/7 and you let him out he has no accidents.

What are we doing wrong?