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Originally Posted by DBlain  Lola is the best potty trained dog I have ever had so here is some advice, going potty and going walking should be two separate things. Walking should be fun, potty should be business. I also live in MI and having to walk a dog to get them to go potty will grow old fast especially in the cold, rain, and snow plus you will not always have the time to take a walk every time you want him to potty. Here is what I do, first I taught her to ring a bunch of jingle bells on the end of a ribbon hanging from the inside of my front door when she needs to go potty. I grab a few treats then put on her harness and a retractable leash, we go out and I stand on my porch and I do not move, she has the length of the retractable leash to find her place to potty, this cuts down on her dragging me all over the yard or street to sniff out the perfect spot to pee. At first she did not like it but she has grown use to the fact that I will not move. As soon as she goes she knows she is going to get a treat so that makes her anxious to do her business. Our normal potty break takes no more than a couple of min and on a cold MI morning that is more than enough time for me. Having them potty on a leash also helps if you want them to go in a certain area, in the summer I like to take her on the side of my house in the shade because I was getting brown spots on my lawn by the front door. So I carry her around the side then put her down on the leash and stand on the pathway and again do not move. In contrast my nephew has two mid size dogs and I have told him to do this, but LOL like most kids he will not listen so when he visits he often spends a half hour or longer being dragged all over the yard so his dogs will finally do their business, I don't have the patience for that. Plus since his dogs don't know how to tell him they have to go out I think some of the time he is trying to get them to go when they do not have to.
In reference to walking even though it should be fun you should not be afraid to teach a yorkie the proper way to walk on a leash, most dogs do not know this instinctively so they have to be taught. When it comes to walking do you have a park near by? if not and you want to walk, go only in the day and walk in the street like you are doing and then pick the dog up or just pull him in close when a car is coming. Lola also will pull in the wrong direction but let's face it I am much bigger and stronger so she has not choice but to be reeled in. I should mention that when doing this she is in a harness and I am not pulling her from a collar on her neck, I am assuming you know about using a harness when walking a small dog. Good luck with this, I know yorkies tend to have a stubborn streak but if you keep with the same program over and over they eventually get it. |
Ok, this is all making sense to me. I guess I just got used to the idea of walks over the summer and it has worked fine until now when the days are getting shorter and cooling off. My patience with the status quo is not as it should be. So approaching walks and pottying as 2 separate tasks, seems to make things easier. I did get the potty bells, but Jack is afraid of them, LOL! I will go back and see if I can find the training advice for the bells. I guess I need to work more with him to indicate he needs to go out. BTW, yes, he wears a harness. Got the flashlight, etc.
I also went out on this mornings walk with treats in my pocket and lured him along the way and only had to carry him home about 40 ft. or so. (I had been carrying him home for about half the walk. He wasn't interested in the return trip.) Today is a happier day overall for both of us. This should NOT be stressful for either of us!