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Old 01-11-2018, 10:24 AM   #11
canana
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You sound a lot like me! My condo is also very small. And I also must close all the doors whenever I go out. My place has hard floors, with the exception of the bedroom which is carpeted. Scottie who is completely outdoor trained never had an issue with having accidents on floor mats. Casie on the other hand would sneak a pee whenever she found the chance. So now, I have taken away ALL mats and put a small gate, restricting access to the front door and bathroom, both areas which have mats.

In case you're interested, this is the gate we got. Hands-down one of the best purchases.
https://www.amazon.com/Carlson-Tuffy...words=dog+gate

Since your little one is still young, I don't think it's too late for a crate, should you choose that route. I personally believe it's the best way to potty train a puppy, if she's susceptible to it. Note that some pups are not - for example Casie. Casie didn't mind being in the crate. But she had no issues peeing in the crate (with or without a towel in there) even if it meant being soaked in her own pee, despite having sufficient potty breaks. So with her, I had to resolve to allowing pee pads at home. I was hoping both would be outdoor potty trained. But oh well! At some point you just have to accept them for who they are.

Also, if you choose crate training, there's a bit of prep work involved. You can't just throw them in there and expect them to love it. 9 times out of 10, that won't work. You'll need to train them to be comfortable with the crate, to want to go in it themselves, and to be happy with the door closed (and with it closed and you leaving the area). Treats and a clicker should be able to help you with that.

So because I have two, I still bring them both out for the regular potty walks each day. Scottie has been so well trained, he's not affected by Casie's potty pad (thank God), and does all his business outside. Casie will pee on the pad when she needs to go while I'm not at home, but she'll save her poop for our regular potty walks.

The key to potty training is setting a strict schedule. I believe dogs naturally like going potty outdoors, so your baby shouldn't be an exception if you take her out regularly. If you'd like to have the option of pee pads at home, I would keep her in a play pen rather than a crate while you're not able to monitor her or while you're out. Puppies should never have free roam of your home until after they're potty trained!

Lay out pee pads all over the entire play pen area. She'll pick a spot to potty on. Gradually, day by day, remove the other potty pads she never potties on. Before you know it, there'll be ONE pad that she'll learn to use while she's restricted to her play pen area.

At the same time, continue to take her out for her regular potty walks. Give her TONS of praise whenever she poops or pees. Use the same phrase each time. This way, she'll learn that she's a good girl when she goes outside.

You're incredibly lucky that she doesn't wake you up from 10pm to 6am! Wow! Scottie was the biggest crybaby. I had many sleepless nights. Finally at 3.5 years, he loves to sleep in. Casie still is a morning bird and wakes us up at 5am.

Yorkies are known to be weary of babies and small children. I recall when my two saw babies for the first time. It was like they saw an alien or something. Maybe it's a baby smell? I'm not sure! haha... I guess I can only suggest to use a calming voice and to let her know she's okay. It might be worthwhile to carry treats with you and let her know whenever she's a good girl. Always better to reinforce good behaviours.

As Matese suggested, I would also let her eat as much as she wants now. She's growing. Especially if you can feel her ribs. I fed my two scheduled meals after they were 6 months old for potty training purposes (if you know when they eat, then you can slowly figure out when they poop).

For now, let her feast! Yorkies continue to grow up to a year old. And then after that, they 'bulk up' and develop more muscle mass and feel less frail. When she's passed the one year mark, you can google images on 'healthy dog weight'. There are pictures to show you what figure your dog should have at an ideal weight (and what they'd look like if they were too thin or overweight).

No such thing as too many questions!! We're all huge Yorkie fanatics here.
I can only offer my experiences, but always keep in mind that all dogs are different.

Glad to hear she's sleeping next to you now after you changed her bed! And also that she's starting to bond with you. Enjoy the puppyhood. As every mother always says, 'they grow up so fast'. hehe
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