This is what I did with both my Yorkie girls and it works perfectly. (I've had 40 years of raising dogs and being foster mom to lots of pupsters.) I bought a doggie fence that's 2'x16' a wire crate and attached the fence to each side of the "front" of the crate......leaving the crate outside of the fence to give more room inside and taking off the door or tieing it back to the fence. I put a soft plush crate cushion that I made up myself (cheaper and nicer) add a nice soft blanket and covered the crate with a blanket to make more den-like. I attached a water bottle to the side of the fence, put a wee-wee pad at the oposite end of the crate food and water, put in a soft squeek toy and a small femur bone. You can boil that bone first and take out the marrow and cut off any gristle and meat from the outside.
I take the puppy outside to potty and play every hour. I say go potty and when they do I praise like the devil. Then play with a ball and make sure they run and play for at least 10 minutes. The wee-wee pad is for when I don't get to them in time, and for night time. I never allowed run of the house at all. When I would sit down at night to watch TV. I would have her on the sofa with me with a chew bone and toy. Never allowed off the sofa. Just keep taking them outside to potty and run. Doesn't take long before they know the routine and feel safe with it as well.
They got cooked breakfast at 7, snack of dried fruit at 11:00, cottage cheese and plain yogurt mixed together at 1:00, cooked dinner at 5:00 and steel cut oatmeal cooked in either chicken or beef broth at 9:00. No more eating after that. TAken outside right after each meal. Never sleep with a puppy either. Don't move their pen around. Let it always stay in the same place and on a bare floor.
This is how I got my girls totally house trained. Even when they were allowed to run around in the house at 6 months old for awhile here and there, I was always right behind them every second. When I knew they could be trusted in the house around 8 months old, I still kept an eagle eye on them and they still slept in their own beds but without the fence, and doggie gate up at both doors out of the breakfast/kitchen area. They continued to use the wee-wee pad at night if needed and during the day if it was pouring rain. The pads are such a blessing when we travel with the motor home or in hotels. I don't relish going outside at night or early morning in strange places. The fence is also a blessing. It goes with us and is used when we pic-nic, eat outside in RV parks or just sitting outside at friends homes if they don't have a fenced yard.
My girls started sleeping with us when they were almost two years old, and we have never had any "accident" so to speak. I don't believe in accidents anyway. If any pottying goes on in the house or bed it's because they are not fully house trained.
I hope you find what works for you and your new addition. |