the ever popular potty question

[genie]

I wish I could take my little one out to potty, but it is too cold here. She only weighs 1.6lbs and so she gets cold really fast. My other two go outside but they are bigger.

I am having a really hard time with her using potty pads too.

[Charlies Angel]

how long will it take him to quit barking after we put him in the pen? I'm trying 20 mins at a time..worked so far but she barked 10 mins of it.

[mistyinca]

Darrell,

I think if outside works for you, then go for it! I potty chloe outside, and I personally think that they train much faster when they're trained to go outside. I know many say that yorkies are hard to train, but Chloe was housebroken by 5 months, and we potty her outside on command. I thought she was rather easy to train, but of course each dog is different.

good luck!

[nvnvgirl]

I'm far from an expert, but I just thought I'd throw in my .02 worth. Max NEVER peed on a pee pad. When we first got him, we'd put him in the bathroom if we went out with a pee pad, his food and water, and close the door. NEVER once did he use a pee pad! We were lucky at the time, b/c we were in a house that had tile and some aggregate flooring (don't ask, but I've got pics, LOL)...but the thing at first that made me shake my head is that I'd take him out, thinking he needed to "go" ....he'd run around chasing butterflies, running after shadows..whatever....everything BUT pee or poop....he'd wait til he got into the house to do that . I had read that it's not any use to scold them for things like that and I am a true believer of that philosophy. Once they've done it, it's gone out of their mind. So, I just kind of tried to pay close attention and take him out at the 'crucial times"....when he first woke up, after he ate, after any running around (exercise, not errands ), if he was over excited by anything..that sort of thing. He STILL does not sit in front of the door and bark when he needs to go out, he'll sit in front of the door and just wait there patiently til I open it up, but I pretty much know when he needs to go. And this is pretty much how I break it down: IMMEDIATELY upon waking up after sleeping all nite....OR INSTANTLY after he eats in the morning. (it used to be the first thing he did, but maybe now that he's a little older, he can hold it longer so he prefers to eat FIRST and GO after?), and then if I notice him standing near the sliding doors, I'll just open them for him and see if he wants to run out to the back yard..if he has to go, he will....if not....he won't, but at least he's got the opportunity. And I always let him out just before we go to bed at night. He may or may not go, but it sometimes helps me not have to get up at 2 or 3 AM to let him out (and sometimes he'll sleep all thru the night) but if he gets up and jumps down from the bed, I know to just get up, open the door and let him go..and he does. I know it was more work than I remember, but now it really seems like it was pretty simple to train him. When it was really cold outside, he did prefer to poop on the carpet but he's pretty much grown out of that now so the ONLY time we have any 'accidents' would be if it were OUR fault that we weren't paying attention to him, which is never.

We put Max in a crate next to our bed the first night we had him, and he was really good. But I felt so bad, that we have kept him in bed with us ever since. I will say that sometimes, we don't get the BEST sleep we could (esp. if we're staying at my mom's where the bed is just barely big enough for all of us, but maybe neither of us is such a sound sleeper that we'd actually roll over and crush Max....and he always moves when he needs to. Anymore, I couldnt' even imagine crating him at night. And if we get another Yorkie, it will sleep with us too .

[anthroboi]

Originally Posted by Charlies Angel

how long will it take him to quit barking after we put him in the pen? I'm trying 20 mins at a time..worked so far but she barked 10 mins of it.

I only give her about 5 mins max to go outside then, if she doesn't potty, she goes back inside and in her xpen. Everytime she barks I shush her and if she continues, she goes outside. If she does her potty, she gets a treat and gets some free time outside of her pen and can snuggle with me on the couch.

D-

[anthroboi]

Originally Posted by mistyinca

Darrell,

I think if outside works for you, then go for it! I potty chloe outside, and I personally think that they train much faster when they're trained to go outside. I know many say that yorkies are hard to train, but Chloe was housebroken by 5 months, and we potty her outside on command. I thought she was rather easy to train, but of course each dog is different.

good luck!

Thanks Misty! I think you're right, I've totally given up on the pee pads and I'm fine with it. Going outdoors is working. She still has one accident a day on average but she's definately getting better and is now sleeping through the night as well. Now I just need to work on getting her to tell me she has to go out clearly--maybe I need a training bell?

D-

[kalina82]

Originally Posted by anthroboi

Thanks Misty! I think you're right, I've totally given up on the pee pads and I'm fine with it. Going outdoors is working. She still has one accident a day on average but she's definately getting better and is now sleeping through the night as well. Now I just need to work on getting her to tell me she has to go out clearly--maybe I need a training bell?

D-

the bells do help!! i trained morgan to ring them when she needs to go out. instead of waiting to figure out their signs you can teach them one.

[anthroboi]

Originally Posted by nvnvgirl

I'm far from an expert, but I just thought I'd throw in my .02 worth. Max NEVER peed on a pee pad.etc.... .

Hi nvnvgirl, thanks so much for the info! I agree with you, the pee pads would have been good for one day when I move into a condo but until that day, I'll just stick with going outside, it seems to be working for us. Zoe loves to sleep with me but I move her into the crate in her xpen when I'm falling asleep at least until she's potty trained and bigger (she's gonna be a bigger girl, according to the breeder and vet) and once I get a soft rug under my bed and some doggy steps. Then I'll let her sleep with me and I suspect she will consistently sleep through the night then.

Thanks again for the advice, it was really helpful!
D-

[happy n u no it]

u kno i've only had happy for bout 5 wks or so and have accomplished so much. i feel a whole lot better knowning i'm not the only 1 that had problems
potty training. i feel even luckier to have a yorkie that isn't giving me too much of a problem (knockin on wood). i'm using the crate training. i noticed he does better in our room @ nite, I MEAN NO BARKING AT ALL! when he whines i let him in our restroom he does his bizz and back in the crate. i don't have pee pads either sound like thats just askin for lingering odors, imo. we do a good clean up and ristrict him to the rr when weathers bad he used to stay in his crate all nite long and in the morning it was a mess! i started getting up every 3 hrs so he could go. SOUNDS CRAZY i know, but he's a pup and hey babies do that all nite long. well, i'm up to 4 1/2 hrs now and ABSOLUTLEY no messes yet. durin the day he goes out usually right after he eats and it takes a while, but thats cool cuz he needs to run n e way. oh he now know sit, stay, working on lay down and beg. he's getting turn around pretty good i havn't got this down, but its a working progress. i used the same method on my boxer, it works! he did better over nite tho.

[kanda]

Totally off topic, but anthroboi...you should be a modle!

[anthroboi]

Originally Posted by kanda

Totally off topic, but anthroboi...you should be a modle!

Awh, thank you so much Kanda! *blush*

[sexiixtc]

Originally Posted by kalina82

the bells do help!! i trained morgan to ring them when she needs to go out. instead of waiting to figure out their signs you can teach them one.

how do you train them to ring a bell??

[kalina82]

Originally Posted by sexiixtc

how do you train them to ring a bell??

don't mean to steal your thread D, but this may help you too if you decide to use bells.

I bought some poochie bells because i cannot make anything to save my life. The first few days i would say lets go outside, and i would hit the bells with my hand then open the door and take her out. after a few days of this i brought her over to the bells, said lets go outside and took her foot and smacked the bells with it. then took her out. She wasn't a fan of this. So after a few tries of this i decided to hold the bells out to her to get her to smell them with her nose. the second she put her nose to the bells i said outside and took her out. a few days of this then i would make her hit the bells with her nose herself so that it made noise and then we would go out. Now she will go over to teh bells herself and hit them quietly then come find me and stare. When i ask her what she wants she'll run back over to the bells and hit them (or attempt to hit them) then come running back. i'll ask her if she has to go potty and then she'll run back over and hit them harder. Then we go out.