??? for those of you have indoor trained yorkies
 

I am potty training my yorkie to go indoors. Have several questions:

1. Was told today by a trainer that dogs do not want to poop where they pee, and thus I will need two separate areas for her to go potty. Is this true for your dog or did you train her to do both in the same spot?

2. Does the choice of potty tools make a difference? That is to say, do you think using doggy litter vs pee pads would this change the answer to question #1.

3. If your dog is trained to go indoors at your house, how easy is it to train her to do it on her chosen material (pee pad or doggy litter) when in a hotel or someone else's house?

4. Which do you like better, pee pads or doggy litter and why?

5. Any advice/suggestions on things that worked for you that would help me in this area?

Thanks for your help and expertise.

Outside, my dogs will pee and poo in the very same place or not, and I have no idea why. Inside I have only used pee pads, but like them, and they are easy when you travel and are in hotels, airports, planes, etc. I know several people on YT use cloth pee pads instead of the paper ones.

After about 4 weeks, our puppies are placed in an x-pen with their food/water, beds, toys, and pee pads. They almost always use the pee pads and go both pee and poo on them. So I think it is okay to have just one or two pads in a corner or by a door for your yorkie.

Good luck.

Mine do both on the same pad. I have heard of some yorkie owners on here who do have two areas, one for poo and one for pee. So I guess it depends on your yorkie. If the pad gets too soiled they won't use it, but will go next to it. So I change mine out every day or two.

I don't know. I have not used litter. Mine only go outside and on washable potty pads.

If you use the same material at the new place it shouldn't be too hard, as long as you make sure they know where it is and take them to it often.

I like the washable potty pads because they save money, are easy to use and they don't make a mess like litter or disposable pads (ever seen puppies shred a paper pad?? :eek:). They also don't leak.


Which ever way you decide to train them just be consistent and always praise them for doing it right. Don't yell at or punish them when they do it wrong. Ignore the mistakes and have a party for each sucess! They really do respond well to positive reinforcement. If you punish them or get mad at mistakes it confuses them and also makes them sneak off and go pee where you don't want them to.

Just my 2 cents. Hope it helps! :)

My pup pees and poos on the same pad. I agree with Little Bit though, after so many pees, he won't pee on it anymore....it often depends on the placement of the pee on the pad. If there isn't a good size area clear to pee on, he will go off of the pad.

I haven't tried the litter because the pee pads work great. I use the disposable type pee pads because it is a quick and easy clean up and I don't want the chore of washing them....I can't even keep up with my own laundry. Hee!

I hope that helps. Good Luck!:animal36

*My dog (Leo) is trained to use disposible pee pads. I keep the pads in a plastic tray. He uses this area for both poop and pee. I change the pad after every use. He will NOT go potty on a used pad. If I'm going to be gone for a long period of time, I will put out an extra potty pad (on the floor) in front of the tray.

*We have only stayed in a hotel once, since he has been with us. We just put his potty pad down and show him where it was. I did give him a 'special' treat for using the potty pad in the hotel room. We were in the hotel for 4 days and he only had one accident in the room.

*Once your dog is truely potty trained and can go 'potty' on command. It is easy to lay a pee pad down anywhere and have your dog go potty. I have done this in the back of my suv many times, the airport, my parents house & a hotel.

:rolleyes:The only time I have had a problem with my dog being pad trained was during baseball season. My oldest DS plays baseball, which means we spend most of our weekends at the park. I felt really silly laying out a 'potty pad'... on the grass... so our dog could go potty. So, I ended up teach him to go potty on the grass at the park. :rolleyes:

Wrigley was trained indoors. We have a litter box downstairs, but we use pads not litter. We didn't go with litter because we were afraid that she might eat it and the mess of it.
She does both in the same spot, but she has been known to remove poo herself if you don't get to it quick enough! :cool:
We use a pad upstairs or if we go away and she uses that just fine as well, she NEVER has accidents!
She was the easiest to train, but her breeder already had her going on pads, so obviously that helped!

Crosley goes outside and so does Camden. If we are outside, Wrigley goes out there too and there is never any confusion with her!

Joey must know your trainer because that's exactly the way he is. I keep two pee pads out in different locations, and he usually uses the pad furthest away from the living area for pooping. He seems more private about that.

My dogs goes 1and2 in the same area it has never been an issue. I use the disposable pee pads because I like to take them everywhere with me and it is much easier to use the pads. Best suggestion I can offer is to give them a treat and get really excited when they go on the pad or whatever you choose to use, smile and say yeah good potty in a really happy voice.

thanks for the replies
 

So I am getting it that (no surprise) there is no hard and fast rule about peeing and pooping on the same pad, it depends upon the dog. Sunnie started out pooping everywhere but the pad, but is getting the idea now, so I will just keep doing what I am doing and not provide a second area. She has been with me 3 weeks now, got her at 17 weeks, and is really doing great. The only mistakes are due to my timing, so I am beginning a journal to get a better idea of the transit time from input to output for her system.

Also, based upon the feedback, it sounds like pee pads are more versatile than litter, because they more portable. Anyone use the litterbox? What are the advantages, if any?

Finally, for those of you using pads, do you put the pads in a pan or directly on the floor? Why or why not? What pan do you recommend?

I like the fact that you said the "only mistakes are due to my timing", because I really believe when they make a mistake, it's really our mistake because we haven't done something right. That's a great idea about the notebook too.

I use the pads directly on the floor and use the washable pads, and have never had a problem with leakage.

I use the washable pads directly on the floor.

The ones that use the pads in the litter box may be using disposables and they tend to leak so the box helps with that. Another reason to use a litter box is to keep them from peeing on the edge and off the pad. I do make custom sized washable pads for those using washable pads in the litter box.

If I were traveling I would switch to disposable pads for the duration of the trip to avoid having to carry dirty pads with me, but for at home the washable can't be beat IMHO.

i have never tried the litter but abby does great on the pads. she actually picks her spots to do her thing. I realized that she liked going to the area behind the living room tv. i put a pad there and have always used that place. she always pees n poops there. whenever we go somewhere new, i put the pad down n show her where it is. hopefully she will use it. if she doesn't then i place the pad where she had the accident n thats where she will always go. she's nuts.

I just put my pads on the floor but sometime they go on the edge of the pad

Hi there,
I just got a new yorkie as well! I got him at 15 weeks so I've only had him 10days. He is doing soooo good with the ugodog litter box. It has a tray that I put newspaper in and then 2 removable plastic grates that go on top. I started him out by just putting newspaper in front of it on the kitchen floor. Once he got used to that, I put one of the grates on top of the newspaper but still not in the tray. So, by taking baby steps he now both pees and poops on the litter box! I am so happy with this because I have a condo that is all upstairs and I live in Ohio, which makes for very cold weather. He will also go outside in the grass.
You'd think I work for the company or something, but I don't!
I just ordered another one for my parents' house because he doesn't know where to go over there and just goes on the rug or carpet.
I am very happy that he's learned to use it in just a week!

Sorry for intudeing, but is is possible for a 3 1/2 month old to be trained to go on a pee pad and outdoors???? I live in an apartment and will be moving as soon as my house is built. I want to pee pad or litter train her here at the apartment but once I move into the new house I might want to teach her to go outdoors. any replys please PM me.

Yes! Mine do both. You can start by taking her outside first thing in the morning when you know she has to go. Stay outside (no playing) until she goes and then praise and/or treat like crazy! She'll get the idea.

Mine go outside and inside no problem.

1. Was told today by a trainer that dogs do not want to poop where they pee, and thus I will need two separate areas for her to go potty. Is this true for your dog or did you train her to do both in the same spot?

Its harder to do....I had two seperate pads next to one another and then I combined them into one..she steadily goes both on the same pad now.

2. Does the choice of potty tools make a difference? That is to say, do you think using doggy litter vs pee pads would this change the answer to question #1.

they can eat/make a mess with the doggie litter. I suggest buying puppy pads (either washable or not) and a pad tray from petsmart (was one of ym favorite buys)

3. If your dog is trained to go indoors at your house, how easy is it to train her to do it on her chosen material (pee pad or doggy litter) when in a hotel or someone else's house?

easy! i just show her where it is and she goes on the pad no matter where ewe are. the downside is she hasnt figurd out yet that she can potty outside, so i ussually keep a pad on me no matter what

4. Which do you like better, pee pads or doggy litter and why?

see above!

5. Any advice/suggestions on things that worked for you that would help me in this area?

be consistant! you have to catch them before they squat. also, we did crate training.

finally, when she was giving signals that she had to go before she was fully trained, we would take her to her pee pad and make her stay there until she went, then let her off when she did go..


LOTS of praise...your puppy just won the doggy lottery!
Its so funny, b/c mine goes to the bathroom now then books over to me for her loves...mommy, look what i did! lol

:aimeeyork Suzi has been doing great using her pee pads. She poops on them too, but, not always 100%. I lay down more then one pad, she does not like to pee and poo on the same pad. The pee on the pads is easier then getting her to poo on the pad all the time. I buy the pads at Wallmart, they are a lot cheaper there. I have heard that if you use a litter box be careful not to use cat clumping litter, because our little ones might want to swallow that stuff, NOT good. :aimeeyork

1. Tell that trainer to come to my house...........hahahahahahaha!!!!!
2. I use disposable pads only. Much easier to travel with and go into motels. ;)
3.They naturally go on the pads wherever the pads happen to be.
4. Pads of course. As I mentioned in #2
5. I started all three of my girls in an expen with pads down, then gradually let them have a little more room at a time in the kitchen area.

Where do I start??
 

My puppy Gizmo is now 5mths old. And he is not potty trained, he isn't even close to it. I knew when I got him that it might be difficult, but I am starting to get a little upset now. I want to use pee pads or litter box train him because I live in the North East and I don't think that I will be able to walk him during our cold winters.
If so, can you give me step by step directions, tips, and advice on what to do, so that I have a plan of action. If not, may you please suggest someone who might be able to help me. I would sincerely appreciate it.

What I do with mine is cover the whole floor of the puppy pen they are in with potty pads. I put their bed at one end. That way when they get out of bed to go potty they are on a pad. They can't make a mistake and don't go in their bed. Then about every week or so over time I move one pad overlapping it on the other so there is about six inches between their bed and the rest of the floor covered in pads. I keep doing this until I can eventually take one pad out and move another overlapping, etc. Until finally their bed is at one end of the pen and the pad is at the other. They get used to peeing on the pads that way and as the pad is moved they automatically go farther and farther over the bare floor to where the pads are to pee. It has worked really well for my bunch. The washable pads are heavy enough that they usually don't move or chew on them too much unless they get really bored. But they can't do too much damage if they do.

If you are confining a small room instead of a pen then cover the whole floor of the room with the pads.


When he is out of his pen or crate make sure you have a pad where he can get to it and if he makes the slightest indication that he is going to pee put him quickly on the pad and praise him. Don't get angry when he doesn't make it. Just ignore it. Emphasize the positive.

Hope this helps!

I started out with the pee pads, but I must say that I am strickly a litter fan now.
I clean my litter boxes immediately I see them soiled with a popper scooper. I started the pups out immediately so that they wouldn't eat the litter or play in it. I also take them out and say "use it" for the older ones..."Shucks" it is "go potty"... It keeps my area for them super clean. I have a mop pail with fresh water and bleach daily so that if someone misses a little..it is not a problem... One of my new puppies did have an accident yesterday, so I am going to work with her more. I introduce them to new rooms in the house slowly..and we have our own sitting room...so when she went on the carpet I was truly shocked, because we had just come in from outside. She has really been a little to preoccupied with playing so I must be more attentive, but I love my litter box. When I travel to a hotel, I may take a little pad and walk them...so.. I am still working with my new pups, but the older ones traveled with me once and they went on the pad and outside... whew..to many babies...

HAHAHAHAHA!!!! Derby does the exact same thing.....as soon as he uses the pee pad he run run runs over to me and looks up at me to say....."I did it!! I did it!!! I'm ready for my treats now!" :animal36

i bought the potty litter from petsmart the other day to try it out... Choco hated it.. and i also did not like it.
the litter bedding was so hard and uncomfortable, Choco jumped out of it as soon as we put him in, and he never went in himself.
it was made of paper pallets, but they were in pretty big sizes which made the surface very rough when they were spread in the litter box....

maybe you can find another potty litter that's better...
but i prefer the pads....

oh btw, how well does the "washable pee pads" work?? :confused:
I'm thinking of getting one for Choco...

I tried the pellets...
 

The dog litter worked OK at first, but it was expensive and I didn't care for them... I eventually got my older ones...to use clumpping litter that smells... great!...and started my puppies on it... early....they have all the chew toys...so they do not eat the litter... I brought a little of that stuff that has the potty scent when I started training them to the litter as babies and it worked like a charm.... My Spirit had an accident the other day...but shes back on track..."to the litter box she goes"... so for me it has been awesome...but I use cat litter...and by me being persistant with the training it has been a great experience for me...

I use a medal crate that you can buy at walmart. This is her potty.. I placed a old christmas rug on the bottom and put pee pads on top of that. When she was smaller I'd put her in the potty and shut the door until she went, which didn't take 30 seconds. She learned that when she went she would get out so she went pretty fast and learned that this was her potty. This is the only place I have a pee pad and thats where she goes. It's her own personal potty. We recently went on vacation for a week and we stayed at a nice cabin on the lake. I took her potty with us and she only had one accident and that was becasue I had shut the door where her potty was located. She did really good with it there. I am very pleased with her progress and even though somtimes she makes a mistake, it's usually mine because i forgot to change her pad or something like that. She doesn't like a dirty pad. She will go pee about 3-4 times and poo 2 times and that's it. My time to change it. and she lets me know if I hadn't.. I am happy I chose pee pads over going outside. This way she stays clean and no tick, fleas, or mosquito bites. Plus if were going on a trip or something and we have to stop at a rest stop to let her go, she will go on the grass, so that's good too. Hope this helps with your research...:aimeeyork