I'm back... The talk went well... Just wanted to reiterate that I'd gladly take any amount of bashing to get my girlfriend's dog trained so that SHE can be happy with him. My happiness comes from the smile on her face which comes from the dog. I'm not a Yorkie owner, but probably will be in another year by marriage. I didn't have anything to do with letting him and the cat destroy the apartment - she did. I've been disgusted with the carpet and I'm the one attempting to help the situation. I wouldn't have bought a dog without training him and I wouldn't own a cat who did what it did. I found out yesterday that she's never housebroken a dog despite being a previous Yorkie owner. She has less knowledge about dogs than me (I've housebroken 3 dogs - all within 6 months). I believe her when she tells me that she never intended for the apartment to get to the state its in and is disgusted with it now. She claims that she wants to change all of it and that's all I wanted to hear from her - that she thinks the apartment is filthy and wants to make an effort to train HER dog. I also told her that as much as she loves her dog that he should be taken out every 3 hours if for nothing else the comfort of her precious angel. While I don't appreciate some of the nasty things said about me around here, I really don't care about myself or my feelings. I want a SANITARY living environment AND a HAPPY girlfriend with her dog for the benefit of my girlfriend and the dog. This is a means to that end. As soon as I get a day off I'm going to be the one paying to have HER carpet cleaned. I'm still attempting to get her online here (I need to get her a better internet connection) and get her to read the books I bought over a month ago. I'm hopeful she'll be responsible with the dog this weekend while I'm flying. She pledged to me that she'd start taking her dog out every 3 hours. She also promised to restrict his movement so that he can't run off and pee out of sight. She's open to bell training him which will probably start as soon as I can get a day off work which is usually a weekend every 3 weeks (There's a war on that needs fighting - actually there's 2). As for the dog... I drove to her apartment from work today for the sole reason of letting him out before I drove 2 hours home for a 0530 show time tomorrow. This was around a half hour out of my way. The dog was thrilled to see me and I felt sorry for only being able to spend 15 minutes to walk him. He definitely got treats from me for being good. When I opened his crate he laid down on the carpet and looked VERY depressed to be put back in. I did feel horribly bad for him, but my job keeps me gone too much to be the spearhead on this. He'll get to spend tonight with his "mama" tonight... My girlfriend had two questions for all of you who she called my "friends".... 1. She doesn't believe the dog should get treats every time we take him out. I'm trying to double down on the positive reinforcement and have been doing that, but she isn't. Which route should we go, because we need to standardize his training? She's worried he'd be getting too many treats and some "junk food". The treats I give him were supposed to be healthy ones, she gives him pieces of "Beggin' Strips". I like giving him special treats that come exclusively from me, because I want him to relate to me. 2. How often can you bathe Yorkies? She claimed it was 1 time a week because their skin would get dried out. It's been rainy here and he's spent extra time in his crate due to our (my) work schedules. I wasn't attempting to dodge any of you. My job is more important than even my own mother, because I save the lives of the guys who've sacrificed their bodies to save all of our lives. Its also time consuming... I regularly volunteer to fly Christmas's and Thanks Givings so that the Married guys can have time off with their families. |
Hopefully this thread will be a little calmer! 1. I would say he gets a nice treat every single time until he is officially trained - which is 30 days. At that point, you can start reducing the treats. To prevent him from filling up on junk, you can use really small treats. I think some people here use butterscotch baking chips, cut into thirds. I think a special treat that only you give him is a very nice idea. 2. You can bathe a yorkie once per week. No more. I try to go two, but Thor ends up getting a little grungy. There are a lot of different in-between bath sprays. 3. What is this doggie's name?? |
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I'll buy him the in between spray as soon as I can get to the store. As for the dog's name... It's Oliver, but he answers to Ollie. |
I just wanted to say you are getting excellent advice from Quicksilver. While I may not agree with your "tactics" in training your gf's little guy, I commend you for researching and seeking out the information needed to properly housebreak him. Now with that being said, I want to thank you for your service to our country. My hubby was in Desert Storm and was in Iraq 2004-2005 doing medevac missions (he is a devildoc) so I know what being in those kinds of conditions can do to a person and a family. Again, thank you. :) |
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If you want to see someone who's really sacrificed, talk to my mom. She's married to a former Navy pilot and spent Christmas 04-06 worrying whether or not I was ok. If I could give anyone an award it'd be my mom! |
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He was with the Marines...flew in CH-46's and sometimes CH-53's. He came home March of 05. |
I'm still going through the puppy stage (17 weeks old) with my girls but since were working on outside potty breaks I treat EVERY time they go potty outside. I want them to associate going potty outside with lots of praise and a treat so they look forward to taking care of business outside. If they don't potty outside they don't get a treat. My girls get Zuke's Mini Natural treats (but I cut them into 4ths) for training and for outside potty breaks they get Yorkie Yummies so it's an extra special treat for them. My girls get a bath every 7-10 days with Minksheen shampoo and we try to work on grooming at least once a day. Last but not least... thank you for serving our country!!! |
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I appreciate all the advice. |
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He's laughing at your 'tip of the spear' comment...says he hasn't heard that in a long time. :) |
Until you get a handle on the potty duties, I think treats are a must, they really help. We weaned the treats down after a couple of weeks, not every time, but maybe every second or third time. Toby caught on within a month, poor Rudy was a bit slower and it took him a couple of months, but I firmly believe that this was because we were both working during his potty training period. We also found that confining the areas they are allowed in relieves a lot of stress during training bootcamp. They had to earn the privilege to have more freedom inside. I am happy to say that they have free reign of the house now 24/7 and we are going on day 54 accident free. Toby is 2 years old and Rudy will be 7 months old tomorrow :) |
I haven't posted on the prior thread, but I do want to say congratulations and good on you for trying to do the right thing for this yorkie. If you want a good cheap somewhat healthy treat to use for training, try cheerios. They would be much healthier than a sugar based treat and much much cheaper. PS As the daughter of a career navy pilot and the mother of a prior sailor and a retired civil service employee (I helped design and test the weapoons used in the military) I would like to say thank you for your service. |
I would like to also suggest a good dog food with out any fillers. The first few ingredients should be meat, chicken,veal etc. NOT BY-PRODUCTSS, that like feeding the dog chicken lips, toenails and feathers. NO nutrition in that. LOL Some also have added DHA,I think it is. The Omegas. I am using Wellness dry and wet and I give only healthy snacks with the same type things as the food. Holistic or all natural. There is alot out there to choose from. It will help his poo be firm and small so less mess and No salt so he won't drink excessive H2o. Hey, GOOD LUCK with Ollie, your GF and your job. THANK YOU FOR YOUR DEDICATION TO OUR COUNTRY. GOD BLESS YOU. BE SAFE........ Sharon PIXI & SPIKE 4mo. sibling puppys. |
I, as well, was not there for your previous thread. From what I heard you made quite an impact! Anyway, back to potty training. I have a 14 week old who is pad trained. Trained him in about a month. Now guarunteed he still has an accident once in a while but he is learned well. The one thing you are lacking it seems is time. So my suggestion to you is that you and your gf start sharing the potty training duty. If you are not home alot, then keeping him in a crate all the time sucks, he will not learn if he is in there for hours at a time. I would suggest an xpen that you can put up in your kitchen or on hardwood floor. This will give your little one a place to play and call his own. I mean how would you do in a crate 8+ hours a day. Plus the bonus to doing this, is that your little one gets accustomed to the living area, and learns to know what is expected of him. When you are with him, say when you first get home, take him outside immediately and, using the bathroom word of choice, say it repeatedly. Consistency is important. Everytime mine wakes or eats or snifs around I immediately put him on the pad and say potty. For me, like I said previously, it works. Spend as much time with him now on training, because, in the future it will make your life a lot easier. Plus this is great training to prepare you to become a father........ but I think that is another thread! Best of luck |
1 Attachment(s) Glade that this thread is a bit more civil. I apologize for getting frustrated with the other thread but it seemed as though bits and pieces of information kept surfacing and the story was not what it appeared to be. Having said that, I am very glad to hear that your gf is willing to shoulder some of the training responsibilities. It does take effort on all those involved to work together for a common goal. You said that she has a roommate, is there anyway that that person could come home in the middle of the day and take Ollie out for a walk? If this is not an option, seriously consider using an expen. In my opionion, it is a better option because this gives them stretching room. I wouldn't want to be confined in a cubicle for hours at a time. As for the treats, I would give one each time he potty's. If you are concerned with the type of treats, we have been giving pieces of carrots. They go nuts when they hear the crunch of them. I use the baby carrots and will eat one or two-good for me as well.:rolleyes: I also give Zuke's but I break them in half and each get one. Lil fu fu girl has a great idea for a command for pottying. We use "do your stuff". I have read that you should say it when they are actually in the act so they can associate it with the act and learn it accordingly. Again, whatever you decide, both of you need to use the same command. I, as the others have, would like to Thank You for your sacrifices in keeping our country safe. My brother and husband are vets from the "conflict" and I say Thank You to them every veteren's day. Stay safe. Here is a picture of the expen that we use; you can put a clear shower liner underneath it to make easier for cleanups: |
If you would have asked me six months ago if I would ever put a diaper on a pet I would have said no way. Fast forward to today and I would recommend it when your working on potty training. I ordered some fundies from a YT member here (Fu Fu Fashions) and I'm so glad I did. It's so easy to take them off/on and leaves me a lot less stressed. If there is an accident we don't have urine soaking into the carpet. We can focus on the positive times we get it right without as much stress over our mistakes. If you don't already you might consider using belly bands for the little guy while he's going through training whever he's out of his kennel or xpen if you use them. Here is a link to her belly bands. FuFu Fashions Belly Bands, Doggie diapers, Dog Diapers They aren't a substitution for outside potty breaks, they are more like having an insurance policy for the occasional mistake around the house. |
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Thankfully her roommate moved out. Her dog is over 10 years old and probably couldn't help some of her accidents. To make matters worse her roommate gave her the full run of the apartment, so who knows who's mostly responsible for the state of the apartment - the cat, the old dog, or Ollie. In any event the rank of all 3 scents can't be helping with the dog - I know he's partially confused because of that (ie... why is/was it ok for the cat and other dog to soil the entire apartment, but not me? Not to mention marking motives...). As for your pen, he's VERY athletic for his size. It amazes me how high he can jump and it would have to have a top to it. We do have a bathroom that has tile in it, but I'm worried he'd be confused about going inside being ok. What my best bet probably is is having her come home during her break at work to walk the dog. She sure hurries home when she knows I'm working nights. Once I train HER on all the other stuff, I probably need to get HER trained to do that when I can't get there. I know I can't make it, because 1 hour of round trip driving would be way to long for my boss to allow me apart from work. Any house that I'd have would come complete with a doggie door one day. I talked to her on the phone today and told her that I expected her to set the timer. I'm hoping she'll keep close to the 3 hour rule, for the dog's sake and mine! |
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I don't believe in long periods of crate fro training. I have either used a expen or baby gated them in a spare room. Absolutely - Positive Praise and a Small Yummy GOOD potty behavior treat is 100% the most important tool you have right now. I use Peanut Butter Chips (from the baking isle) They are sooooo small yet soooooo effective. This treat is ONLY for good potty behavior. Whole foods actually carries a bag that is made from natural peanut butter. Your on the right track :thumbup: |
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I've never thought of it as cruel, because my Setters could have handled up to 12 hours no problem - (although it was never an issue with us - we never did that). I know Yorkies are obviously smaller than my Setters, but are their bladders proportionally smaller? If a Setters bladder is 2% of his body, is a Yorkie's bladder 1%? |
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I never did the crate bc my are home for 10 hrs at a minimum and that's too long to expect them to hold it. Mine are pee pad trained. I still do have some marking/anxiety issue with my girl, even though she was spayed at 6 months. Yes there bladders are much smaller, you run the risk of infection from holding pee too long as well. Crate training is good for potty training purposes, but he's gotta be able to have a mid day pee break :( - If not, I don't know if I'd do it ;) |
I know that you do not like having pottying in the house but once we got Hot Rod trained to the pad and the expen, it was like a huge sigh of relief! I didn't drive like a maniac to get home and I was able to concentrate on work. And he was able to get some exercise and have some toys in the pen with him. There are taller pens and some pens have a cover you can get. Or if you will gate him off in a room that is good also. Just be sure that he can't scale the gate or slip through it as Maggie was doing! She would squeeze her body thru the center of the gate, we could never figure out how she made it until I watched her do it one day. :eek: As for being confused of going potty in the house on a pad and outside, that may happen at first but...baby steps. The goal is to get him not soil on the carpet. If he will learn to use the pad that is part of the battle. Hopefully he will then be able to figure that pottying is acceptable in certain places. For some reason, we didn't have that issue with Hot Rod. Maggie on the other hand will sometimes come back in from walks and go straight to her pad and poo. She pees outside and does poo outside, but not 100% of the time.:confused: Just look at it from Ollie's perspective, he doesn't know you want him to go in a certain place, he just needs to go and his momma encouraged do this whenever and wherever he needed to. It would be great if they were like cats and were taught to use the litter box by mom. |
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I wish there was some way to let him out mid day, but it just doesn't work for me. If I could only convince her... I'm gonna bring up the bladder infection thing, because that's valid too. The same thing can happen to humans too... I know peeing is a males way of keeping his pipes clean and that is one reason why it is so important for males to both drink lots of water and pee a lot. I'm sure a dog is no different than a human there. I believe holding it can often result in bladder problems later in life too... |
Hi Globemaster, you're getting a lot of good advice from other YT members here. I'm not sure if this is something you want to consider... Perhaps you can have Ollie be pee pad trained first. That way you can leave Ollie in the bathroom with pee pad and not worry about rushing home every 3 hours to take him out. That's what I did for Cassi and Ori. Initially I confined them to the bathroom when I'm not home with 2-3 pee pads laid out on the floor (my bathroom is pretty big b/c it has a connecting shower room). At first they had a few potty accidents on the floor but once they got the hang of it I started to give them more room. Now they have the bathroom and the whole hallway. To reinforce pee pad training, this is what I did. Every morning when I wake up I would take them to their pee pad so that they could do their business, praise and give a small treat. When I'm not home I would confine them in the bathroom with the pee pad and their crate. Upon returning home, I would immediately take them to their pee pad. Once they potty I would allow them free rome around the house. However, after an hour or two, I would keep them confined to a smaller area and would keep a very close eye on them. About 3 hours later from the time they went potty I would bring them back to their pee pad again so they could do their business. If they've done their business, once again I would allow them free rome of the house. If they don't do their business, then I keep them confined in the bathroom with the pee pads until they go potty. Just keep in mind, that you have to constantly do this repetively for a few months before they get the hang of it. I brought Ori home at the end of January and it's been 2 months past and he's already 75% potty trained. Whereas Cassi, she's been with us for 1 year now and she's 100% potty trained. One last thing, after Cassi was about 85% potty trained we would start bringing her out for walks. Initially, she wouldn't go potty outside but after a month or two, she started to go outside as well. So now she's not only pee pad trained but she also does her potty outside as well. One good thing about pee pads, when it get's cold or rainy they could do their business indoors. Good luck!!! :) |
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Is he neutered? If NOT - this is something that should be done ASAP - not only will this protect him from cancer it should help with any marking issues. Again, honestly...If he were mine, I'd buy a tall gate (or even 2 staked in the door frame) and contain him in the bathroom with pee pads when left home alone, whether it be 1 hour or 10. And I would have a pee pad in there at ALL times. I would continue to walk him often to do potty outside as much as possible. When inside and someone is home, I would use belly bands (with a maxi pad) to ensure he doesn't mark, but I would be slowly trying to get him away from relying on a belly band. |
We also have an area like Mom To Hot Rod does for when we can't be with them. They use their wee wee pads so we don't have a mess on the floor. It's a "safe place" for them to potty indoors if they need to when we aren't around to take them outside. I took the door off their crate so they have free roam of "their area" and they do really well. I take them on scheduled outings every 2 hours from the last time they went out and actually pottied. My girls love to go outside and they figured out really quick that when they ring the bells they go outside. They are usually abusing the bells when they ring them but I take them out to their spot for 10-15 minutes (depending on how serious they appear to be about it) and then were back inside with their fundies on or in their xpen. |
Again...Positive Praise and Treat Reward is a great system. Dogs want to please and if you give them the reinforcement they quickly learn want exactly pleases you. NEVER ~ NEVER ~ NEVER Punish him - I promise you, it will NOT teach him what is the RIGHT thing to do. Punishment will only make him scared and confused, he will start to think that doing potty in general is bad and that's not what you want. You want him to learn Good Potty - so you praise and reward for good behavior. Wanting to and actually punishing a dog is NOT a quality you should have. Dog and People are NOT the same, they don't have the same thinking. I truly hope this all works out ~ it seems that you really want it to! ....and get him neutered ASAP - it's for his health :( |
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