My 1.5 year old male yorkie will not potty train!
 

I have a one and a half year old male yorkie who absolutely refuses to be potty trained. I even got him neutered in hopes that this may help him. What can I do? I put him outside very frequently. The only thing he is interested in doing outside is chasing birds, sniffing the grass and chasing neighborhood kids up the street. I tried using pee pee pads but he tears them up and never uses them. He is terrible. Are there any good dog training boarding classes in the Westchester, NY area? Any tips for potty training him?
Thanks so much!

Usually you need to start out by confining them to a crate or an ex-pen. That's the only way I got it done. Worked on the rescues I got, too. Use the 'search' button at the top on the right hand side. There are lots of threads offering advice. Many have trouble with this issue. Not unheard of with Yorkies.:D

If 'misery loves company' :confused:- I'm having the same issues with my 11-month-old. We gave up on the pads (he tore them up too) - now use the washable bassinet pads from Walmart mentioned on another board here. Right now he's doing better as he'll use a small enclosed porch (can be hosed down!) during the day. BUT - every morning without fail, I have to clean up his pen. He goes to bed happily and never makes a sound - also doesn't make a sound when he needs to go! Might just have to work thru this...
Gloria

I, personally, have met very few people who have had potty training success with pee pads. He is probably confused on where he is actually supposed to go to the bathroom since you leave a pee pad down but also take him out frequently. You can't blame him for tearing up the pee pad . . . he probably thinks it's a toy!

I have 5 dogs and I truly believe that I have perfected the art of potty training. I have potty trained each and every one of my dogs by crate training and following this schedule:

http://www.darnfar.com/Dog%20Tra...ng_a_puppy.htm

The key is to getting a crate that is only big enough for them to stand up, turn around, and lay down. When they are laying down, the whole floor of the crate should be covered by their body. If you buy the smallest crate and it is still too big, you can put a box in the back of it. That is how I potty trained all of my dogs and they were all potty trained within a month. After they are potty trained, you can take the box out of the crate or buy a bigger crate that is more comfortable but it is essential to have the proper size crate while crate training/potty training.

mine also
 

had 2 boys 2 and 3, who were fairly good with going outside. They are 5 pounds each. We got a baby girl, she 7 mos, but a little over 3 pounds, so we don't let her outside at all(hawks). She pees, poops all over-- now the boys are doing it. I just threw out rugs from 2 rooms. I'm tired of shampooing them all weekend...I hate to crate, but I'm going to try it:

Some people may have the misconception that crate training is cruel. Sure, they may act like they are dying the first few weeks you are crating, but you just have to ignore them . . . and after a few weeks, they will come to LOVE their crate . . . dogs are den animals and their crate will become their den. If you do not ignore them when they cry in the crate, and if you let them out when they cry, they will think that you will always do that and you will be unsuccessful. You HAVE to ignore them.

Crate Training
 

I'm in the same position. I am having one heck of a time training JC.

I got him 3 months ago, (he's a year old on the 10th). The people that gave him up never crated him and when I tried I thought he was going to go insane. There would be no way I would put him through that for 2 weeks! I think that is total abuse. After 2 weeks he would be emotionally scarred for a very long time.

There has to be another way, but I am getting frustrated. He goes 7-8 hours when we sleep, so I don't understand why he can't hold it for more than 2 hours during his waking hours.

It is not an everyday occurrence, but enough that I can't trust him which doesn't make me happy. I don't want to have to watch him every 10 minutes.

Why do Yorkies have housebreaking issues? I've talked to owners who just live with it. Even though, their pee and potty are miniscule, I still don't want to live with it.

In order to get the pup to like the crate, I left the crate in the living room, put a treat in it, he went for it, next time a bully stick in it, he went in picked it up, the key is getting him to see that the crate is a good place, put toys in it, I have put food in it as well.
With Zander, I would take him out of the crate every .50 hour, he was 3 months,.... within a few days I went to every hour and continued to move it up....I would take him outside, I read that you should name the #1, so as he is going #1, I would say, good boy, pipi, good boy, and immediately give him a treat, it can be .50 of a cheerio. I would do the same with #2. I would give him a few minutes, so he would understand pipi first then play. If he didn't produce back into the crate, if he did he would get play time. When I was off to work, he would stay in the bathroom with a pipi pad, bed & toys, I had to get him cloth pads anchored to a pad holder. If he is in an xpen, pin the pad underneath one of the sides of the xpen. This is how Zander learned to use the pad as well, he only uses it now if he just can't hold it. Even now if he tries to hold back and not go #1 when I take him, we walk back to the door, then back to the grass, he then gets it that we are not going in until he goes tinkle.
With Jazzie I just kept her leashed to me, put a bell on the back door, showed her how to smack it when she had to go outside, I would smack it and say pipi outside, give her a cheerio for smacking it, go outside, etc.

Being persistant is what I noticed works. If the dog is going #2 in the crate I would cut off feeding by 6pm, water by 9pm.... perhaps a walk would help him eliminate that nighty night poo ;). I remember setting the alarm clock at 5:30 am just to take Zander outside to poo & pi, I knew his sleep was lighter around that time so I wanted to make sure he understood that this stuff is done outside. I read that when they are 5 months or younger, take them out of the crate, hold them in your arms, then put them on the grass, since they are so young and don't hold it as well they could tinkle on the way out :).

Be patient, keep up the good work and you will feel very proud of your furbaby once he is potty trained. :thumbup:

We use the same method as we did with Prissy, our seven year old poodle. It worked out great with her. We used the crate method, no pads, taking her outside to do her business every 2 hours until she was completely housebroke. Jasmine is almost 5 months old now and she is doing well, she occasionally will have an accident but not very often now. Of course, we still have to watch her like a hawk and will have to until she is completely housebroken. She sleeps all night through in her crate and we also keep her water and food in her crate. I don't know if this will work for you but it did and does for us. Good luck.

My father always said crate training is best because a dog won't go where he sleeps (in what he considers his den). He will cry when he wants to go out. When you let him out and he does his business reward him immediately with boiled chicken. I have two puppies and they're doing great! When they go to the bathroom they make sure I'm watching and run right to me when they're done...CHICKEN works! The only way a dog will pee in the crate is if they're left there a rediculous amount of time and they can not hold it in. Crate works! If you wanted to use a crate and attach an expen or make a pen out of storage cubes and zip ties, you could actually only make the pen the size of the wee wee pad so as soon as you open the crate he can go on the wee wee pad if you'd prefer it that way....which ever works for you just remember as soon as they come out of the crate that's where they'll go...

I promise you . . . your yorkie will NOT be emotionally scarred of you crate train him. Do some research on it. I am confident you will change your mind.

Guess I have the only pup who DOES go in his sleeping quarters! Have a pen that's divided into sleeping/potty area - some mornings I clean both!

He's good during the day, goes directly to sleep when I put him to bed, no sound during the night - but when I go to get him in the morning...well, I'll just say I'm thankful for Swiffer products!

One day...LOL
Gloria

Do you close off the den from the potty area? He needs to be caged in the crate so that he can't get out to the other area. Then when you open the crate, grab him run outside and then he'll poop. Also, maybe the length of time is too long for him to hold it during the night. When I hear mine cry, I'll get up at 2am for a potty break....it sooooo stinks but sometimes I have no choice...

Thanks for responding! :) He has an small opening between the two...I'd hoped he'd get the idea since his potty papers were on the other side. Since it's close to my bedroom, I'd hoped I would hear him at night - he either makes no noise or I"m a deeper sleeper than I thought!

My baby is a little over two and i still have issues with him every now and then. he has an accident here and there but he does ok as long as I take him out frequently. Their little bladders don't hold much so it's important to take them out alot. It took alot of patience, I tried crate training and just learned how to push the poop out the sides onto my floor. So, that wasn't as effective for me. I've heard that they are never completely potty trained because they are so small. I have a baby coming soon so he is going to obedience school for a few weeks for that among other things! :)