Any totally potty trained pups?
 

Hi all, just wondering how long did it take for your pup to become completely trained to go outside? If they are 100% trained, how do they let you know they need to go out?

We've only had Ozzy for a week, but I really need to know an end to indoor pottying is going to occur sometime!! I feel like I'm a failure every time he goes in the house :(

A week? How old is he? My boys are almost 6 years old and they still have 'accidents' in the house. I have to be on top of them all the time, taking them out every hour on the hour to make sure they have no desires to pee in the house. Sometimes if I am at work all day and don't come home on lunch, I come home to a mess. Try to potty pad train and keep your baby confined to a smaller area when you are not watching all the time.

Oh and give yourself a break! :) You are not a failure because your pup has not been house broken in 1 week. Yorkies are sooooooooooo tough to house break.

Don't feel like a failure. Bentley is a year old and just recently has gotten much better. He still has the occasional accident. Yorkies are very difficult to potty train. Bentley lets me know he has to go by standing at the door. Then I ask him if he needs to go potty and he starts ddoing little circles. I call it his potty dance. How old is Ozzy? When he goes outside make a huge deal of it. Clapping and praising and treats. If he's young take him out every hour or so. We tried crate training to potty train but it didn't work for us. Make sure you clean his accidents with something made to get the enzymes out so he won't smell it and think he can go there again. It just takes time. Lots of time and patience. Don't be hard on yourself. We have all gone through it with our little ones. :)

I've heard breeders say on this site they advise ppl not to expect miracles in potty training until 6 mo of age. It tooks months w my Cricket. My Gidget came housetrained but w the transition she had to adjust to our home which took about a month.

You're not a failure. It takes a while to potty train a human child - it certainly does not happen quickly! Puppies are the same. This is a hard breed to potty train. Hang in there - you can do it!! Some day it will be a vague memory and you will be typing on here encouraging someone else to hang in there!

I pee pad trained. I found it easier w this breed. My vet recommended also when I called him saying "what am I doing wrong, I cannot housetrain this puppy!" He said if he had a quarter for every yorkie owner that called him and said that. He recommended pee pad training for this breed, and I really started making progress w potty training when I switched to pee pads rather than outside.

I don't outdoor train, only indoor potty pad train. ZoE has been fully potty trained to her pads since 12 weeks old. I did get her very young & took almost two weeks off work when I first got her and I am extremely diligent during training. She's had the run of the house since she was 20 weeks old and consistently uses her potty pads.

My last yorkie was exactly the same in regards to potty training. After the first week or two, never an accident.

Until getting on YT I'd never heard of people having difficulty potty training yorkies.

You better be careful w this post Karan! Next you'll be getting offers to come potty train yorkies for $! (The thought occurred to me if I ever got another that was not potty trained! Too bad you're across the country!):D

I just can't do the pads. I have a real issue with a dog peeing/pooping indoors. I wanted to be able to do pads because it seemed more convenient than outside training, but I'd rather not have that smell in my house at all.

I am very happy about a few things with Ozzy. #1 - he does go outside, and usually pretty fast. #2 - he sleeps all night and doesn't have to wake us up at 2 or 3 a.m. to go outside. #3 - i sense he has a real desire to make me happy, which works in my favor as far as training goes.

It's still stressful to me when he does go inside though. Then I feel bad because I don't want him to feel my frustration. I think my boyfriend will be happy when he's potty trained too... it puts me in a really bad mood when Ozzy has accidents.

Jackson is 100% potty trained. He is 2.5yrs old and has not had an accident in over a year. He also can hold it for 8 hours or more if necessary, though I never make him hold it longer than 6hrs... overnight he can hold it 10-12 hours.

I definitely think it's possible to have a fully potty trained dog. It takes diligence and patience, especially in the beginning. For the first two months of his time with me (I got him at 9 weeks) we were on a strict schedule. It was outside until he went and if he did not go while we were out there... back in the crate he went. I set him up for success, I did not "allow" him to have an accident by constantly taking him outside and praising/treating when he went... when he was inside - he was watched 24/7. Yes he did have accidents every now and then, that is going to happen.

At 6 months old, he was 99% potty trained and had free roam of the house. He would still have a poop accident in the house, I would say once a month or so... so you are going to have alot more accidents in the future, don't get angry or frustrated, just know he's a puppy and it takes some time. A baby stays in diapers/pullups often times until 2-3yrs old... you wouldn't expect a 1yr old infant to be potty trained right away so it's the same for a dog.

PS - I don't do or really like the pad thing, either, personally.

Your response almost scares me in regards to your pup. NEVER use any form of violence in response to training your pup. It only makes them scared of you and causes lots of self esteem problems that will make potty training even harder. It seems your expectations for a puppy are a bit high. Your pup is a baby right now and it will take time and patience.
I have been frustrated to say the least many many times over my dogs accidents, but it does not put me in a bad mood or make me angry.
Yorkies really are people pleasers, all of them are, they want nothing more than to make you happy. If you think he is not potty training, try picking up a book specific to Yorkies to find some ways to help you help him to potty train easier. Just keep at it, he will get it in time.

I didn't say I beat on the little guy. I get frustrated more with myself, because I feel I should be more aware of the signs he's giving, and I don't want to project that onto him. For instance, last night he pooped in the house. I had taken him outside only about 15 mins before and he had gone pee. But, right before he pooped, he was really sniffing around, and I even thought to myself, "looks like he's trying to find a place to go", yet because I had just had him out, I second guessed my instinct and did not take him out again. I saw right away when he started, and picked him up and ran him outside, but it was too late. It put me in a bad mood because I want to do better. I felt lazy. I don't blame Ozzy.

It just sometimes feels like an impossible task to make this doggy understand that inside is not the place to go. As I think I mentioned, he has no problem going when he's outside. I'm just waiting for that "ah ha!" moment where he knows to go to the door and ask to go out rather than find a place to go inside. I don't know how long is usual for that to happen.

Don't be so hard on yourself. It sounds like your instincts are good and you are catching onto his body language - good job! He is learning your language and you're learning his. You can always vent here - we've gone down that road too. Eventually it's just going to click w him.

Jackson is a very well trained, good boy. I think Britster gives very good advice on training boys; she's done a great job w him.

I got Teddie at 11 weeks, he is now almost 7 months. When we hit around the 6 month mark he was potty trained. Any accidents in the house were because of human error. I know how my boy potty's...after a nap, half hour after eating, half hour after drinking, as soon as he gets up in the AM, right before bed. It also helps that I have 3 other dogs that he would charge out after and watch. Don't feel like a failure, every dog is different and it just takes learning their behaviors and being consistent. Good luck!!

I could have wrote your post. Ella is exactly the same way as your Ozzy. I started training her inside and couldn't stand the pee in the house so switched her to outside - she loves to please us and get a treat and she sleeps all night till 7 or 8 am. She has been home over a month and I feel like a failure too with the potty training! My last dog - a golden retriever- trained in 2 days. I feel like I am trained to take her out and if I get distracted or whatever, she will go in the house. I am really hoping she gets it soon. She will be 16 weeks tomorrow. I am praying she is at least trained by 6 months........

Thanks! You know exactly what I'm talking about. It seems like Ozzy only needs 2 seconds of us being distracted and he's peeing or pooping. I think one thing I'll have to do is keep him in his crate more often when we are home. It's nerve wracking having to have your eyes right on him every second. Another thing I'm going to do is put a baby gate up so he's contained to a smaller area when he's not in the crate.

Ozzy was born March 12, so he's almost 4 months, too. I know it's only been a week. I just wanted to get other peoples' experiences so that I remember that I'm not all alone in my frustration - and I need to know it CAN BE DONE!!

Callie has been potty train sense she was 9 months old. We put in a doggy door when she was about 98% trained and were having a little problem getting her 100% then after the doggy door she never had another accident. She is four now.

I agree that every dog is different. I had a terrible time with Princess, my fault mostly. She never gave any indication of having to go. She would sniff for like one second then squat. This would happen right in front of me & I truly felt helpless for a while.

We tried outdoors for a while & she would get in my face and stare at me so I'd take her out. But she still went inside, too, so I tried pee pads.

Now, at 18 months, she's had maybe 1 1/2 months with no pee accidents & she still misses the pad in the bathroom for the other, but it's always in there so I'm pretty happy overall. I know exactly how you feel though, it is stressful. It's easy to read a book, it looks so easy, but in the end you just have to know your baby-and in time you will.:)

Mine are trained to pads...two of my adults are perfect, two slip up once in awhile...but I have stone flooring...used to have carpets and my life was miserable.

My babies are trained to go on the patch. When we are at someone else's place, we bring a patch and they know the pee/poo there when we tell them to go potty. Carmel is 100% potty trained, can't remember when he last had an accident! Emma, on the other hand, is 97% trained. She has her occasional accidents, but she's getting there. It took 6 months to completely train Carmel and 1 year for Emma. I guess you could say boys are smarter than girls! :p

Don't feel like a failure!! You'll get there, it just takes a lot of patience and consistency. Once trained, they are the perfect dogs!! ;)

I would say Levi is totally outdoor potty-trained, but we are very diligent about taking him out on a schedule. He holds it from about 10:30-11PM - 6:30 AM overnight (8 hours), and during the day he usually goes out every 4 hours. He indicates when he needs to go out by sitting by the door and whining.

I hate the pee pads too, but I do leave one down at all times. He'll use it in case of emergency if he is home alone.

We pee pad train too and as long as you pick up the soiled pad and put down a clean one, you don't have a smell. Any accidents on tile are cleaned with bleach, any accidents on carpet are cleaned with an enzyme cleaner to break down the urine so they don't go back to the same spot.

Please keep saying "it CAN be done, it CAN be done!" I recently took my granddaughter's four-year-old Yorkie and she was not potty trained. We are making good progress, but I am very vigilant. Patience and persistence are the watchwords with potty training. I live alone and do not want to be outdoors in bad weather or late at night, so it's potty pad training for me. I have potty trained a lot of dogs, but never one her age. I certainly believe it can be done, but also know it will take some time, which I am willing to invest in her. She's a sweetheart and worth the effort. We WILL get there!

Jeanette

I have a 4 month old Yorkie and he has been learning really fast with the belly band. He wears it in the house, and so after a while he realizes outside is for potty.

Male dog belly bands, diapers for female or male dogs, puppy, Pet, Doggie, Doggy

He sometimes goes pee in it, but I think it makes him uncomfortable so he would rather wait to go outside. It doesn't solve the pooping problem, but I think overall you're going to housebreak him quicker with this and have no pee smells in the house that will encourage him to go inside. I'm pretty happy with it so far. And 4 months, he likes to go outside to do his business.

Hope this helps! :):aimeeyork

Well, I've had Teddy for more than a month now and he's still not potty trained. And he never does his business outside!!!

It took Carmel 6 months and Emma 1 year to become potty trained. It's only been a month, you still have a long way to go. Just be consistent and patient.

When we brought Dori home at 3 months, I cleared my schedule of all obligations. For two weeks, she never left my side and I did not allow her to have an accident. We went outside to a designated area where she did her thing on a regular schedule.

Then she started wearing a harness and a leash. Again, she never left my side. She was tethered to me, we were walking outside, playing, or she was in her crate (where she also slept at night). When she awoke after 7 hours or so, her feet did not touch the ground until she was outside.

Lastly, I taught her to ring her poochie bells to signal a need to go outside.
She has been fully trained for 6 months (currently 16 months old).
I set her up for success and committed to the process. It took about 7 months to become reliable. She even suffered a bout of Giardia without an inside accident.
So, patience, committment, consistency equal success for you both!

Rizzo is trained to potty pads because I decided shortly after getting him that I could not expect him to hold his itty bitty bladder longer than I can hold mine. I hate "pet smell" i.e. urine, poo and I keep my house pretty gosh darn clean. I pick up the pad after 2 uses, and I wipe the floor underneath it with a Lysol wipe (I don't currently have a pad holder)
Rizzo learned after a couple months that if he needs to relieve himself he goes to the pad, or runs over to the door if I'm at home. I think he picked up on this on his own over time, as he doesn't poo indoors at all. His preference is to go outside, but in a pinch he'll use his pad set up at the door and I always call him a good little boy when he does use it or goes potty outside.
No need to get down on yourself about your little cutie having accidents. It took until Rizz was about 8 months before he stopped having accidents in my house, the bf's I had to start placing a potty pad down because he wasn't "getting it".
It is nice having potty pads, they understand having the same place to go wherever they go. Plus during the spring/winter seasons when they are picky about going out when it's raining or snowing, the pads are convenient alternatives.
Oh, and Rizzo is currently 1.5 years old :)

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I couldn't agree more with this! But, then again, I did the same thing :D

Unfortunately, if I don't go to work I don't get paid, then little Ozzy would have no food :( so taking a 2 week vacation isn\'t an option for me. Also, I think it\'s important to set up him on the regular schedule as quickly as possible.

It\'s been one week since I posted this thread, and he\'s improved amazingly. Since my first post, he\'s had only one accident in the house. He\'s getting to the point already where he goes and sits at the back door when he needs to go outside. He even tries to squeeze out a couple of pees when we\'re out, hoping to double his treats! We\'ve also figured out his schedule for pooping, which is helping a lot.

I have to say that I was afraid after reading a lot of the comments on this site that Ozzy would be really hard to train, but he\'s not. He is a fast learner!

We had a lot of frustration with our Teddy-Bear. It reminded me of potty training my son actually. Teddy had a a lot of accidents, but with a combo of the crate and potty pads it just clicked eventually. We don\'t use potty pads anymore, just for about the first month or two. You aren\'t doing a bad job, it just takes time. Teddy still has accidents. It seems like the only room he doesn\'t go in is my dining room/computer room/his room. Also, when they\'re very young, they don\'t realize they can "hold it." As they get a little bigger they start to realize that "holding it" is an option. Just take him out every hour or less while he\'s small, he\'ll start to associate going outside with going potty.