New yorkie owner in he!! - please help

[azkaty]

To all of the people who posted in this thread.. excellent advise! I will bet there are so many people who are going thru this or who have but they may have forgotten the rough times they went thru. And the older the pup the harder it is likely to be.

[deeda9999]

I read your post and can 100 percent relate to everything you are saying and feeling. I really thought I would lose it with Gilmore who is the love of my life. I could not train him and was really losing my mind. If I wasn't so in love with him I think I would have given up and OMG I can't imagine my life without him.

It was the third trainer I had come that really was the one who turned it around for me. She put it point blank- and said you have to be willing to put in a few months of training to have a lifetime with a wonderful dog. I think I was fighting because it was so draining and exhausting.I had to go outside my comfort zone and although I desperately wanted him to use wee wee pads like my other dog, Gilmore wanted to potty outside. She told me I had to keep him tethered to me 100 percent of the time when he was out of his crate so that he wouldn't have any accidents. I had to keep him in a crate small enough only for him to turn around and give up the pen because he was pooping and peeing all over. I would take him outside (always leashed ) to potty and if he wouldn't go he would go right back in the crate and I would retry in a half an hour and keep trying until he went. I spent a lot of time outside in the cold in the rain crying. I was cold he was cold and it was miserable.

When he would finally go i would give him a little out time where he could run around. But basically we spent 2 months tethered together. Where i went- he went. The trainer had me use storage bins to totally cover all the areas in my house where he was peeing and pooping until we could break the habit. My house looked horrible but I can tell you that it worked.

I was really at the end of my rope and I am so glad everyday that I didn't give up. I believe that it is ok to give up and find a better home for them but I feel that for myself I would have always have felt guilty if I didn't at least give it my all first.

Good luck!!!!

[xxmxaxrxyxx]

Originally Posted by sportschick

Actually, I have kind of lost it because I am so stressed out and tired. She does sleep in a crate in my bedroom at night and she is good about that. She sleeps better than me right now. She is in a small ex-pen in the kitchen. The problem is that it is cold here now and she has never been out at all even when she was with the breeder because it was in upper state New York and very cold. She WAS trained to go on paper and she KNOWS how to do that, but because I let her have full run of the house, I effed it all up.

So now I am trying to do exactly with the breeder is telling me to do which is confine her to the small pen in the day when I am at work. Let her out for awhile at night when I get home when I can supervise her and play with her which I do, but she is peeing on the floor and I can't catch her in time to put her in the pen to pee. And when I put her back in the pen, she getting destructive.

I am just afraid that this dog is going to be too much for me to handle, just one of those super hyper dogs. I know the key is to exercise her and get her on a schedule, but it is SO hard because I work 10 - 6. That is MY schedule and I have to somehow incorporate her into it without getting up at 5:30 a.m. and her going nuts. I live one minute from my work so I don't leave my house till 9:55. So I have this dog that is going nuts from 5:30 to 9:55 and I don't know what to do. Once I start walking her, I can come home for lunch and walk with her, but again, it is cold out. I bought her a little fleece jacket thing so maybe that will help with the cold.

Anyway, thanks for your input. I just need to be able to hear from other people that they went through this awful time and GOT through it. I don't want to give her back to the breeder. Not to mention losing all the money I spent.

if you are going to paper train her i suggest you set up a designated area for her to do it at. of course she won't be able to get back into the pen herself to potty. and what i do is if i had to crate mines for whatever reason...rather it be that i am cleaning, have to left to run errands or because its nap time...first thing i do when i let them out is go straight outside to our backyard and give them the command to go potty...once i can account for all 5 doing their business then we come back in and they are free to do what they want...and they are used to having to go outside after being let out of their crate to do their business so once i unzip their soft sided kennel they run for the stairs because they know that's where we are going. no matter how long ago it was from the last time i take them out...i make sure they are taken out right after being let out of the crate. a few times my nieces asked if they could play with them after i had crated them...they didn't take them out as i have told to each time they let them out of the crate...we end up with an accident...so rules here is everytime they are let out of crate they must go outside to do their business first then are they allowed to come back in...and no matter what the weather is like we go outside with them and stay out there to make sure they all did their business before any of us can come in...in extreme weather i have washable peepads out in the garage....which is the way we always go out...so for the ones that don't like to get wet or cold they pee on the pads...

another suggestion...what i found out is that if you want to get your sleep...you can let her sleep with you or at least in the same room with you because they normally don't get up until you do unless they had to potty then they would cry or bark to wake you up...but when they are alone they tend to get up earlier or maybe they really don't even sleep since they are stressed out from being alone...

the key is to set a routine schedule and stick with it...owning a pet means you have to discipline yourself also...meaning you have to do what you need to do rather it be getting out early, going outside and staying out there no matter how warm or cold it is with them so they can relieve themselves....the more you witness them doing their business where you want them to...the more praises and reward you can give them to let them know they got it right...so that they understand what is acceptable and what is not....like i have always told me people....if a dog is misbehaved or untrained it's, there is no one to blame but the owner because it's their responsible to guide their dog in the right direction. they don't come to you programmed to know and understand what is right and wrong. but if the owner take the time to provide the necessary training they will grow into wonderful well behaved pets. just like raising a child...we weren't born with instructions on how to be well mannered humans....parents and everything in life teaches us what is acceptable and what is not...

i hope you don't give up on her and stick it out...because at the end you will be well reward with such an unconditional love....that would make it all worth it.

[Carmeow]

As my new puppy is coming home in 14 Days, this thread is frightening t o me. I pray Luma is a good girl and that I never feel like she was a mistake...but the advice in this thread gives me hope. Thank you everyone.

[sportschick]

Thank you all so much for your help. Today was a really GOOD day. She got at up at 4:30, I put her where she is supposed to potty in the house, then I put her back in her crate like the breeder told me to do). She whined and I told her QUIET. She did till 7:45. Yeah. I went to Chiro, then did my errands, came home and she got out of pen. BUT, she did not pee on floor during that time.

I took her out of the house for the first time for about 5 minutes on her leash and harness. WAY too windy and cold, but she did god. I gave her a bath (she stunk from walking in pee and poop). She and I did SO good. I had to clean my house, expecially kitchen floor, put her in her crate - she didn't make a peep while I cleaned.

She is so much better when I am home. But, I work and I cannot be home all week, that is my life, all I can do is love her to death on the weekends and try not feeling guilty when I leave on Monday to go to work.

She totally conked out on my lap after all of that. Oh my GOD, the trauma of her life.

She is SUCH a good dog. I really, really love her, and I am sure I am going to have days when I want to give her back.

Anyway, thank you all again and I have attached pictures of Porkie The Yorkie/Beanie. That is what my boss calls her Porkie the Yorkie because she is kind of fat.

[kjc]

Great! Just never go to bed mad.... she's still a baby and will learn quickly with time and patience and love...

Pic didn't show...

[MY OSCAR]

Originally Posted by sportschick

thank you all so much for your help. Today was a really good day. She got at up at 4:30, i put her where she is supposed to potty in the house, then i put her back in her crate like the breeder told me to do). She whined and i told her quiet. She did till 7:45. Yeah. I went to chiro, then did my errands, came home and she got out of pen. But, she did not pee on floor during that time.

I took her out of the house for the first time for about 5 minutes on her leash and harness. Way too windy and cold, but she did god. I gave her a bath (she stunk from walking in pee and poop). She and i did so good. I had to clean my house, expecially kitchen floor, put her in her crate - she didn't make a peep while i cleaned.

She is so much better when i am home. But, i work and i cannot be home all week, that is my life, all i can do is love her to death on the weekends and try not feeling guilty when i leave on monday to go to work.

She totally conked out on my lap after all of that. Oh my god, the trauma of her life.

She is such a good dog. I really, really love her, and i am sure i am going to have days when i want to give her back.

Anyway, thank you all again and i have attached pictures of porkie the yorkie/beanie. That is what my boss calls her porkie the yorkie because she is kind of fat.

that is so nice. I am glad you both had a good day.
Yeah, it is a lot of work but they are totally worth it.
Sounds like you are on the right on the right track...
Have fun...

[sportschick]

To the girl who is getting her first Yorkie and has been reading this thread. Yes, it is kind of frightening. And yes, it is totally draining and exhausting and you might even feel like I did the other day that you want to give her back. BUT, you will have a wonderful day like I did yesterday with her and you will feel better. Beanie is a really good, sweet, affectionate dog who is trying to learn as much as I am. I have made a lot of mistakes in the past 12 days with her, but everytime she pees and poops on the papers where she is SUPPOSED to, I feel like I have made some strides. I am still learning the signals of when she has to go.

The one thing I can tell you is DO NOT DO WHAT I DID WHEN I FIRST GOT HER. DO NOT give her the run of your house. She will pee and poo wherever she wants. My dog was paper trained and I undid it all by letting her run around. I felt so bad for her when she first got her because she was so scared and I didn't want to coop her up at all. WRONG THING. I had taken 3 days off from work, so I had time to do things right, but I effed up. So now I am trying to undo my mistake.

Whatever you do, if you are going to have her potty indoors, PLEASE don't let her run around your house. You can't give a puppy too much space because they will take advantage of it.

Unfortunately I DO work so I can't do what a lot of people here do which is take the dogs outside to go every few hours. So I HAVE to train her to go on the papers. I tried wee pads, but she ripped them up, so it is going to have to be papers.

[dawn27]

Good to hear that she is doing a bit better, keep on it and stick with a good routine, She'll get it soon.

One other thing that I would suggest you doing is limiting her water to a small portion and not leaving food down for her during the day while you are gone. Make feeding her part of your routine when you get home from work. Out to potty / than food.

If you take her out first thing in the am when you get up (make sure she goes) than feed her and back out right before you leave, she should be ok. She should have enough substance to get her through the day until you return for her next feeding.


Lol, I always refer to mind as "The four Porky Yorkies"..... who are 19, 16, 15 and 10lbs.

[kjc]

Originally Posted by sportschick

Unfortunately I DO work so I can't do what a lot of people here do which is take the dogs outside to go every few hours. So I HAVE to train her to go on the papers. I tried wee pads, but she ripped them up, so it is going to have to be papers.

That's exactly why I said to start training on a weekend, or when you have at least two days off back to back.

Training is a one time thing, and the most important. Catch her doing it right one time, then praise and reward with a treat/toy/her most favorite thing. It took me two months to catch my girl going on the pad, but when I finally saw her go, I waited till she was done and immediately said 'Good Girl!' (in a loudish, excited voice), clapped my hands, she ran to me and got petted profusely, and I gave her a tiny treat (a plain Cheerio) She knew this reaction from me was different, and good.
Since then she goes to the pad 99.9% of the time, even when I am not there to reward her. But when I do see her go, she gets the praise and the reward. This is reinforcement of her initial training.

Then you add a name to it, such as 'go potty', so eventually they learn what it means, and will go on command. Consistency is important,

A 7 month old pup should in theory be able to 'hold it' for 7 hours, in general, one hour for each month of age. To break them of going all the time, one must do it in increments... every two, 2.5, 3, 3.5, 4 hours and so on. When they get consistent at each increment, increase it by 1/2 hour.

If you can get home at lunch time to let her out or to see that she goes potty, fine. If not, consider having a pet sitter come in to check on her for a week or two, until she gets her training down pat. Do the best you can during the week, have patience, and repeat the above the next weekend.

It doesn't matter whether you choose to use disposable, washable pads, or newspapers, or a doggy litterbox, or the outside, or both.