Help please! Problems with 3 year old yorkie
 

We have had our yorkie since she was 12 weeks old and we started crate training her at that time since we work all day. After a year she was good and would only have accidents every now and then. We have always let her out at lunch and continue to do that now. This past christmas we were home for about 3 weeks on vacation and lilly was out of her crate. When we went back to work something happened and she started peeing in her crate all day. She goes in her crate at 740 and I come let her out around 12 but she has already peed. Same thing happens in the afternoon...I clean everything up and put her back in her crate from 1230-5 when my husband gets home she has peed again. We took her to the vet and they said there is nothing wrong with her. They told us to try Benadryl for anxiety but it hasn't worked. I've also tried Xanax which didn't work either. I have tried putting her food in her crate, putting her bed in her crate, taking everything out of her crate only to come home to her standing in a puddle of pee. I've also tried leaving a radio on for her but nothing works!!!! We also tried leaving her in the bathroom but she peed and pooped in there and ran through it. We are a busy family so we are gone a lot she is getting 1 to 2 baths a day! We don't know what to do anymore...we are starting to think maybe she needs to be with someone who is home all day. My daughter is extremely upset and doesn't want to rehome her. I am very upset as well and it is making me sick thinking we may have to give her away. I just don't know what else to do...any advice is greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance!

I know it will sound like the last thing you need or want, but have you considered another puppy or kitten? The adjustment takes a little while, but once they bond there is a friend there all the time. I know for me, thats always been the case. If I ever have to leave one home alone, for the vet etc..the other one is miserable. I really noticed in January when I had to let my dog go. His brother who is well house trained, started to go in the house. He was so anxious and depressed. I have been told not to assign human emotions to my pets, but I know what I see is the doggy version. When I got the new puppy, Harry was not happy at all, lol. BUT, he's occupied with her and its giving him something else to focus on. No more accidents (on purposes) lol. In fact, I think he's been the most helpful in getting the puppy on board with potty training. Just a thought. I have always had multiple pets at the same time. I'm also the mother of human triplets, lol. For me one of anything isn't enough it seems:)

I would ask vet to check for a urinary tract infection to be safe.

We want to have another baby soon so we can't afford another pet...we have thought about it but decided it would not be a good idea :(. But I think your right I think it would help her a lot.

Vet already checked her for UTI and it was negative. She does have stomach issues and is on special canned wet food which has a lot of water in it. I do notice she pees more but I still think she should be able to hold it for 4 hours.

You said it your busy. Never home These dogs need alot of attention. But A room with a pee pad is better then a crate. Get a webcam for you phone and you can see what sees doing in the day. they are ~$90. She maybe sleeping all day anyways. Just some can't hold it .

Do you hold it the entire time you are gone from home? No matter what you've ate or drank? No matter if you have an upset stomach or not?

Personally, i have a huge issue with this.

Hamsters, rabbits, or any other caged pet gets to go potty. Cats get litter boxes. Horses go in their stalls. But people cage up "man's best friend" and expect more of them, than they even expect themselves to do. To me, it's not humane. The same people that prohibit their dog from relieving itself when necessary, are most likely the same ones that would be up at the schools complaining if teachers confined their children to a classroom all day with no bathroom privileges. I just don't get it. It's not a dog can't be forced to hold it, the question is, should a dog have to? Treat your dog as you would any other member of your family. If you aren't home, provide him/her with a bathroom...potty pads.

I work all day, also. Lacey was crated for the first six months and did very well. After six months, she was no longer crated as I trusted her completely to go on a puppy pad if she needed to.

Now Pepper Jack, totally different. He will pee in his crate. It didn't take me long to realize that it wasn't right to keep him in a crate for hours and expect him to hold it. He's just too young. He is kept in a playpen with a puppy pad while I'm at work. He has room to play, room to sleep, and room to potty. He will pee at least once on the pad while I'm away. He won't poop until I get home. He does whine a little, but that's more because Lacey is moving around free and he wants out too. I cannot wait until I can trust his potty habits and when he stops chewing on everything, so he can be out with Lacey.

Agree with others, crating all day is just not fair to an active little Yorkie. I would suggest a long morning walk when weather allows. (major indoor play period when not) I hope she is pad trained because a tall expen, potty pad and safe toys are a better way to leave her alone.

Yorkies really hate to be left alone which is why a lot of breeders won't sell dogs to busy families. If you have to rehome please go through a reputable rescue.

best of luck

I would gate her in the kitchen and train her to go on wee wee pads. It will be an easy clean up, and no one gets upset. She is probably miserable standing in pee for hours! Also long walks and they seem to empty their bladders! Good luck!

It sounded like she was crates for four hours at a time max- is that the case? Typically, four hours wouldn't be too long but everybody's body is different. When lilah was a pup we put a tall ex pen around her dog house and had a potty pad for her to use and tha worked very well for us. It does sound like she is in the crate pretty often. I understand how hard life is to juggle but it sounds like you already feel like you aren't able to fulfill your little Lilly's needs and maybe just need affirmation that the most appropriate decision would be to rehome her. Kids sure keep you busy! I have a few myself :) and with more on the way and a tight financial space (I sure understand that one too!) maybe a life with Lilly just isn't what was meant to be. Even if you put up a pen or a baby gate with a potty pad it sounds like she still might be home alone more than what is best for her. If you decide to commit fulfilling her needs in your home, I'm in full support but if rehoming her is what is in her best interest- I really want to support you there too. Whatever you choose please make sure Lilly's quality of life is what you base your decision on and remember that even if it is hard for your daughter that as parents we are teaching them what is right through our actions each day and if what is right for Lilly is another home that you will be teaching your daughter to act in the best interest of our loved ones even when it's hard :love: please let is know what you decide.

Yes I only leave her in the crate for 4 hours at a time...I would never leave her all day. I come home everyday on lunch and let her out and play with her before she goes back in. The webcam idea is a great idea! I really want to know if she is barking and peeing because she's anxious or if she's just peeing right before I get home. We are going to try a few more things but I've already explained to my daughter that lilly may be happier somewhere else. It's difficult for her but I am trying to make her understand that we may have to put Lilly's best interests ahead of our want to keep her in our family. It's just strange that she went from being crate trained to not being trained at all :(

I think the webcam is a great idea too. It is hard when it seems like it is going so well and then you realize it is not :( maybe with a few tweaks in the routine and some more effort to integrate Lilly into family activities -I don't know how old your daughter is but I think if she is vested she can schedule some specific play times and training sessions to ensure that Lilly is getting good interaction and stimulation. I'm really glad thy you responsibly got her to the vet right away to ensure she didn't have a urinary tract infection- I wonder what other medical issues they might consider or other health history that might be influencing? I hope that a few changes in routine make a big difference :) good luck!

Question...how many times a day do you guys feed your yorkies? We feed lilly twice a day but I was thinking about only feeding her at night...since the food has so much water in it maybe she wouldn't have to pee as much if she only ate at night? I know people with big dogs only feed them once a day but not sure with the little ones...would she be ok? Or do you think she needs it at least twice a day? I can ask my vet too...we used to feed her 3 times a day but my vet told us we were crazy. I thought she should eat breakfast lunch and dinner like us lol

Have you tried an exercise pen with her? You can get one fairly cheap on Amazon. Set that up for her on a floor she won't ruin, like vinyl and put a pee pad in there, so if she does go it isn't a big deal. Give her toys, food and water before you leave her. I would try that for a few weeks. I would put her crate right in the pen but leave it open with a dog bed in it or a comfy blanket.

If you have to rehome her I hope you find a good home where someone will be home with her more. I just got a 9 year old Yorkie a few months ago from a family that was never home and boy is this guy happy! He is now with a stay at home mommy who adores him and is almost always home. He goes most places with me if I am running around picking up kids/dropping them off. I have teenagers though so they are much older and less needy than younger kids are.

Personally though I would try to keep her and just try keeping her in a different type of scenario like with the exercise pen, or baby gating her into the kitchen and see if she is happier. People do have to work and these dogs are adaptable. I felt bad for my little guy because even in the evenings there was never anyone home at his old house, they were just always gone. Being home in the evenings with her and on weekends should be good.

She got used to you being home and her being out of the crate because you were home so much and is just letting you know she is not happy about you going back to work.

Good luck! I hope everything works out with her.

Little dogs need to eat more not less. At least mornings and night. All dogs are different but they can't go without like big dogs. Still big dogs I've had I feed twice a day still. Some say once aday is better because there body works less processing food. Dunno. But just sound like having a Yorkie not much time for it. And to little space. It will never work like that for this breed. Pretty much they were breed from Ratters to lap dogs...They were bred to be a fuffu companions . So they need lots of attention. Only thing that will work ime

Its most likely a training issue, Ginger is a little over a year old and is crate trained from when we brought her home from her litter. Now most times she has free run and uses a Piddle Pad. Zero accidents other then occasional hang fire, but she always comes for butt check after a #2 and if it dropped before she gets to us she will point it out. We had a pee pad in half the crate till she was about 6 months, after taking the pee pad out she had a few accidents in the crate but learned quickly.


We crated her at night till about 6 months, then only if we left her home for Doc or shopping. We are going to a reunion in Vegas and taking her so we are crating her more often to get her re accustomed to 3 or 4 hours crate time. She loves her crate and goes in as soon as I open the door, we give her a cookie and a toy, but she just goes to sleep as soon as we are out the door.


First clean crate so no smell, then leave open, we used it as a toy box so she would go in and out at will. We have a food and water bowl, but for four hours you don't need that, but give her a treat inside the crate to get her to enter on her own. Crate her for short periods where you go into other room, minute at first and build slowly. When you come back to let her out, hard to explain, but quickly try to open crate, you need to do this before she whine or gets excited. A treat to occupy her while you open crate might help, but if she whines before you get her out, tell her "No" and leave till she settles. Don't let her jump around excited after you let her out, ignore till she settles.


If she was crate trained before you just have to walk it back to before the 3 weeks, think about yourself, did you do anything different after the 3 weeks, anything change in routine? And yes the video is great to see what your pup does, ours sleep mostly unless she hears something out side, she will bark for about a minute if that. Again training, don't let your pup bark for nothing, train them that when you say "thank you its OK" you are aware and its ok, we don't allow her to keep barking.

One more thing, if not already, teach your pup a potty command, makes life much easier, At night before going to bed she goes potty and will sleep till I get up or longer, at least 8 hours. Same thing going somewhere, "Go Potty", she goes and then into crate.

IMO I don't think its as much of a training issue. Crated for 4 hrs.. let out to go. Then another 4 hrs. IMO the dog isn't happy being in the crate all day. I think a pen with the crate open and a place to potty would be better . But ime these breeds just need alot of attention. I'm not sure shes getting enough? The few hours every night isn't cutting it.

What size is the crate, I should have asked, ours is 2'X3' so she can move around. The crate has a bottom, a pen does not so it can get messy while training and some will climb or jump out.

I hate crates think they are humane.
Get an exersize pen with pee pads in it.
At least till she's trained....

I don't think they are if used right. Winnie is crate train to sleep in the evening. If I stay up to late she will scratch on the baby gate to leave the room to go to her crate and go to bed. She sleeps in a large crate at night to keep her safe from the stairs,being stepped on ect.. She will sleep all night till I wake up to let her out. But there is a spot for her to go if needed. Never has. Both my dog don't get full run of the house unattended. But they get to stay in the family room, kitchen area baby gated in. It safer for them. Plenty of room. Moki sleeps on the bed but hes a bigger dog. Winnie will get crushed.

:thumbup:

I agree that properly used and not abused, crate training can provide great emotional and physical safety and security for a dog and allows them to be calm, safe and happy- especially in the event that they need to be crated for travel, vet, groomers, boarding etc. Crate training can also create some great opportunities for one on one training and bonding if you have multiple dogs and that can be very beneficial for their independent development and overall wellbeing.

I'm sorry I meant used as mentioned with previous owner presenting her problem pee'er.

Since you're at work a lot I would try to train her to go pee/potty on the pee pad. Get a puppy apartment that is a open crate that has divider for the bed and pee pad area. That seems to work great for a lot of dog owner to train going on the pee pad.