Need some puppy potty training advice from you Yorkie pros!

[James and Loki]

Hey everyone! I'm James and I've had Loki, which is a purebred Yorkie for 15 days now. He's 12 weeks old. He's had his first two shots and I was told he's in good health by the vet. He goes for his 3rd shot on June 25th.

The first 3 or 4 days I tried putting him in a crate to sleep beside my bed (about 13" x 24" in size) he cried all night and would pee or poop in there so I knew this wasn't going to work. I went out and bought him a play pen (about 5' x 5' in size) at night and when I'm at work I put him in there. There's enough room for a pee pad, his car crate (small in size, but he seems to love it, so it's fine, he sleeps in there) and room for him to play or move around and have a water bowl. The first night or two he did his business anywhere in the pen. Now he only goes on the pee pad within the play pen. He usually doesn't poop in there anymore, he saves it for his 3 to 4 walks a day. I'm really wanting to train him to go out his doggy door out to the apartment balcony to do his businesses when we are home and awake and not in the pen. He pees a lot, probably every 2 hrs or so. I know this time will increase with age, but he's not there yet. Yesterday we practiced going in and out of the doggy door and he gets it (kinda lol) I've had 3 Yorkies now and I can easily see Loki is the most intelligent dog I've had yet. After he pee'd on the hardwood floor during the first week, I caught him in the act and I scolded him and gave him a little tap on the bum and put him right outside. The next time he pee'd on the floor I yelled to him and he booked it, telling me he knows it's wrong to pee anywhere in my place except for the pee pad. I smoke on the balcony and bring him with me every time. Within the last few days he is going pee a lot more on the balcony and I praise him and rub him and tell him how good he is and all that. I feel like we're 40% there. I'm out of the home for 9 hours a day for work, which includes travel time. I really want him to have free roam of my home,but until he gets the doggy door idea he'll have to remain in the pen. At this moment in his young life I feel it would be dangerous for him to have free roam right now. So I'm hoping by the time he's 4 months (a month from now) he'll be fully trained and not wanting to chew everything he sees and will be old enough to be left alone in the apartment.

Are there any tips for getting him to want to go only go on the apartment balcony. I also use a scent eraser for all the times he did pee inside. He's a super happy, playful dog and seems to want to please me so I'm sure he'll learn in a matter of time and practice. Just wondering if anyone had some other tips.

Thanks in advance.


J and L

[BayleighL]

We successfully trained our little yorkie girl but it took time. We restricted her living area with an expandable gate until she was consistent with going on her pee pad, but there was no doggie door in between. We didn't scold, yell, or spank, we used positive praise and treats for success. We quickly established a night time potty routine to teach her to go before bedtime and slept with one eye open for the first couple of weeks so we would hear her if she fussed, take her potty quickly, and put her back in her crate. The crate training was a process of it's own, starting her right next to us and soothing her and when we could move her further away a few inches at a time. She's still in our room a few feet away from us, which is what we intended.


Our pup was confused a bit when we had a pee pad in the tub at night time and then the pad where we wanted it during the day. We were worried we couldn't get her to go back to bed if we took her out to the daytime location. Bad idea! She would try to go back to the tub and when she couldn't get in, she'd pee on the floor next to the tub. So, we abandoned the easy containment of the tub for night time needs and just had her pad in one place. It made it so we had to take her to her pad at night and avoid her desire to play, but it didn't last long and was well worth the effort.


I would recommend "only the balcony" day and night. Keep food and water in a separate area. And lots of praise and treats for success.

[Lovetodream88]

He will probably need to be kept in a pen until closer to a year. My youngest is 10 months and still a big chewer. In fact my boy was still getting in things until almost a year. Is the balcony secure and he can't slip out the rungs? Does it also have something above it so birds can't swoop down and get him? Could people get to it from the outside and steal him? These are just somethings that need to be thought about.

[BayleighL]

Originally Posted by BayleighL

We successfully trained our little yorkie girl but it took time. We restricted her living area with an expandable gate until she was consistent with going on her pee pad, but there was no doggie door in between. We didn't scold, yell, or spank, we used positive praise and treats for success. We quickly established a night time potty routine to teach her to go before bedtime and slept with one eye open for the first couple of weeks so we would hear her if she fussed, take her potty quickly, and put her back in her crate. The crate training was a process of it's own, starting her right next to us and soothing her and when we could move her further away a few inches at a time. She's still in our room a few feet away from us, which is what we intended.


Our pup was confused a bit when we had a pee pad in the tub at night time and then the pad where we wanted it during the day. We were worried we couldn't get her to go back to bed if we took her out to the daytime location. Bad idea! She would try to go back to the tub and when she couldn't get in, she'd pee on the floor next to the tub. So, we abandoned the easy containment of the tub for night time needs and just had her pad in one place. It made it so we had to take her to her pad at night and avoid her desire to play, but it didn't last long and was well worth the effort.


I would recommend "only the balcony" day and night. Keep food and water in a separate area. And lots of praise and treats for success.

Want to clarify that the "only the balcony" refers to pottying with supervision. The rest of the time he would be in his area inside.

[James and Loki]

Originally Posted by BayleighL

We successfully trained our little yorkie girl but it took time. We restricted her living area with an expandable gate until she was consistent with going on her pee pad, but there was no doggie door in between. We didn't scold, yell, or spank, we used positive praise and treats for success. We quickly established a night time potty routine to teach her to go before bedtime and slept with one eye open for the first couple of weeks so we would hear her if she fussed, take her potty quickly, and put her back in her crate. The crate training was a process of it's own, starting her right next to us and soothing her and when we could move her further away a few inches at a time. She's still in our room a few feet away from us, which is what we intended.


Our pup was confused a bit when we had a pee pad in the tub at night time and then the pad where we wanted it during the day. We were worried we couldn't get her to go back to bed if we took her out to the daytime location. Bad idea! She would try to go back to the tub and when she couldn't get in, she'd pee on the floor next to the tub. So, we abandoned the easy containment of the tub for night time needs and just had her pad in one place. It made it so we had to take her to her pad at night and avoid her desire to play, but it didn't last long and was well worth the effort.


I would recommend "only the balcony" day and night. Keep food and water in a separate area. And lots of praise and treats for success.

Thanks for the reply and info. When I say I scolded him, I mean I just told him he was a "bad boy"

It seems we've broken new ground just since yesterday. He waited for me to take him out of his play pen this morning and pee'd on the balcony. I'm super pumped about it. He's such a good, intelligent little guy. Thanks again.

[James and Loki]

Originally Posted by Lovetodream88

He will probably need to be kept in a pen until closer to a year. My youngest is 10 months and still a big chewer. In fact my boy was still getting in things until almost a year. Is the balcony secure and he can't slip out the rungs? Does it also have something above it so birds can't swoop down and get him? Could people get to it from the outside and steal him? These are just somethings that need to be thought about.

You ask some wonderful helpful questions there. The balcony is completely secure, in regards to him falling off. In terms of someone taking him, we're on the 3rd floor. I never thought about any birds though. I live in Hamilton, Ontario so the odd eagle can be seen but not major predators. Usually just pigeons. He'll be 13 weeks this Thursday and his chewing has been pretty consistent. Chews my hands and all his toys for hours on end. I always tell him to stop with the hands. He definitely doesn't chew as hard on my hands then he does on his toys though so he knows it hurts me. Haha. Just yesterday he started with the sock and ankle biting. Trying to bite my socks as I walk. Lol. I keep telling him one of these days he's going to be stepped on. His poor little paws. My feet are ridiculously large too. Lol thanks for your info. Have a great day!

[BayleighL]

Originally Posted by James and Loki

Thanks for the reply and info. When I say I scolded him, I mean I just told him he was a "bad boy"

It seems we've broken new ground just since yesterday. He waited for me to take him out of his play pen this morning and pee'd on the balcony. I'm super pumped about it. He's such a good, intelligent little guy. Thanks again.

Glad you're seeing progress. It is such a process and is so individual to the pup and our own situations. I'm glad that we can all share our successes as well as pitfalls in the forum. It has always helped me, too, to read what techniques others have tried.


Enjoy your little guy! He sounds like a spunky, fun pup!

[Lovetodream88]

Originally Posted by James and Loki

You ask some wonderful helpful questions there. The balcony is completely secure, in regards to him falling off. In terms of someone taking him, we're on the 3rd floor. I never thought about any birds though. I live in Hamilton, Ontario so the odd eagle can be seen but not major predators. Usually just pigeons. He'll be 13 weeks this Thursday and his chewing has been pretty consistent. Chews my hands and all his toys for hours on end. I always tell him to stop with the hands. He definitely doesn't chew as hard on my hands then he does on his toys though so he knows it hurts me. Haha. Just yesterday he started with the sock and ankle biting. Trying to bite my socks as I walk. Lol. I keep telling him one of these days he's going to be stepped on. His poor little paws. My feet are ridiculously large too. Lol thanks for your info. Have a great day!

We used a squirt bottle with water for the ankle bitting and say no a squirt the once. It worked really well.