Originally Posted by ARCHIE (Post 1659849)

The purpose of the crate is to make them hold it so their bladder's get
stronger and they can hold it for numerous hours.
I also thought it was cruel but it turned out to be a great way to train dogs.
My vet told me it would be ok. I used this method with Buddy starting
at 14 1/2 wks. He went in the crate before I left for work at 8:15 am, no food or water,
that would set him up for failure, went home at 12:oo to walk him, give him water and a treat and left. Came home at 5:30 and right out for a walk.
There were no accidents at this time. He was completely trained by
5 1/2 - 6mos old. The only time he has had an accident is when he was
sick. His bladder is stronger than mine! It's not cruel as long as you do what your suppose to do and not put your pet in there and forget about him.
Schedule is KEY also. If you want to train your pet to go potty outdoors
this is the way to do it!
Also, I did not get up at night with him. The vet stated that if I did I would
be on his schedule not mine. He got walked at 11:00 pm and had a few
accidents at first but again he was trained during the day and at night by the time he was 6mos. No water at night either. Today he will be four
soon and he still gets no water at night. By giving them access to water
at night you are setting them up for failure. As long as you know they
had water before their last walk they will be fine until morning.
Remember your pup has to be old enough to start potty training before
you take these steps. Also remember dogs, generally, do not like lying
or living in their own pee and feces, hence holding it. But be sure
you get him out on a timely manner.

Originally Posted by loki12004 (Post 1659637)

Well my son and I went back over to see the puppy. We talked for a bit and she asked if I was will to pay more then we originally agreed apon, she said she was asking because someone had called after we left last night and offered her more money. Well I said no, becuase I didn't feel it was right, I felt that she was more interested in getting the money rather then wanting her pet to have the best home. So we left without the pup. My son and I are very disappointed. Now that we have our hearts set on a Yorkie. I was wondering if anyone knows of any rescues available in my area. I don't want to get a puppy, I want to get a dog that needs a second chance in life. I live in western Colorado. Near the Utah boarder.

Originally Posted by hha (Post 1659980)

Yes, and no..if you read online you will see where they should only be allowed to hold their bladder for 1 hour for every month they are..and shouldn't be expected to hold it any longer than that...I sure wouldn't want to have to learn to hold my bladder..a lot of them will end up peeing and pooping in the crate, and they really don't like to do that..I've never crated, have always used the xpen..but, that's jmo.

Originally Posted by fbmom (Post 1659897)

While I love yorkies - the long hair, health issues and potty issues (that I have read about on this website) seem to be time and money consuming - which might be especially difficult if your child reguires extra care. With that said, I think a dog would be great for your child. Maybe you could adopt a breed of dog that is easier to care for or an older dog that is already housebroken. You might even search for a service dog that is trained for special needs children. Take your time in your search - there's a special furbaby out there for you.

:)