New Yorkie potty problems... HELP!!
 

Hi there, I am new to YT and this is my first post. Hello! I need some major help! I just got my first yorkie this weekend and have started potty training very unsuccessfully. I have a crate for her which she is peeing in constantly. I got her from a wonderful breeder that had never crated her, so she was not used to peeing in one or something. I have blocked of most of the crated(it's small anyway) so she has just enough room to lay down/turn around. I am taking her outside, and will stay out over an hour at a time and she won't go. I bring her inside, put her in her crate with the intent of taking her back out in 5-10 minutes, she immediately pees in her crate. I don't get it! I am cleaning it with a bleach solution immediately and changing her bedding. I'll take her out first thing in the morning, immediately after eating, at regular intervals and she is holding it outside until she gets back inside or in her crate. Now I don't have yorkie experience, but that doesn't seem normal. I have tried putting potty pads in her small area with the crate door open, but she either pees next to the potty pad or in her crate. What on earth? Any advice would be very appreciated. She is such a sweetie and I love her to death but can't deal with a dog using my home as a toilet. PLEASE HELP ME!

I am having my own potty issues but I would keep taking her outside she needs time to get use to everything. I am assuming when she goes outside she is more interested in smelling everything than going potty. Don't get down it will take her time also maybe you should put her on the pad and encourage her to go potty. If you watch her around the house you can tell when she is gonna go and take her right to the pad or right outside. If she goes reward her with something tiny. I hope this helps some!

What am I doing wrong?
 

I am being patient, but it just seems that it's not working. I have a timed schedule, I'm home almost all day with her. She sleeps through the night, and doesn't go at all. I take her outside and stay there for average 30-45 minutes. She doesn't go and waits until I put her back in her crate. I've tried putting potty pads outside where I want her to go, but she just tries to sleep on them. If they are in her small inside area, then she goes next to them. I am patiently outside trying to get her to go for well over an hour, but she holds it and then goes the second I put her in the crate. I don't know what to do. I understand accidents, but she seems to be going in her crate on purpose! Yet, I don't want to take the crate away because I don't want her peeing all over the house. She is super playful, cute, loveable, etc. I've had her only about 5 days and I've taught her to sit on command, she is learning to lay down. She's really smart! I have no complaints about her other than the potty problem.

Hi and welcome to YT.
How old is your little girl?
Try not putting a pad in her crate. Instead put her toys & blanket in there, maybe even a little treat. Put the pad right outside the door.
When she is out running around the house, watch her like a hawk and everytime she starts to go pick her up and put her on the pad. Some dogs take longer than others to get the message.:)

Ok, I will try putting the pad right outside her crate and see if the helps. Someone said that if you use the pad, they will learn to go inside. Is that true?

try teaching her to potty on command..when you see her peeing/pooping state the command go potty or whatever you want to use...then praise her, give her treats and then she will learn to associated what she is currently doing to the command...then when you take her outside tell her the command...she will then act out the command if she got it down...then praise and treat her...it may take some time...

all of mine goes potty on command...i am still trying to housebreak my last male...he will pee outside but poop in his crate and it is soo frustrated...i know how you are feeling...

what worked for us
 

Our Scout was the same way. We were at our wits' end. We would take him out lots throughout the day and we'd come in and he would pee and poo anywhere he pleased. Very frustrating. Anyway, we let him out in the back yard without a leash and that's where he's been going ever since. He never would go while on a leash. I guess he wanted some privacy. We tried wee wee pads and sprays and everything else before, but that was our saving grace. If your back yard isn't fenced, you can get a large collapsable cage at a pet store Maybe that would work. Good luck to you. Please keep us updated!

I use to have a similar problem
 

I got my Yorkie almost a year ago and I had similar problems. Everytime he started sniffing or smelling, I would take him outside to the bathroom. I had and spent as long as 45 minutes outside, without luck. I finally got some puppy pads, which worked slightly. But what really worked was finding the right puppy pads. I found some at Petsmart where they have a scent of grass and from there he started associating it with the grass outside. Or you could take the puppy pad outside when he does go on it (whichever kind you have) and put it on the grass for him to get associated with the grass. I did both I believe. Don't give up, he will get the bathroom idea in time. Mine did and he hardly uses a pad now, but I do have one around for when he can't make it or the weather is too bad to go outside. Good Luck :animal-pa

Daizy didn't understand the pads either...we had to wipe up a mess with it...and let her smell it before she would start using it. We only used the pads while she was very young...and using pads will not teach her to go inside the house....she will just get used to using the pad...then you just keep moving the pad closer to the door you use to take her out potty. eventually you can put the pad just outside the door and she'll smell it.
Also make sure you use the same door each time you take her out potty...using different doors will be confusing to her. And eventually she'll go to the door and wait.

It took us quite a while to teach Daizy..she's over 9 months old..and she's just now always asking to go outside. So don't give up...and realize it will take you awhile to train her.

Also not sure you should use Bleach to clean up the urine....you need to get an Enzyme to clean it up...especially if she has an accident on carpeting.

I definately agree you should put her bedding inside the crate...puppies will usually not ever pee where they sleep. hopefully that will help you.
Good luck!
Can't believe I'm getting another baby and I get to go through all this over again!!!! Am I crazy?? lol

Grass potty pads?
 

Do you know what kind of potty pads the grass scented ones are? I'm ready to try anything. I have been taking my puppy out all day, staying out for 45 minutes at a time, then bringing her in for a few minutes (planning 10-15)getting ready to take her out again. Guess what? She pees next to the potty pad if her crate is open or in her crate if it is closed. I am getting beyond frustrated. My German Shepherd was potty trained without a single accident from day 1. I know that is unusual, but I work hard with my dogs. I have never had a dog that refused to go outside before. :cry: BTW, my Yorkie is exactly 12 weeks old. Shouldn't she be getting the concept by now?

Hi there, I never put a potty pad in her crate. I only put her bedding in there, plus a toy. I have a gated off area that is big enough for her crate, potty pad, and a VERY small play area. She still manages to go on the microscopic floor space that isn't occupied. I really don't know what else to try!

This sounds just like my Pebbles! The only difference is that I keep her in a kid's yard instead of a crate. I have had her a little over a month and she is almost four months old. Sometimes she uses the pad and sometimes she uses the floor next to it. I never let her on the carpet unless she goes potty outside, then she is rewarded with play time with the Border Collie or time running around after me... the rest of the time she is on one of our laps, arms, or in the yard. She is finally making head way though with going to the potty outside (she has gone 5 times outside/once in her yard since I got home from work around 3:00). I try to take her out about once an hour or 25 minutes after a meal. So just hold in there! I just remind myself that she is a baby/toddler and potty training takes time.

Coco Pebbles Thank You! Everyone has been so kind in giving me advice and I've appreciated every post. I definitely got some tips I plan on utilizing. But, I was just in tears after having my girl spend another 1/2 hour outside with no potty, and hearing that you are working through something just like it really dried my eyes. I will keep plugging along. I guess I am having some unrealistic expectations with my puppy. I just kept hearing from people that if she goes in her crate that she will think that the house is a huge toilet for her, that it would be an unbreakable habit. The fact that several of you said that you were working through it, gives me hope. Who knew that a little potty would be sooooooooo stressful!

I would like to keep in contact. Maybe if you find something that works or if I find something that helps... we can share. The behaviors sound so much a like. I felt the exact same way that first weekend. I now feel so much hopeful and can see an end in the distant future.

Noelle

Grass Scented Potty Pads
 

I found these at Petsmart. The brand is "Miracle's Nature" which is in red writing. It also say: "Quick Results Training Pads". "Trains Puppies Even Faster with a Revolutionary Grass Scented Formula".

I smell nothing, but apparently dogs can smell differently than us. These pads come as many as 80 in a pack, which I buy. Never know when the weather is bad in KY that he can't go out or when he had to go really bad. Anyways, these are 22 X 23 inch pads. Let me know how it works for you.

I pretty much did what Veggienut tried. Taking the used puppy pad outside and he got the hint. Another big tip when your outside, don't let them know your tense or expected anything. Act like "hey, were outside having fun, I'm not watching you like a hawk". If your tense, they will be too, and then they will never go. And wait them out, we've been outside for a LONG time.

And yorkie are very well know to be tuff to potty train. After 6 years, we still have little issues. Angelo never did figure out the whole "don't pee in the crate, thats your house" thing.

I have to take mine for pretty good walks before I see "results". Yorkies are know for being hard to potty train. Please just be patient and they are right, the more tense you are, the less cooperation you will get.

One more thing....
 

praise your dog, "good dog" and give them a treat each time they potty. Always take them to the same spot (if possible) to potty. When I walk Maxwell, he knows his special spot....where a fire hydrant is. He gets so excited when I say, "we're going to doggie field". He does all his biz there when he's not at home. Good Luck

crate accidents
 

So I don't need to be all freaked out that she is going in her crate? That has happened to other people too? I was just worried because everyone I'd talked to said that dogs NEVER go in their sleeping area. I started to think that she may have a few problems! Oh yeah, my puppy's name is Princess Tiger Lily.

Well, see darlin', that is your problem right there! Did you think that a yorkie is a dog? :D They are just furry children. I have had dogs my entire life. All sorts of dogs. But I learned real fast that Yorkies are a whole different story. They are very stubborn but very loving.

It sounds like you are very frustrated and I can understand, but it might help if you went and bought some books on Yorkies. To help you understand the breed a little more. They are notoriously hard to potty train. Scooby is 9 months old and still gives me a problem with it.

potty
 

I have found that little dogs are the hardest to train.Littler tha dog,litter the bladder.In my exsperence, the take a long time and the around 8 months old it just clicks.so they are not like a big dog you can pottytrain in a couple of weeks.so be patient, did you potty train your child in a week,noooo.
they are like infant babies.i find with mine. no not carry them to bathroom. in courge them to walk to the door evan if you need to put leash on them,everytime they do go potty outside reward with a treat.

I have had a major break with the potty training! I am so excited! She hasn't pottied in the house for a couple of days and I have had success each time I took her out tonight. And she did it almost immediately so I didn't have to stand out in the cold for 15 minutes! Yay Pebbles!!!!

I don't have the patience to take the girls outside, so I trained Mocha with the pads. I keep her fenced in with her toys, water, bed and pad. Pack everything in so she will only "go" on the pad. Basically 1st few months I keep her fenced in many, many hours a day. I only let her out after she goes potty, half an hour play out of the fences, then back in again. One day I take the fences down and she goes potty in the pad, no problem.

Even when she's in the fences I give her a treat every time she goes potty. Of course she still had accidents here and there, so when that happens I put her in the fence again for another few days, repeat the process. She used to have accidents every few days, then a week, then now, no more accidents for weeks. The key here is patience, patience, patience, persistence, persistence, logic. LOL

Oh! I also think because I leave her inside the fences for a while at a time, even when I'm at home, makes her more "independent". She never complains or whines or cries when I have to go out. No separation anxiety.

This is her in the fences. But this is ONLY if you want her to potty on the pad, ok? Cos even during walks she rarely pees.

P.S: Wabbit, Tammy, you are certifiably crazy. I cannot imagine training another one right now - it would drive me bonkers :D

Yeah Coco Pebbles! Did you do anything in particular or do you think your pup just is starting to get it?

I think she is just finally getting it. I have actually expanded her play area to two rooms now and she is doing great. Unluckily I have to go the bathroom every hours, so I use this as my reminder to take her. When I am not home, if it's nice out... she stays outside with the Border Collie but if it's cold she stays in her fenced area in the kitchen and uses a pee pee pad.[IMG]file:///C:/DOCUME~1/Owner/LOCALS~1/Temp/msohtml1/01/clip_image001.gif[/IMG]

I still don't think that she would hold it, so I do have to remember to take her out. So I am not totally out of the woods. Too early to have the carpets professionally cleaned (why potty training, I use my Rug Doctor... but as soon as she is trained I am going to get it professionally done. I can't wait.)