new yorkie owner and new member need adviced - YorkieTalk.com Forums

smurray · 04-13-2009, 12:03 PM

my yorkie killer (husband named him). is 18 wks old is 1.8lbs. and i've had him for 7wks,got from local small town pet store.i've tried to be consistent with housebreaking offering treats and praise .but am having difficult time. i work full time m-f 630 to 3 or 4 but my oldest child comes home between 2 and 3 to feed ,play with let out to potty.while at work killer is left in fairly largw bathroom with puppy pads covering most of floor and a pet taxi for sleeping,which(he sleeps in at night no problems i get up in middle of night and take him out to potty).the main problem is while i"m gone he poops everywhere but on puppy pads and walks all in it getting on walls,baby gate,floor i dread coming home.i have 3 children so he gets lots of attention,goes everywhere with us on weekends,and most everywhere with us after work.we love him. help anyone have this problem

Mom to Hot Rod · 04-13-2009, 12:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by smurray

my yorkie killer (husband named him). is 18 wks old is 1.8lbs. and i've had him for 7wks,got from local small town pet store.i've tried to be consistent with housebreaking offering treats and praise .but am having difficult time. i work full time m-f 630 to 3 or 4 but my oldest child comes home between 2 and 3 to feed ,play with let out to potty.while at work killer is left in fairly largw bathroom with puppy pads covering most of floor and a pet taxi for sleeping,which(he sleeps in at night no problems i get up in middle of night and take him out to potty).the main problem is while i"m gone he poops everywhere but on puppy pads and walks all in it getting on walls,baby gate,floor i dread coming home.i have 3 children so he gets lots of attention,goes everywhere with us on weekends,and most everywhere with us after work.we love him. help anyone have this problem

Hi and welcome to YT. Congratulations on your puppy, Killer.

You say that he's in a large bathroom, you might want to try and leave himin his crate for the initial potty training. Remeber, just because we put potty pads down for a dog, does not mean they know what it is for. There are some that have an attractant (sp) to attract the dog. Maybe those would work for you.

Being that you work so early and your child doesn't come home until 2 or 3, I would probably recommend really concentrating on training him when someone can take him out so he will get the message quicker and easier as 8 hours is really too long to make the puppy wait in the crate. Is there a way that someone else could stop in at lunch time to let him out to potty? Good luck.

SophieKatesMom · 04-13-2009, 12:18 PM

I will start off by saying I am not a Yorkie expert by any means, just an owner who recently went through potty training. Here are some suggestions that may help.

1. Have you considered crate training? It sounds like Killer may be getting a little to much freedom and needs to be confined until he is a little older. Also is anyone taking Killer outside during the time span between when you leave for work and your oldest child gets home? That is a long time for a puppy to "hold it". If you decide to get a crate my rule was when puppy comes out of the crate it goes immediately outside, I mean feet did not ever touch the ground until it was safe to go potty.

2. Are you training Killer to potty outside or on a pad? My Sophie Kate is trained primarly for outside and will use a pad only when it is raining. In both cases you have to set expectations on where you want them go. In the beginning until they can control their functions you need to take them out every hour or two hours and praises when they go (treats worked for me and a lot of clapping my hands and saying good girl).

3. The same thing for pad training, Sophie Kate still at 10 months does not have full run of the house. She needs to be with us in the room we are in, when training for the pad I would place her on the pad and say "go potty" - after a few weeks she got it and still get praised for going on the pad. I should note the pad is in our garage and she is still on the leash, I did not want to confuse her to much.

Those are just my suggestions but there are a lot of posts in the training section about Potty Training. I read through most of them and combined any information I thought would be useful. Good luck, do not get discouraged and if you do don't worry I think potty training Sophie Kate made my hair gray.

FlDebra · 04-13-2009, 12:35 PM

I can't offer much in the training department itself. I have only been successful by being there to take them out every 2 hours til they got the idea.

But .... Another angle to look at is the quantity and consistency of poop. That is probably making this all the more frustrating. I know if I had to come home to poop smeared on walls, gate, floor and dog, I might not be as patient as needed for house training. So, what are you feeding your puppy? I find with the high quality dog foods, you will get much smaller, compact, less frequent poops that are more on the solid side. They should be nice and easy to pick up. If he is smearing poop everywhere, it sounds like the stools are much too loose and maybe too much of it.

Some foods even advertise -- low residue. If you feed junk dog food, you will get big ol' messy poop. I feed Canidae and if they do have an accident, it is just a minor thing to reach with a tissue and pick it up. Go to this site and make sure you are using a 5 or 6 star food: Dog Food Reviews - Main Index - Powered by ReviewPost

If you are already feeding one of these high quality foods, I would ask the vet about so many loose stools. If nothing else, maybe someone else will benefit from the link. Good luck with what is the most frustrating aspect of Yorkie ownership -- but it's all worth it!

lovelylf1 · 04-13-2009, 12:43 PM

Hi and welcome to YT!

There is actually a spray that you can buy in most pet stores (or online if local stores dont carry it) that you can spray on the pee pads. I used one when I was training Scooter to use the pads. I trained him to go outside but he is really funny about getting his feet wet when it has rained. I would buy specially scented pee pads or spray one of the pads with the potty spray. Be very careful to only spray one of the pads and do it outside, otherwise you will leave a scent for them to pee on the floorboards or other floors. By only spraying one of the pads you lay down, you will encourage Killer to pee/poop in a very specific area, not anywhere he pleases.

It can seem like a pain but once you get into a routine, it is much easier. Scooter was a pain to potty train initially but he figured it out. Good luck!

jmdt · 04-13-2009, 12:52 PM

I have no advice but I would like to say welcome to yorkie talk.

citygirl · 04-13-2009, 03:09 PM

Welcome to YT...

Cinq1964 · 04-13-2009, 03:15 PM

I too agree with a smaller more confined space. Also check the quality of food as suggested! It may help with the pooping! Welcome!!! Glad to have you here! Good Luck!

HChellette · 04-13-2009, 03:21 PM

Welcome to YT!!!!

I agree with some of the other posters, it sounds like Killer has too much freedom this early in the game. Crate training would probably be a good idea for you, if you're able, but staying in the crate for eight straight hours would be a strain on his little bladder. Have you considered litter box training him? This was the issue that I ran into with Silvia, who is very small (less than 3lbs) and I was always worried about her having to hold it for so long. DH and I both work full-time and Silvia is alone from 7AM-3PM everyday. The litter box option has been a wonderful solution for us, and we actually made it a permanent one, because it worked out so well. Here is my post on it, in case you're interested: Litter Box Training Your Yorkie

Gennies · 04-13-2009, 03:27 PM

You got wonderful advise I just wanted to say Welcome to YT!!! Congratulations on your new baby!

HChellette · 04-13-2009, 03:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by smurray

my yorkie killer (husband named him)

By the way, don't you just LOVE when husband names the dog?! My poor baby's name is "Adam's Nissan Silvia." It's a car!

Thank goodness the name Silvia also fit her because of her color, because I would hate explaining to people where her name came from if she were any other color!

phfgkl · 04-13-2009, 03:39 PM

I've always trained mine(to pee pads) very quickly. Of course, I don't work, but, mine were trained with xpens. I don't like crates, never have. A puppy should never stay in a crate for more than an hour for every month of age. so a 4 mos old shouldn't stay in one for more than 4 maybe 5 hours. I always liked the xpens because they could have their bed, food, water, pee pad and toys in there, you could make it any size, and there is no wood molding or anything they can chew on while in it. I guess because I can't stand to be in an enclosed area, I don't feel my dogs should have to be either. Good luck on your training. Would love to see pictures of Killer(that's a cute name for such a little pup)

04-13-2009, 12:03 PM	#1
smurray Yorkie Talker Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: natchez,ms Posts: 11	new yorkie owner and new member need adviced my yorkie killer (husband named him). is 18 wks old is 1.8lbs. and i've had him for 7wks,got from local small town pet store.i've tried to be consistent with housebreaking offering treats and praise .but am having difficult time. i work full time m-f 630 to 3 or 4 but my oldest child comes home between 2 and 3 to feed ,play with let out to potty.while at work killer is left in fairly largw bathroom with puppy pads covering most of floor and a pet taxi for sleeping,which(he sleeps in at night no problems i get up in middle of night and take him out to potty).the main problem is while i"m gone he poops everywhere but on puppy pads and walks all in it getting on walls,baby gate,floor i dread coming home.i have 3 children so he gets lots of attention,goes everywhere with us on weekends,and most everywhere with us after work.we love him. help anyone have this problem

04-13-2009, 12:18 PM	#3
SophieKatesMom Donating YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Canton, GA Posts: 3,242	I will start off by saying I am not a Yorkie expert by any means, just an owner who recently went through potty training. Here are some suggestions that may help. 1. Have you considered crate training? It sounds like Killer may be getting a little to much freedom and needs to be confined until he is a little older. Also is anyone taking Killer outside during the time span between when you leave for work and your oldest child gets home? That is a long time for a puppy to "hold it". If you decide to get a crate my rule was when puppy comes out of the crate it goes immediately outside, I mean feet did not ever touch the ground until it was safe to go potty. 2. Are you training Killer to potty outside or on a pad? My Sophie Kate is trained primarly for outside and will use a pad only when it is raining. In both cases you have to set expectations on where you want them go. In the beginning until they can control their functions you need to take them out every hour or two hours and praises when they go (treats worked for me and a lot of clapping my hands and saying good girl). 3. The same thing for pad training, Sophie Kate still at 10 months does not have full run of the house. She needs to be with us in the room we are in, when training for the pad I would place her on the pad and say "go potty" - after a few weeks she got it and still get praised for going on the pad. I should note the pad is in our garage and she is still on the leash, I did not want to confuse her to much. Those are just my suggestions but there are a lot of posts in the training section about Potty Training. I read through most of them and combined any information I thought would be useful. Good luck, do not get discouraged and if you do don't worry I think potty training Sophie Kate made my hair gray. __________________ Cheryl,Mom to SophieKate

04-13-2009, 12:35 PM	#4
FlDebra Donating YT 2000 Club Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: FL Posts: 7,651	Warning -- poop talk! I can't offer much in the training department itself. I have only been successful by being there to take them out every 2 hours til they got the idea. But .... Another angle to look at is the quantity and consistency of poop. That is probably making this all the more frustrating. I know if I had to come home to poop smeared on walls, gate, floor and dog, I might not be as patient as needed for house training. So, what are you feeding your puppy? I find with the high quality dog foods, you will get much smaller, compact, less frequent poops that are more on the solid side. They should be nice and easy to pick up. If he is smearing poop everywhere, it sounds like the stools are much too loose and maybe too much of it. Some foods even advertise -- low residue. If you feed junk dog food, you will get big ol' messy poop. I feed Canidae and if they do have an accident, it is just a minor thing to reach with a tissue and pick it up. Go to this site and make sure you are using a 5 or 6 star food: Dog Food Reviews - Main Index - Powered by ReviewPost If you are already feeding one of these high quality foods, I would ask the vet about so many loose stools. If nothing else, maybe someone else will benefit from the link. Good luck with what is the most frustrating aspect of Yorkie ownership -- but it's all worth it! __________________ FlDebra and her ABCs Annie, Ben, Candy Promoting Healthy Breeding to the AKC Yorkshire Terrier Standard Last edited by FlDebra; 04-13-2009 at 12:37 PM.

04-13-2009, 12:43 PM	#5
lovelylf1 I ♥ Scooter Donating Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Austin, Texas Posts: 533	Hi and welcome to YT! There is actually a spray that you can buy in most pet stores (or online if local stores dont carry it) that you can spray on the pee pads. I used one when I was training Scooter to use the pads. I trained him to go outside but he is really funny about getting his feet wet when it has rained. I would buy specially scented pee pads or spray one of the pads with the potty spray. Be very careful to only spray one of the pads and do it outside, otherwise you will leave a scent for them to pee on the floorboards or other floors. By only spraying one of the pads you lay down, you will encourage Killer to pee/poop in a very specific area, not anywhere he pleases. It can seem like a pain but once you get into a routine, it is much easier. Scooter was a pain to potty train initially but he figured it out. Good luck! __________________ Lauren and Scooter Texas YTers Club

04-13-2009, 12:52 PM	#6
jmdt YT 3000 Club Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Long Island, NY USA Posts: 3,498	I have no advice but I would like to say welcome to yorkie talk. __________________ Coco, Pebbles, Trixie, and Wally LOVE MY BABIES!!

04-13-2009, 03:09 PM	#7
citygirl YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: north syracuse ny usa Posts: 1,483	Welcome to YT... __________________ Nancy Mom to Sam & Lola

04-13-2009, 03:15 PM	#8
Cinq1964 Donating YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Louisiana Posts: 2,255 Blog Entries: 2	I too agree with a smaller more confined space. Also check the quality of food as suggested! It may help with the pooping! Welcome!!! Glad to have you here! Good Luck! __________________ Doggie Blankets $10 with shipping! cinq1964.webs.com

04-13-2009, 03:21 PM	#9
HChellette Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Farmerville, Louisiana Posts: 168	Welcome to YT!!!! I agree with some of the other posters, it sounds like Killer has too much freedom this early in the game. Crate training would probably be a good idea for you, if you're able, but staying in the crate for eight straight hours would be a strain on his little bladder. Have you considered litter box training him? This was the issue that I ran into with Silvia, who is very small (less than 3lbs) and I was always worried about her having to hold it for so long. DH and I both work full-time and Silvia is alone from 7AM-3PM everyday. The litter box option has been a wonderful solution for us, and we actually made it a permanent one, because it worked out so well. Here is my post on it, in case you're interested: Litter Box Training Your Yorkie __________________ I'm a Mickey Lover, Breast Cancer supporter, and Mom to Silvia, Zubu, Rolie, Raffiki, Quillo, Kuzco, Dory, Nemo, and Pongo! Last edited by HChellette; 04-13-2009 at 03:22 PM.

04-13-2009, 03:27 PM	#10
Gennies Donating YT Addict Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Virginia Posts: 2,865	You got wonderful advise I just wanted to say Welcome to YT!!! Congratulations on your new baby! __________________ Gennie, mommy to my two loves: Bambi & Bijou

04-13-2009, 03:39 PM	#12
phfgkl BANNED! Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: South Carolina Posts: 2,376	I've always trained mine(to pee pads) very quickly. Of course, I don't work, but, mine were trained with xpens. I don't like crates, never have. A puppy should never stay in a crate for more than an hour for every month of age. so a 4 mos old shouldn't stay in one for more than 4 maybe 5 hours. I always liked the xpens because they could have their bed, food, water, pee pad and toys in there, you could make it any size, and there is no wood molding or anything they can chew on while in it. I guess because I can't stand to be in an enclosed area, I don't feel my dogs should have to be either. Good luck on your training. Would love to see pictures of Killer(that's a cute name for such a little pup)