Need some encouragement and belly band?

[Tinksmygirl]

I think your dog senses that you don't like him. Dogs can read our energy better than we can read ourselves. I would like to hear something positive about your pup. You really need to focus on the positive aspects and keep your energy upbeat. You have been given great advice so I won't repeat it in my post. I just feel very sad for your dog. Somewhere along the way you never bonded with him and I am sure that hasn't helped with the training. Good Luck.

[MaddiesMommie]

You have been given some excellent advice. I wish you luck with your little Cooper.

[teffiemoore]

This sadly sounds like a story that happened in our family last year. The circumstances are different, but the frustration sounds the same. My daughter had two Yorkies. She was 100% dedicated to them in the beginning..she worked full time...she went out alot at night...dogs stayed in the laundry room due to no time to walk them and they weren't potty trained..daughter gets married..hubby doesn't like the potty messes in the house..they stay irritated at the dogs now constantly because "nothing is working". The once happy Yorkies now cower when daughter and SIL come home..bark twice as much as they did..and this cycle grows more intense by the week. I try and nurse them through this trying time as well as I could, but when "nothing works" nothing WILL work if you get my drift...baby comes along and now I am bringing the furkids to my house because I feel sick and sorry for them and its breaking my heart the way I watch what is happening to their little spirits. After going through this for a year and a half (she had the dogs for 4 years) and many tears later because I could not have her two and my three in my upstairs apartment...I insisted she rehome them..I can look back NOW and see the reason the frustration wasn't resolving, was because she was done! I feel like it was a "set-up" for the inevitable. They do have wonderful, loving homes now, and I hope if the OP is at this place, that she can be honest with herself. Yorkies sense when you are frustrated and angry with them. They will act out, because they have no clue why and what you want from them with this emotion. Watching the transformation of my daughters two absolutely convinces me of this. We have crazy busy lives too, but I make time for my dogs because my heart is in this. They are my second set of kids and I'm in it for the long haul.

[Kelli]

Almost think that is what Yorkie owners should be called. It seems that I am hearing more and more on this issue about Yorkies being difficult to housebreak. I too am having issues with my 4 yr. old. Well, we think that's how old she is. The vet records and the papers didn't match and I didn't know until after I bought her. My new vet says she is between 3 1/2 and four at the very most. So I guess I will have to make up a birthdate for her. Back to subject: Her potty habits were brought on by her raising with other kennel dogs and not getting the proper care.--(we believe) Appears to have been taught to go on throw rugs. She is very loving and very loved. BUT--is still learning how to control her potty habits. She will not bark to let me know she needs out, but will bark to come in. In general, she doesn't bark much at all. We put her in the crate at night and when gone for extended hours. We now are allowing her to be in a square pen with a blanket and her doggy bed for daytime. Otherwise she is allowed to be with me outside (which is quite often on the farm) or by my side in the house when I can keep an eye on her. Right now the livingroom (her favorite place) is off limits.--

[dkgraves]

Originally Posted by megansmomma

Let me start "fresh" on your question about potty training. After reading all your responses I can see where you have......in your own words failed him.

You are a busy mom of teenagers and on the run all the time. At 5 months you brought him home and he did pretty good for a short time and now he has regressed because you have given him too much freedom and allowed him to roam freely in your home. At first there was the occasional accident and you attributed it to him being a new puppy but as time has gone by there are more and more accidents all over the house. You take him outside every 2 hours by the bell in your kitchen to remind you to keep him on a schedule. Since you do not have a fenced yard he is put onto a stake with a long lead to go potty. He's outside for a while and you go into the house to finish what you were doing (dinner, laundry, cleaning up his pee ). He is your first small dog and you have always has large dogs in the past that you were able to open the door and let roam freely on your land. The others were potty trained without hardly any attention to what they were doing. You worked with them for about a week and poof they were at the back door scratching or barking to got out. Now this little guy is peeing and pooping all over your house. You have tried to contain him in an Xpen but he escapes so you have now resorted to a crate where he whines and cries to be let out until you put him back out in the yard on the long lead. When he comes back in after a short stay he poops at your feet. Your husband is mad that your "had to have puppy" is crapping all over the house, your kids are being bitchy from being forced to picking up poop and pee from "your dog" and you are disappointed in not getting your baby replacement. They are teenagers and you are starting to see that they will soon be gone and this little guy was going to be your little cuddle bug. Instead he had turned your life upside down with his training problems, socialization issues, the kids are not helpful and are demanding all of your attention in their high school years. Now he has turned into one more annoyance in your crazy hectic life. You are totally frustrated and think that getting a small cute puppy was a huge mistake.

So have I hit the nail on the head? Don't get angry with me just be truthful. Promise I think I can help you.

This is me in a nutshell. My baby boy moved off to college and Beau was practically dropped in my lap. I'm just not in a good mental place right now. I'm away from home 10 to 12 hours a day working/gym. Beau goes to work with me every day so he's not home alone....but just getting him back and forth EVERY day is sometimes frustrating. When my boss retires (probably Dec 2011) I won't be able to bring him to work anymore. I am wondering now why I thought a new dog would be a good idea. We are back and forth with potty training. Most of the time he is awesome....then there are days when I'll bring him in from pottying outside and he'll go straight into the bedroom and pee in the carpet.

[kjc]

Originally Posted by Cooper2010

I'm at my wits end. My 11 month old has completely regressed in house breaking. This may be long, so please bear with me.

He will pee when I take him out, but not poop. Within 5 minutes of bringing him in he poops. He gives me no signal that he needs to go out. I think alot of what he's doing is marking, 5 or 6 drops. He was neutered at 5 months.

Today I bought him a 20ft lead to give him more freedom when we're out. I can also attach that to a door knob and he can't reach the carpet. I bought him a belly band, even though I'm not sure what the point is? He pees in that? I spent all day yesterday shampooing my carpet and I'm not half-way done. I've worked and worked with this dog. I've even resorted to a kitchen timer to take him out every two hours. Still, not 15 minutes go by after taking him out and he's either peed or pooped in the carpet.

I've reached the point where I almost don't even like him anymore. A pet is supposed to be enjoyable, not non-stop work and aggravation. I know some of the things I'll hear, but believe me, I HAVE worked with this dog. At this point I think he's hard headed and stubborn. He's spent more time in his crate the last 3 days than he's been out.

The ONLY thing I've found to motivate this dog is cheese. He cares nothing for treats or toys. I'm ready to give up.

I posted this here because there are only 5 viewing in the training forum. I'm so discouraged.

Hi... Sorry I'm just now seeing this thread... sorry you're still having problems....

It actually sounds like you've been doing alot of the right steps necessary to be successful in housetraining him... I think you just hit a snag (as I did with mine).

Everyone has given great information, hopefully I can add something here.

First thing, the 5-6 drops of urinating when you bring him back into the house concerns me. I would have my vet check him for a Urinary Track Infection, before assuming it's behavioral.

(Just a note...please take no offense, I don't know if you know this or not... but when a belly band is used, it's best to put a women's 'panty liner' or similar product in it to absorb the urine. Sometimes it's not enough and you make have some leakage, you may need to use 2 panty liners.)

Next... what consistancy are his stools? Soft but formed, or more hard? Does he strain while pooping? If they are on the hard side, try adding green beans to his diet. I add 5-6 per meal for an 8-10 pound dog. They won't cause diarrhea, but they will make pooping easier, maybe more easily stimulated by exercise (the walk), and may improve his timing.

My dog was doing the exact same thing. Go out to pee, come in to poop. Very frustrating. I don't think it was intentional on his part, but like your pup, he was just overstimulated with the smells and stuff outside he wasn't able to concentrate enough to get the pooping started. So he would come in the house where everything is familiar and where he could relax, and it never failed, he'd poop inside.

If you've never caught him pooping outside, then you cannot praise him for it, so he doesn't know to do it, outside. Hence, he's never been 'trained'.

Training is teaching the dog a specific behavior, and then being able to have the dog repeat that behavior 3-4 times. The actual 'training' is teaching the behavior, and tons of praise to let the dog know that what he did is good. This is a one time deal. The rest of what you do afterwards is reinforcing the training, each time the behavior is repeated. That's why it's important to do this when you have a day or two that you can really devote to working with him, because they can't do repeat pooping, back to back.

I adjusted his walk to come in the house, and for that next crucial 15-20 minutes, he stayed on leash, and I took him back out to finish. This was our new system, until he did repeated poops outside, where I could praise and reward him. Then he finally relaxed enough to pee and poop outside, so I didn't need to bring him in then back out. Sometimes though he still forgets, so I watch him right after he comes in, if he even looks toward the door, he goes back outside. Actually I don't think he forgets to go while he is out, I think it's more that he doesn't realize he has to poop till he gets back into the house.

I hope this method works for him (and you). Another issue I had to deal with is my dog doesn't like to 'Go Potty' if I'm watching him. At least he didn't at first, so I had to be very still and look away so he could 'Go'. After a couple food rewards though, he got over it.

Also when he 'goes', give it a name. 'Go Potty' is what I use, so when I say that he associates it with the act. Start saying it only when he's actually 'going', which is really hard if he won't go while you're watching. Also, don't always bring him right back in the house after he 'goes'. You don't want him to associate 'Going Potty' with the end of the walk, or fun time.

One last suggestion... have you ever taken him with you when you run errands or drive the kids where they need to go? Just saying... I took my pup kayaking (she barked the whole time) but when we got back home she followed me around and wouldn't let me out of her sight... I think she wanted to make sure I didn't go without her! And here I thought she hated the excursion with all the barking she was doing!

Sorry, one more suggestion... I went on vacation and found my house trashed on my return. I have 4 Yorkies and a sleepy husband.... he just doesn't get their signals LOL! I saw an informercial on a floor steamer (I already have one for my hardwood floor) but they used it on the carpet claiming it removed stains and odors. Well I tried it and so far it seems to have worked. I also own professional carpet cleaning equipment (side job) and this steamer left the carpet smelling it's best yet!

[Rachael x]

I have just looked at your past threads and noticed this one:
http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/sic...-necrosis.html

If Cooper hasnt been well latley this could set him back in potty training.

[Cooper2010]

I've read all these responses and would like to thank everyone for their advice. I'd like to address a few points if I may. I've never just "put him out" on a lead, I always stay out with him. His poops are soft and formed, and when he doesn't poop, I crate him for 30 minutes and take him back out again. The leash, attaching him to a limited area, seems to be working well, we are almost through day 3 with no accidents inside. He's peed in the belly band twice. I wash it and dry it and put it back on him. He's not happy with these circumstances but this is the way it is.

Brit, I apologize for my earlier comment about your age, you didn't deserve it and I'm sorry.

LJ, I don't think my posts about my dog are depressing. He had a health issue that I nursed him through, and he has potty training issues. This one is certainly depressing, I was frustrated, at the end of my rope and desperate. From reading this forum, I knew what I had to get at Petsmart Monday when I stopped there. I knew he needed more freedom (longer lead), I knew he might do well with a bellyband and I bought 3 different types of treats and a treat bag.

I do take him on car rides, he gets more time in the car than he probably likes. I've said this before, so it shouldn't be such a shock, but we live in two homes. One every other week. He travels with me to my home in Ocala, where he has a fenced yard that he can just be off leash, to here, where he has this vast area, unfenced with all these smells. I underestimated an animals ability to adjust. My children's father and I are divorced. We rotate custody, they spend a week with me, a week with him. I travel back and forth on those weeks.

I DO NOT want to rehome him or give up on him. I made a commitment to the dog and I'll uphold it. If these circumstances are something that are unreasonable or can't be achieved then I guess I'll have to rethink my commitment. My children and spending time with them are first.

He is also spending all day out of his crate, yet with limited freedom. We ARE almost 3 days with no indoor accidents.

Thanks again for the encouragement.

[kjc]

Originally Posted by Rachael x

I have just looked at your past threads and noticed this one:
http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/sic...-necrosis.html

If Cooper hasnt been well latley this could set him back in potty training.

Thanks for the heads up... I just went back and read most of the OP's threads... so much info is missing from this Original thread I need to change my reply.

Issues needing attention that were not mentioned in this thread to begin with that will greatly affect Cooper's and your success in housetraining:

1. Having recently had FHO surgery.

Any surgery/anesthesia will cause setbacks in housebreaking. Start at the beginning and retrain. It is rare that any Yorkie will not have some pottying issues during recovery.

2. Bringing a new puppy into the household.

This can greatly affect Cooper's behavior, especially when the new puppy is a 'girl', and I assume is now getting more attention from everyone in your household than Cooper is. Yorkies can feel threatened upon the arrival of a new puppy. This could very well be 'marking' behavior you are seeing in him, because he feels insecure and is trying to establish his 'place' in your home. Hence his preference for your lap, opposed to playing with his toys. Again, have the vet check him for UTI first. Also, to help correct this, you really need to go 'overboard' on attention to him.

3. Having two homes.

Cooper will need to have housebreaking lessons in each house, from the beginning, and probably refresher lessons each and everytime time you switch locations.

4. Issue I forgot to address in my first response: Going off lead.

Basicly, he is still very much a puppy. He is too young to be able to be trusted completely, even with expert recall training. You are expecting too much of him.

Also, if he is really into sniffing and exploring instead of listening to you, that tells me that he would benefit by having more outside time... outside the yard.

5. Issue not addressed: Early neuter:

As I am just learning about this issue... I highly recommend that you have a long discussion with your vet on this subject.

It is very possible and I highly suspect that Cooper was neutered a bit too early, and some of his problems may be a result of that. Hormones cause things to switch on and off through a dog growing years, and neutering early turns everything off at the time of the neuter.

6. Yorkies are different from other breeds. I do think you may be lacking in your acceptance / understanding of this fact. There is a bond that one can have with a Yorkie, and it is the strongest and most amazing bond I've ever felt with any dog. Until you approach having this strong connection with Cooper, I fear you will have problems with him. Until you can get him to trust you, he will 'act out'.

He sees most of your treatment of him as threatening. You absolutely must rid yourself of any 'dislike' of him... he can and does sense this. You need to think more along the lines of ' I love you unconditionally' (and mean it and commit to him) and realize that his behavior is not 'him', it is only what he does, and he does it because he's getting mixed messages from you. In order for you to be successful with him, you have to eliminate this confusion you are creating in him.

And, in summary, you may now think I am 'off my rocker', but I will say this... if you do not comprehend #6 or think it's all rubbish... my advice to you for Cooper's well-being would be to rehome him, asap.

[kjc]

Congrats on Day 3 Accident free! Yay!


(I do hope you're feeling better!)

[boopster]

I'm glad to hear that you don't want to give up your little dog, and that the situation is improving. Here's hoping he continues to be accident free and you and your family can start enjoying having him again.

[QuickSilver]

3 days with no accidents is huge! Once I got to that point from Thor, it just got better from there. We went 5 days, 10 days, 3 weeks, and finally, I considered him trained.

Just a warning, when you start racking up multiple days, it's that much more heartbreaking when they have an accident. It's so hard to start the count again. But they do learn.

I really think you're going to need to walk him more. Even if you are outside with him on a long lead, it's just not the same as going for a walk. Even when I talk Thor to a park, he won't run around unless I'm up and walking around as well. Even weirder, he won't walk on the grass unless I do too. Oh well, we both need the exercise!

[Cooper2010]

Yes, I've been walking him, even it's just around the house over and over. I just fed him a scrambled egg with his food, he picked out the egg, left the food. He just had a bath also and he's off leash for a little while, he's enjoying his freedom for a while.

[Beamers Mom]

Originally Posted by Cooper2010

He's peed in the belly band twice. I wash it and dry it and put it back on him.

I got Beamer's belly band from T Bumpkins & Co (Cathy is a member here). Her belly bands come with washable pads that velcro inside the band. You don't have to wash the whole belly band every time.

Washable Belly Bands by T. Bumpkins & Co. and Doggie Pee Pads

[Cooper2010]

Originally Posted by Beamers Mom

I got Beamer's belly band from T Bumpkins & Co (Cathy is a member here). Her belly bands come with washable pads that velcro inside the band. You don't have to wash the whole belly band every time.

Washable Belly Bands by T. Bumpkins & Co. and Doggie Pee Pads

Thank you, I'm a believer now and would like some extras. I'll check out your link.