Personally, I think it is a bit unrealistic to expect these small babies to go 8+ hours every day without a potty break. I understand it must be difficult potty training for outside when no one is home during the day. I am fortunate that I am home & can take Lulu out as much as is needed. However, if I were to need to work daily I would set up an xpen with a designated potty area using pads.

I know several have successfully trained their pups to use pads when they would be at home alone for a prolonged amount of time & then go outside when someone is home with them. I imagine that would be very difficult, but it might be best in your situation. I think you have the best intentions with pnut & want the best for him. Good luck with the potty training issues.

I just dont feel comfortable with the dog walker.. if it was someone i knew it would be different...but its not. I feel bad to leave him in the crate but i tried other ways and nothing seems to work. Im going to try and not lock him up at night.. but he is really bad right now so i need to do something where he gets into shape!

I wouldn't advise giving him the run of the house, especially when you are not awake to supervise. He could get into something that might hurt him. I would suggest finding something else to do for him during the day. I understand you aren't comfortable with a dog walker (I wouldn't be either unless it was a personal friend). Have you tried an xpen set up on a tile or wood floor? You mention locking him in the kitchen...perhaps that is too much room for him. That's where an xpen comes in handy. It will give him room to play, sleep, eat (if you leave food & water out for him to free feed) & potty. I know you don't want to train him to use potty pads, but unfortunately if no one is going to be available for 8+ hours each day to let him out then potty pads are necessary IMO.

Ok, do u think the kitchen was just too much room for him? If u leave the potty pads for them when u are not home how does that teach him not to use them..to go outside?? I schedule feed him so thats not an issue.

It doesn't teach him not to use them. It gives him a place to potty when he is unable to go outside. Yes, I think the entire kitchen could be too much room. If you choose to use an xpen, pnut can only "mess up" in the xpen so you won't be coming home to a kitchen filled with pee &poo. But, I still think expecting him to make it all day without pottying at all is unrealistic...that is why I feel potty pads are necessary for while you are away. You can still train him to go outside when you are home. It will be difficult, but I know some YT members have done so.

Ok thanks.. its going to be hard, but it needs to be done!!

You might try posting in the training forum about potty training using pads & going outside. Maybe the ones who have been able to do so can offer up some valuable advice. Good luck! The only advice I can offer is to be patient & consistent.

This thread may help.
http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/tra...-training.html

Thank you. I appricate what you told me. I am just at my wits end! I know it is my fault for not doing it correct but its frusrating, my carpet looked like his giant pee pad, we had it cleaned and treated so we are starting fresh! I will try more and more different ways till i find the way that works for both of us!

Well, we have a laundry room so that is where axel spends from 6am till about 3 pm sometimes 4 pm if I have meetings. But this is just what he is used to, we have had him since he was 8 weeks old, he is now 15 months even though we leave a pee pad down every day, he never pees on it, he goes when I get home out on the pee pad in the living room. So don't beat yourself up over this, they hold it a long time...Mine sleeps with us at nite we go to bed at 8:3o and he don't roll out of the bed till 5:30 so that is another 9 hours they can hold it...you don't need a dog person to take care of your baby. I don't have one! Have you tried using your bathroom if you don't want to use the crate to put him in? But I agree he probably sleeps all day! I know mine does we spy with a camara! Good Luck!

The play yard that I suggested earlier is just like a xpen but you can close him in and he can't calm out...my girl would calm out of the xpen and I didn't wanna use a crate...so I found the play yard.

Yes thats what I did...I used the play yard with pee pads when I wasn't home and at night until I knew I could trust her....its takes time but it can be done...Bella stays home a few days out of the week for 8 hrs by herself...I put pee pads down in my bathroom for her but she never uses them she waits until I get home at 330pm.

I think that many hours in a crate is just horribly sad!!! At least get a play yard but if you have to be away that many hours, I would think about doggy daycare.

PacknPlay
 

Hey girl...sorry you're struggling with this. The kitchen was definitely too large a space, Snick regressed with his training when I went back to work in Sept from my summer off (I teach.) He can hold it just fine, but he was peeing b/c his sep anxiety came back-he hates being alone. How old is Peanut now??? You're sure he can hold it that long right???

Anyway, we knew we had to contain him again and I despise crates...I think they are horrid, but understand that sometimes they are needed. So.....we got Snick a Graco PacknPlay (for children-its about a 3x4 space). I kid you not, it works wonders for us. Remember, pups won't generally soil in the area they are confined in. So we got the PacknPlay and put his thick fluffy fleece blanket in it, his bed, and some toys and HE LOVES this thing. It has mesh on 4 sides and we put it by a window and he is smitten, kinda looks like that playyard.

He actually asks to be put in there even when we are home...it's his little safe place. He runs up to it and jumps against it saying Put me in, Put me in!!! And I have no guilt that he is in there b/c the top is open, he can look out the window, and HE IS HAPPY!!! He has never pee'd in it since we started his training again. Mind you--my husband comes home from lunch daily...so he is in there 3 hours, 1 hour out, and then 3 hours again.

We are getting another pup soon, and we know Snick will do very well then having free reign of the house after puppy is trained and situated b/c Snick does amazing at his do nanny's house with other dogs when we vacation.

Wishing you luck and patience...it's so hard!!
Snick & Viv

Hey girly, how are you?? Hows Snickers? Ya it has been a struggle, I think it is all mine and Dh's fault. He use to do really well, even I had him locked in the kitchen, then one weekend we babysat Dh's good friends 4 year old and thats when things got ugly!! After that seems like he has been really bad, just peeing everywhere!! I wouldcome home and poo and pee would be all over the kitchen floor and his pee pad would be bone dry!! Its nice to hear someone try to help you and give you words of advice and not just try to shove you down and tell you how "bad crating him is" first of all I hate doing it, but I tried alot of the other ways and nothing seems to work. I wasnt really true on how many hours he is in his crate, he is laying with me right now on the couch soooo its not like he is in there 24/7 I understand 8 hours is a long time, and then to be put in there at night too, but then again he will lay with us for like an hour and then get up and go in his crate anyways soooo I dont know!! lol

Peanut is 3. Yes he can hold it, but he doesnt have a choice but to because he isnt going to pee on his blankets in his crate, I feed him in the morning and night so i know during the day he isnt hunrgy maybe a little thirsty but he isnt going to pass out or anything! All he does is sleep when I am gone, so I dont see the big ordeal.

Hmm pack n play.. that sounds interesting!! Can you send me a pic of his little area?? You dont put a pee pad in there right?? Its pretty much like a crate but more comfy and spacey??

How do you have snick trained? outside??

I made this little area on my patio for pnut , its fake grass and a little palm tree he likes it pees and poos on it, so dh and i want to start working on him to take him off the pads and start going out there...