Housebreaking..... - YorkieTalk.com Forums

qnsryker · 01-12-2011, 03:39 PM

I have read several times that a Yorkie is notoriously hard to housebreak. I haven't found it to be that difficult so far but I was wondering what kind of experiences you all have had and how long it took for your Yorkie to be 100% housebroken (if that's possible!). I have a Basset Hound who will be 2 this month and he NEVER has an accident in the house and was housebroken very quickly. We do have a doggy door which makes it easier I think. The Yorkie on the other hand....He is 4/12 months old (got him when he was 3 months) and he learned the doggy door in one day. I know for a fact that he knows where to potty because even if he is upstairs he will run downstairs to go outside to potty. When he does have an accident in the house, I'm beginning to wonder if he doesn't do it just because he can! Today he decided to poop upstairs, even after he had been outside to pee. I'm just wondering why 99% of the time he goes outside, then every once in awhile he will go inside. Any insight on this?

camile · 01-12-2011, 05:47 PM

Chloe was great, fully pad-trained at 4 mos. It was like one day she just got it and never had an accident after..........but, Willow was a full one year before I could even think about trusting her. She is tiny and can't do stairs so even now when I take her upstairs, I watch her constantly afraid that since she can't go down herself, she might just cut loose.

qnsryker · 01-13-2011, 09:38 AM

I didn't do the pad training because we have a doggy door. Maybe I'm wrong but I'm pretty sure he knows that he is supposed to go outside to go to the bathroom because he does it 99% of the time. I know he is still very young and I'm hoping he will "get it" pretty soon so that I don't have to leave him in his pen when I'm away. Our other dog gets to roam the house when we are gone and I would like it to be the same for the Yorkie.

LaurenPatrice · 01-13-2011, 09:48 AM

My schnauzer was completly house trained to go outside at 5 months old. NEVER had an accident after that. My yorkie is 5 months old now and is a constant pain! One day he does very well, the next is not so well. He has improven lately..so maybe we are on the right road!

qnsryker · 01-13-2011, 10:14 AM

That's how our Basset was. I don't remember exactly at what age he was fully house trained, but it was a long time ago and he will be 2 at the end of this month. I'm convinced that my Yorkie does not go in the house because he doesn't know any better, it's because he wants to! LOL! He never goes in the house when we are downstairs, but occasionally will when we are upstairs, even though I have witnessed him many times running downstairs to go outside to relieve himself. I think it will be a long time before I can trust him to have free roam of the house!

bobbigirl · 01-13-2011, 10:20 AM

My lil 5 month old yorkie girl knows to go on the pad but the problem is she seems to love going right on the edge so it gets on the carpet! Ugh! I don't know why it has to be the very edge of the pad! She still has accidents in random spots too though! Can not wait until I can trust her! I've cleaned up quite a bit of little spots! Not fun. Good thing she's so cute!

JenniferLeigh · 01-13-2011, 10:28 AM

My yorkie is 100% potty trained to go outside.

Up until last year she would occasionally have accidents in the house, but hasn't had one since my golden retriever passed. Now I think she was having accidents because Lucy also having accidents in her old age? It would often happen on the same day.

I think at 4 1/2 months your baby is doing very well!! I know Lexi wasn't at that stage at 4 1/2 months

But by 6 months I would say she was about 90%.

qnsryker · 01-13-2011, 10:28 AM

LOL...cute helps! We have had our Yorkie since Thanksgiving and I honestly have not had to clean up too many messes. The first week we had him, we took him outside constantly. After the first week, we showed him how to use the doggie door and he has gone outside ever since, except for here and there when he wants to make me mad I guess!

qnsryker · 01-13-2011, 10:36 AM

Yes Jennifer, I think he has done great so far, I guess I'm just anxious for him to be 100% so I don't have to constantly look for spots where he has gone! Our house is pretty big so we try to stay downstairs and block off the stairs so he can't go up unless we are up there. I also block off the living room because it has carpet, but the rest of the downstairs is tile, which is nice for cleaning. Of course, he never goes on the tile when he has an accident, it's always upstairs on the carpet!

shodanusmc · 01-13-2011, 11:12 AM

Maxine, almost 14, still has accidents, but only on wool rugs! I am not sure if they ever get 100% trained....she is 99%...but that 1%, oh my

roseslevi · 01-13-2011, 11:22 AM

Levi took about two years to housetrain outside only, he was very difficult to train, but once he was trained that was it.

Lily took only a couple of months and she rarely has accidents. I must say neither like going outside when it is raining or snowing so I have to be extra vigilant on days that the weather is poor.

Best advice I could give would be a constant schedule works the best.

01-12-2011, 03:39 PM	#1
qnsryker Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Henderson, NV Posts: 73	Housebreaking..... I have read several times that a Yorkie is notoriously hard to housebreak. I haven't found it to be that difficult so far but I was wondering what kind of experiences you all have had and how long it took for your Yorkie to be 100% housebroken (if that's possible!). I have a Basset Hound who will be 2 this month and he NEVER has an accident in the house and was housebroken very quickly. We do have a doggy door which makes it easier I think. The Yorkie on the other hand....He is 4/12 months old (got him when he was 3 months) and he learned the doggy door in one day. I know for a fact that he knows where to potty because even if he is upstairs he will run downstairs to go outside to potty. When he does have an accident in the house, I'm beginning to wonder if he doesn't do it just because he can! Today he decided to poop upstairs, even after he had been outside to pee. I'm just wondering why 99% of the time he goes outside, then every once in awhile he will go inside. Any insight on this?

01-12-2011, 05:47 PM	#2
camile Donating Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: New Albany, Indiana Posts: 457	Chloe was great, fully pad-trained at 4 mos. It was like one day she just got it and never had an accident after..........but, Willow was a full one year before I could even think about trusting her. She is tiny and can't do stairs so even now when I take her upstairs, I watch her constantly afraid that since she can't go down herself, she might just cut loose. __________________ My Sweet Baby Girls Chloe Primrose Pink ** Willow Patchouli Blu Miss Abigail

01-13-2011, 09:48 AM	#4
LaurenPatrice YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Louisiana Posts: 555	My schnauzer was completly house trained to go outside at 5 months old. NEVER had an accident after that. My yorkie is 5 months old now and is a constant pain! One day he does very well, the next is not so well. He has improven lately..so maybe we are on the right road! __________________ Mommy to Remy and Winston

01-13-2011, 10:28 AM	#7
JenniferLeigh YT Addict Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Calgary Posts: 357 Blog Entries: 1	My yorkie is 100% potty trained to go outside. Up until last year she would occasionally have accidents in the house, but hasn't had one since my golden retriever passed. Now I think she was having accidents because Lucy also having accidents in her old age? It would often happen on the same day. I think at 4 1/2 months your baby is doing very well!! I know Lexi wasn't at that stage at 4 1/2 months But by 6 months I would say she was about 90%. __________________ Jennifer Leigh

01-13-2011, 11:22 AM	#11
roseslevi Donating YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: E. Falmouth, Mass Posts: 2,102	Levi took about two years to housetrain outside only, he was very difficult to train, but once he was trained that was it. Lily took only a couple of months and she rarely has accidents. I must say neither like going outside when it is raining or snowing so I have to be extra vigilant on days that the weather is poor. Best advice I could give would be a constant schedule works the best. __________________ Rosemarie, Levi and Lily "The purity of a person's heart can be quickly measured by how they regard animals" ~ Anonymous

01-13-2011, 09:38 AM	#3
qnsryker Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Henderson, NV Posts: 73	I didn't do the pad training because we have a doggy door. Maybe I'm wrong but I'm pretty sure he knows that he is supposed to go outside to go to the bathroom because he does it 99% of the time. I know he is still very young and I'm hoping he will "get it" pretty soon so that I don't have to leave him in his pen when I'm away. Our other dog gets to roam the house when we are gone and I would like it to be the same for the Yorkie.

01-13-2011, 10:14 AM	#5
qnsryker Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Henderson, NV Posts: 73	That's how our Basset was. I don't remember exactly at what age he was fully house trained, but it was a long time ago and he will be 2 at the end of this month. I'm convinced that my Yorkie does not go in the house because he doesn't know any better, it's because he wants to! LOL! He never goes in the house when we are downstairs, but occasionally will when we are upstairs, even though I have witnessed him many times running downstairs to go outside to relieve himself. I think it will be a long time before I can trust him to have free roam of the house!

01-13-2011, 10:20 AM	#6
bobbigirl Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: san diego Posts: 90	My lil 5 month old yorkie girl knows to go on the pad but the problem is she seems to love going right on the edge so it gets on the carpet! Ugh! I don't know why it has to be the very edge of the pad! She still has accidents in random spots too though! Can not wait until I can trust her! I've cleaned up quite a bit of little spots! Not fun. Good thing she's so cute!

01-13-2011, 10:36 AM	#9
qnsryker Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Henderson, NV Posts: 73	Yes Jennifer, I think he has done great so far, I guess I'm just anxious for him to be 100% so I don't have to constantly look for spots where he has gone! Our house is pretty big so we try to stay downstairs and block off the stairs so he can't go up unless we are up there. I also block off the living room because it has carpet, but the rest of the downstairs is tile, which is nice for cleaning. Of course, he never goes on the tile when he has an accident, it's always upstairs on the carpet!

01-13-2011, 11:12 AM	#10
shodanusmc BANNED! Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Illinois Posts: 4,603	Maxine, almost 14, still has accidents, but only on wool rugs! I am not sure if they ever get 100% trained....she is 99%...but that 1%, oh my