Just adopted a teacup yorkie and struggling
 

I found this site and I have found myself in a very different situation. I recently came into looking after a 4 year old teacup yorkie that my girlfriends mother could no longer look after. There is myriad of issues with this dog has and I hoping to find some kind of help.

I have been around dogs my whole life and I even raised sheep herding border collies and I have trained several bird hunting labradors, but this thing is driving me far more nuts than any of my other dogs.

to start this dog has a major potty training issue. I have proven that he is fully capable of holding it and does not have a problem with incontinence. if he is not held or i set him on an elevated surface where he cant move he will manage to roam the house and piddle where ever he pleases. again i have put him in a kennel several nights and he has had no accidents, but he seems to have issues when he is just sitting around the house. I read another post that said I should let him roam our backyard for awhile and get used to peeing out there. unfortunately i live in oregon and the day i chose to leave him outside for the day it poured rain all day and my girlfriend has not forgiven me for leaving him outside soaking.

my second problem with this dog is his eating habits. he only eats if there is someone around to watch him eat and there has to be boilded chicken mixed in with his food. I died a little the first time i saw this and it was kind of the straw that broke the camels back and I decided to look at some training. i put him in a closed fenced area with his food for an hour by himself and the issue with having someone there for him to eat seem to be solved, but he is only eating a small portion of food and I am worried he is not getting enough nutrients.

I believe these problems stemmed from the previous owner and how they raised him so far. They would constantly carry him, pamper him, spoil him and they chose to not to discipline him for his piddle problem. also if he did not eat his special dog food, they would just give him a bowl of boiled chicken.

I am hoping to find some answer and learn how to recondition this dog. I will not let this dog run our lives and I also know i cant treat it like one of my collies or bird dogs.I would like him to let us know when he needs to use the restroom and hopefully figure out if there is something wrong with his eating habits.

to help put things in perspective for my training methods, my last dog was a 60 pound border collie that I trained for sheep herding. I treated her like a normal human, fed her scraps of meat and other bad foods, swatted her when she disobeyed or did something bad, and was very stern with her, but i never had a single issue with aggression, running away and she was always attached to my hip and she lived to be 16.

any help will be greatly appreciated.

Please call a local rescue and surrender the dog to someone familiar with the breed.... your post made my skin crawl! Please give him/her to someone who appreciates the dog:mad:

You do not leave the dog out in the pouring rain!!!!!
You do not swat the dog!!!!!!!
You do not recondition the dog!!!!!

As the previous poster said, please surrender this dog to a rescue.
If I was closer to you I would take him in a minute.

Having owned and trained several different types of small dogs,let me just start by saying that a yorkie is NOTHING,I repeat NOTHING like any other breed. They do not respond well to raised voices,spanking or a show of anger at any other time. A dog that weighs only 4lbs should NEVER be left in a yard without a person,not even for 15min. Yes they do eat differently and yes they will refuse to eat and become ill. Its not that they are spoiled rotten,its because they are more like a child. Their personality is more human like than any dog I have ever worked with.

If everything he does has a purpose then he will respond. Teach him to ring a bell when he wishes to go out. If he rings the bell give him a treat,if he pottys outside then treat. Boiled chicken is one of the best things to give and it needs to be a tiny,very tiny piece so he wont fill up and not eat when he should. Remember he is in a new place with new people and everything is strange and scary to him. He is tiny and even a finger being shaken in his face looks like a tree branch.
There are many suggestions on how to train these little ones in the library here. The first thing that you have to wrap your head around is that this breed is VERY different. If you can come to that realization it will become easier to create a trusting relationship with this little fellow and he will respond better.

HI and welcome to YT!

Getting this new dog is not only stressful for you, but for HIM aswell, please take this into consideration when it comes to the way you will be handling training this dog from here on:)

I have had big dogs all my life too and now that I have a yorkie, I do believe different dogs respond to different training methods (though I would never hit a dog, big or small). My advice to you would be to treat this as if you just got a new tiny yorkie puppy.

1. Yorkies are notorious for being difficult to potty train, if the previous owner lapsed on this, it is now up to you. Do not enter into this training with frustration or anger, as this will not accomplish anything but confusion and even fear in your dog. I trained Ziggy to be able to use pee pads and go outside. Firstly I took him to his potty area every hour or so and waited no longer than 5 minutes for him to do his business. If he did it I would give LOTS of praise and say "Good Potty" (yes I named the action, now I can tell him to pee on command:D) if he didn't, we would go back inside and try an hour later. This continues and eventually your dog will learn that there is a specific place they should pee. When you catch him in the act of peeing where he is not supposed to use a stern NO POTTY!, and take him where he is allowed to pee. If you do NOT catch him in the act and find "evidence" DO NOT rub his face in it as he will not understand what he did wrong. Just clean it up and try again. This will take patience and understanding if you are to succeed, but it can be done.

2. Yorkies are notorious for also being fussy eaters. How much does your dog weigh? Depending on his size, he might not eat alot/ You could follow the weight/size of food guideline on the side of the pack of food, and your vet would definately be able to assist you on this. I believe your yorkie should be eating quality DOG food. To help him adjust to eating on his own, I have read on here about time restrictions. You could break up his daily meal into 2-4 servings (depending on his size) You place the food down in his eating area, give him 15 minutes to eat, then remove it at the end of that time. Eventually they learn to eat in that time. I personally FREE feed Ziggy because of his tiny size, but I do watch him and make sure he eats periodicly.

Above everything else I would really hope that you BOND with this dog, if you show him love and attention he is more likely to WANT to please you.. There is one last thing yorkies are notorious for, and that is UNCONDITIONAL love. See him as an individual and find training techniques that work for him, love him and he will reward you with positive behaviour and ofcourse great yorkie kisses!

Good lick and I hope some other member have more suggestings for you that might help

I understand frustrations. Yorkies are not for everyone. They are a unique breed and do require a little more. Here are my opinions. Number 1, if you don't want accidents in the house don't get an inside dog. There are options available in helping this problem. For example, belly bands. Number 2, I don't understand why the boiled chicken bothers you. I home cook for both my pups so I don't see a problem with giving him the chicken. Number 3, you should never hit a Yorkie. They are too tiny and you can cause serious problems for them by hitting them. Number 4, rain or shine, a yorkie should not be left outside all day in my opinion. Do you know how many of these pups are stolen? Number 5, please keep in mind this pup is going through major adjustments by being placed in a new home. He is having to make changes just like you. If you want this to work, then you are going to have to be patient and be willing to make adjustments with yourself as well. If you are not willing, then consideration of a rescue is a good idea. They will take the time to find the right home for him.

Thank you so much for your comments and concerns. I understand your frustrations with me and I have in no way used my collie methods on this dog. I know they wont work and im perfectly aware of that size difference, i should have been more clear.
I know im going to make mistakes and that is exactly why i am on this site because i know my old methods will not work and im trying to learn. giving this dog up doesnt exactly work. we attempted to give him to another family with yorkies, but he would not eat and lost half his body weight. he had a very strong connection to my girlfriends mother and the only other person he is comfortable with is my girlfriend. he only weighs 3 pounds and im trying to figure things out. yes i made a mistake with leaving him outside, but im trying to figure this out.

I appreciate your comments and concerns. We are going to a professional trainer to hopefully help ease this situation.

I know its a last effort, but does anyone know of a source where we could find a good family in the northwest to adopt if this doesnt work. my girlfriend initially brought this up but the thought made me feel uneasy, but after a couple weeks with him someone who has more experience may be the answer if training doesnt work

Yorkietalk is a wonderful place to find out lots of information. There are many people who are on here that has lots of experience with yorkies. You have come to the right place. And yes you will make mistakes. I have made my fair share. But I have learned from them as you will too. A professional trainer may be a good idea. I hope it works out. I am sure there is a rescue in your area if needed. I am not sure which ones are but I am sure someone here can help you with that.

It is great to hear that you will be working with a trainer, or if all else fails, trying to get him a loving family that he deserves. This tiny one really needs help.

I am in SA, so hopefully some one else on here who knows about rescue/rehoming in your area will be able to help you and the little man.

Another thought, Ladyjane on here would probably know if there was a rescue in your area. You could send her a pm (private message) and ask her. She is VERY knowledable about Yorkies.

I beg you, please find him another home, someone that is familiar with a yorkie and their needs these babies need the kind of attention and special care that you are finding frustrating, its the right thing to do. and it makes my heart ache to read how he has had to live while under your care.

alright, first take a rolled up newspaper, and every time your dog pees where he shouldn't HIT yourself with it. You are the one that made the mistake.

Second: This dog should be vet checked to see if everything is okay. UTI is one thing you want ruled out.

Third: There is nothing wrong with a few pieces of boiled chicken in with his kibble. If he likes you to watch, feed him while you are having breakfast, or dinner, or lunch. He will feel like part of the pack.

Fourth: A trainer is a good idea. So is exercising your dog on a regular schedule. Three pounds doesn't mean the dog doesn't need exercise, discipline, and training.

Have your trainer show you how to effectively correct/discipline your dog.

Your dog and you and your girlfriend, are all in a new relationship. Anything new has trials and tribulations. Stick with it. Train some every day, walk some, and laugh some. Pretty good recipe for a successful relationship

I am a foster parent through Yorkie Haven Rescue and am located just a few hours north of you. I could foster this guy if you decided to give surrender him to YHR.

It sounds like you need a little more patience and maybe a trainer. Good luck with him.

ok, i have to take a deep breath.
You never leave a yorkie alone, not even for 5 min, many of these babies are stolen, or taken by a predator.
You never hit/swat show anger, yell at a yorkie as they are a very sensitive breed.
They are small, they dont eat much, certainly not the same amount as a 60lb border collie.
They are truly a unique breed..unlike any other i have ever come across.
They are notorious for being difficult to potty train, my two are a year old and still have the occasional accident....my fault not theirs!
I am relieved you are enlisting the help of a professional trainer...this will take time and patience.
Take some time to read 'Yorshire Terriers for Dummies', its a great resource book.
If all else fails please contact Ladyjane with Yorkie Haven Rescue, she is very knowledgable and most likely will be able to point you in the right direction if you decide to give him up to rescue.
Good Luck

Hello and welcome to YT - you came to the right place to look for answers. Though your original post was a bit, how shall I say.... worrisome to me, I read all the posts here and note that you accepted responsibility and clarified a few things.

That said, when you say he potties all over, has he been neutered? If not, he could be marking his territory. He could have a urinary tract infection as someone else said. He may have some other medical issue, so if he is neutered, you may want to have him vet checked. Or, it could just be that he doesn't know any different and if that is the case, persistence and repetitiveness along with a few treats for good behavior are going to be the best way to potty train him.

Like some of the others have said, yorkies are a special breed and truly are more human like than any other breed I have ever seen/had.

I do hope the trainer you have decided to bring in really works out and that you are able to keep this very special little bundle of love. Good luck!