Reverse Training
 

I have a 6 yr old yorkie who is well house trained. Problem is I have RA and cold weather is a problem for me. I came across a site called puppyappartments.com It's for training pups but they also say you can re-train an older dog to go inside on the pad. This is my 1st house dog and I dnt want to mess him up. Would appreciate any advise. BTW: he will be getting neutered this next week. I have had him for a couple of months and has been such a blessing and company for me. Oh, he doesn't play with toys, any reason why? Thanks Cathy

Bump :)

I think it would probably be somewhat easy to train your pup to go indoors. I don't know if you need a puppy apartment unless you want to keep him contained for a length of time?

What I would do is get a very, very, very, special treat, wait till your pup has to go out and them direct him to one spot where the pad is and repeat over and over, "go potty" when he does reward him and praise him like crazy.

I would also get that stuff to put on the pad to attract him, that stuff worked great when I moved and had to change their spot etc.,

Let us know how it works out.

Great advice


Hi and welcome to YT

I would not lock him in a cage to get him to use the pad. He may hold it for a very long time not realizing what you want him to do. You could try taking a pee pad outside where he usually goes and have him go on or near the pad when he is going potty. When he does go on the pad give him a reward and make a big fuss over him. Once he has done it a few times you could bring a peed on pad inside and leave it with another pad so he remembers what it is for.

Since he is accustomed to going outside it could take a while to transition him to using the inside potty but if you keep working on it he may go for it.

Do you know what his previous home was like? If he was very inactive he may not have gotten much play time. If that is the case you could teach him how to have fun with the toys. He may not know how to play.

This makes me sad!

I agree. As with anything training, it's the repetition and the way you go about it that is key. Just pick a technique like the options above, and keep at it. They are smart animals and can adapt.

Are you playing with the toys with him? Maggie plays with toys, but usually when we are in the room and she usually brings them to us to throw for her. Then she will "kill" them for a while, then she'll bring them to us again. When I am just doing stuff around the house I don't usually see her just go off and play with them.

Thanks you everyone for the advise, I will give it a try. I dnt think he had a good life but I dnt have any details. He is a sweetheart and very well behaved. He had no chips and no one claimed him so I was allow to keep him. We LOVE each other and he is such a blessing to me. I dnt understand the toy thing, Ive bought several. Maybe he is just hold & tired like me and likes to lay around nap, and snuggle :)

I believe how he was socialized/played with as a pup could be a reason why he isn't responding to toys. My Lola was a puppy mill pup w what I believe was very little interaction as a pup and no matter what type of toy I got her she would not play with it...Ruby and Rosie on the other hand...will make "items" into toys...they love to play.

If he is happy that is what really matters. It seems like he is a great dog for you as he does not demand a lot of action. Maybe you could teach him to play fetch inside. I do that a lot with Gracie when the weather is bad. Those small 2" balls work well inside. It gives great exercise indoors and you would not have to move around a great deal.

My vet made a comment @ being a breeder, but we got off subject. ( BC of his age & still bn intact)When we go back I do want to ask him why he said or thought that. I wouldn't think he would be so well behaved during bath time or be house broken if he was from a puppy mill? What about just a breeder? I know given the chance he runs off, & my son is like " why does he run, he has it made & you spoil him rotten!" He doesnt look you right in the eye, but is getting better about it. I'm wanting to go visit my GC but think its to soon to board him & she lives in another state plus in a condo so I dnt think it's a good idea to try & take him. MY daughter is upset with me, for not coming, I'm just really torn.You are right we are a good match bc lots of days we both just lay around lol.

I would take a potty pad outside with you when he goes out to potty and would immediately blot up the urine when he goes pee. Then I'd take that pad inside & put it down. He'll sniff it & recognize his pee. Then I'd take him to the pad at various times throughout the day and tell him to go potty.

All it takes is him just doing it one time & getting praised & treated to a yummy goody and he'll want to do it again.

Good luck!

I would think it would be relatively simple to re-train to a puddle pad, and lots of good suggestions already mentioned. But, regarding the toys, he is 6 years old, and while a lot of dogs are still really into toys at 6, some are not into toys past some much earlier age.

My Yorkie-Poo years ago quit being interested in toys not all that long after he quit teething. I worried at the time we found that tiny lost freezing baby because my sister, who is 7 years younger than me, was a baby and had toys everywhere and I did not want him to chew them up while I was in school. I needn't have worried. Instead, he chewed up one of my favorite little ankle-high boots, :rolleyes: so I gave him its mate when he'd chewed it down to a 'silver dollar' sized chunk of heel...but he was all done teething by then. He played only with me and not with toys...he was extremely human-like and not dog-like except for a few behaviors.

Brody, one of my two current Yorkies, loves toys and is extremely toy centric...I can 'see' him years from now walking with a cane, toy in his mouth...:p Mia, however, likes toys but likes taunting Brody with the toys better. ;) Mia prefers human interaction, where Brody prefers humans with him and his toys. Mia will play with me and a toy, or just me, but will walk away from the toy, or give it up to Brody easily and quickly. It is nearly impossible to pry a toy from Brody's mouth to this day. Both will be 3 years old in March.

When I got Brody, he would hoard his toys and NOT play with me AND his toy...it was keep-away-tug-of-war. I think it was because at his former home, he had a 95 lb, 1 yr older canine brother when they got him, and to keep him safe, he stayed in a closed room alone during the day, with his toys, food, water, etc. I got him at 14 months old and after seeing his toy centricity, I worked with him to reduce his desperate need to have the toy all to himself and now he prefers to play with the toy while deliberately taunting me with his toy, and playtime is more fun for him. He still gets frantic when his toys are removed for washing, bedding changes, etc., but is more comfortable now with the fact that he will likely get them back again.

Perhaps you could reverse it a little, introducing him to a few toys, and reward him for a bit of play. He may never be a big toy freak, but maybe if you find the 'right' toy...one he finds interesting...he may yet surprise you.

He seems to do very well according to your description of him. Lot's of dogs like to run. I have a feeling Gracie would love to run if I ever gave her the chance. He may not have been with you long enough to know this is his forever home. Many of these little dogs get passed from home to home. If his history was like that he may not be sure what comes next. It could also be that he needs some exercise and needs that running activity. That is where the indoor fetch can help.

I know kids don't always understand our attachment to our pets but they have to understand that our pets live with us while most times our adult kids do not. Our pets become our new family members and we are loyal to them. Since he is house trained maybe consider taking him on a trip with you. You could find a near by place where he can potty.