Originally Posted by Deb1 (Post 4242801)

Not if she is used to it and if you need it to keep her safe while you are at work or away. Just keep taking her back to the pad until she potties.

Originally Posted by yorkietalkjilly (Post 4242802)

Confinement is not so the dog can "go" while confined, it's to encourage them to learn to hold their pee/poo. After a period of confinement I would first thing take my dog outside to potty, as the dog had usually held his pee/poo while confined and needed to go.

With yours, you'll need to take her to the area where there are potty pads out in the room and teach her to go there and not allow her to leave that area until she does potty on those pads, then praise/treat and celebrate the "go" on the pads. Once she's done both her businesses on the pads, now she is free to run about and play and eat, drink and do whatever, with you still keeping an eye on her in case she has any further urges or didn't both pee and potty on the pads once out of confinement. You will repeat the confinement for short periods and then taking her out of confinement and to the pads placed in the room to encourage her to use them and then praise/treat, allow some freedom for play and general living, training in obedience, eating/drinking, etc. Back to the pads a few minutes after eating/drinking for her to go again if need be, praise/treat and then back to short confinement to teach her to hold herself until she is free again.

Later, when she's used to only using that area with the potty pads and will want to get to that area to go, you won't have to restrict her as much to just that area. You can allow her out in the room and other parts of the house but watching her all the while she's out and about for evidence of staring, sniffing or excitement prior to needing to "go" potty. If you see that activity, get her and place her on the pads if she doesn't head over to them on her on. Eventually she will begin to go to the pads on her own and that's when you know you are getting through to her.

But at first, after confinement, you must place your dog in the place you want to to go potty. If she doesn't, you can either re-confine for another 15 minutes, then take her out and put her back on the potty pads and if she still doesn't go, confine for another 15 and so forth until she does. Confining a dog just usually helps them learn to hold their urine/feces until they get a chance to go potty in their usual spot, where you put them when removed from confinement. Of course you do cover the surface of the confinement area during training to prevent soiling that area if she can't hold it while still confined. It sends a bit of a mixed message to them, it is true. Some will soil the area they are confined to if the pads cover the whole bottom of it but eventually they get the message not to go where they sleep and relax and to hold it for when removed and taken to their usual potty spot.

Originally Posted by xoCourtney (Post 4242804)

Okay! Yes I have washable pads under the play pen and then a disposable on top of the washable. I'll attach a picture of my set up. I have another pen the same size that I am going to attach to this one. I just have to make more space in my room.

Originally Posted by Yorkiemom1 (Post 4242795)

:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:
This is what I was going to suggest. You have to be persistant, consistant, and determined. I think this is the most difficult time for new owners with Yorkies, because they are very stubborn and they are just as determined to do it their way! You can not let her be loose and unsupervised, or even able to get far enough away from you where she can squat and pee BEFORE you can get to her and STOP it! That is where the tethering comes in....she is right there with you and she is not more than an arms reach away....if you see her exhibiting potty behavior, you must intervene...take her outside or put her on her pee pad. When you are not around, she has to be confined in a small area with pee pads down.....my babies are actually raised on pee pads....they are in the bottom of all pens and crates...they pee on pee pads because they have no choice....and then during week 12 I start cutting down on the size of the area covered with a pee pad....and from habit, they will go across the play pen and pee on the pee pad. Works great....I guess you could try that in her play pen, and then use the tethering method whenever she is out and about with you. BUT I AM NOT A TRAINER....I JUST DO WHAT WORKS FOR ME!!!!

Originally Posted by xoCourtney (Post 4242807)

She woke up and went potty on her pad!!! We got 2 cheerios and lots of hugs and kisses! :D:D:D now she's going back to sleep in her bed that's outside of her crate haha

Originally Posted by xoCourtney (Post 4242805)

Sorry I should've been more clear, should I take her out of the pen when I am home and just be on her like a hawk watching for signs and THEN put her in to use the bathroom?

Originally Posted by Deb1 (Post 4242812)

So where is she suppose to potty....I don't see the potty pad. She needs to have a designated area to potty. Is it next to her bed?

Originally Posted by xoCourtney (Post 4242805)

Sorry I should've been more clear, should I take her out of the pen when I am home and just be on her like a hawk watching for signs and THEN put her in to use the bathroom?

Originally Posted by Deb1 (Post 4242818)

YES! Take her out and play, cuddle but watch her close.....then put her back on the pad to potty!

Originally Posted by yorkietalkjilly (Post 4242839)

I just confine for the 15 mins at a time until the dog goes and does both. If she does both, then it should be another few hours before she will need to go again and she can be out of confinement for that whole period of time - being carefully watched all the while just in case she's got to go again because she had some water or ate or something. Once the play and free period of a couple or so hours is over, take the dog back to the pad and see if she will go and if not, then go ahead and put her in confinement for 15-20 mins and, if she doesn't settle to sleep when you put her back in confinement, start the timing to potty training then. In confinement for 15 -20 mins., out to the pads, praise/treat if she goes and out to free play - back into another 15 - 20 mins. of confinement if she doesn't. More than likely, during one or more of those confinements, she will settle to sleep and you won't need to start potty training again until she wakes, at which time it's out of confinement and over to the pads, treat/praise if she goes, back to confinement for 15-20 mins. if she doesn't and keep repeating this timing in and then out to the pads until she goes again. That is how confinement best works - only in confinement for sleeping and learning to hold it if you can't watch her the whole time she she is out and about in the room. Most of us can't do that for too long - watch them all of the time - and besides, they do need to learn how to hold it in and confining them tends to teach them to hold it as they mostly lie or sleep during confinement. In time, she'll sleep for longer and longer periods of time in confinement, holding both pee/poo in as she does and really need to go to the pads ASAP when she first comes out and that exacerbates her learning and the time between needing to go again begins to lengthen so she can hold it when out playing longer and longer.

But remember, dogs pee/poo for more reasons than just they have full bladders and bowels and it's time to "go". They often potty due to scents, fear, stress, boredom and many other reasons so she may go pee/potty for one of those other reasons at any time when she is out in the house until she is fully housebroken and mature - so watching her and restricting her to a single room with pads on one side of it is a good idea for the first year to year and a half of training anytime she is not in full confinement.