HELP! Tryin to litter box train...

[jrh1581]

Hi everyone!

I'm new to the Yorkie community and just brought my 14 week old baby home last Tuesday, May 3rd. I will post pics soon . I want to teach him how to use a litter box. it's hard for me to get him outside because I live in an apartment complex, I don't have a balcony, and I'm also a student and will be in class during the day. It's impossible to use a baby gate to section off an area of my aparment for him because my aparment is small and the floor plan makes it impossible (I tried it in the bathroom but the gate wouldn't stay up well and my baby knocked it down). So I bought a huge kennel/crate made for a large dog (I think it's 3'x3'), put it in a part of the living room so he doesn't feel alone. I put bedding, toys, and food & water at one end and put a litter box at the other end with a wee wee pad inside the litter box.

I'm really worried b/c I've heard some say not to put the litter box in the kennel and I've heard some say that you should. But there is no other way for me because of my apartment's design. Sectioning off my apartment is impossible and I also can't watch him around the clock. Is it possible that with time, my baby will learn (even when I eventually trust him to be loose in the house) that his "potty area" is in the litter box at the back of the crate?? He HAS used it when confined to the kennel, but I want to eventually be able to leave the kennel door open and have him to go in there to potty in the litter box when he's free in the house.

My baby is depending on me to teach him, but I don't really know what else to do!! Does anybody have any suggestions for me??? I feel really discouraged and would love some advice. Thanks in advance!!

~Jennifer~

[Esme's Mommy]

Esme is pee pad trained. She is six months old and she REALLY got the hang of it at 4 months. When we brought her home, she was 12 weeks old. At that time, I was putting her on the pad every 10-15 minutes or so. I would make her stay there until she peed. Then I would INSTANTLY give her a reward and praise. Cheerios works wonders!!! I would say 'Yes, good girl!!!' in a really happy voice, give her the cheerio and some freedom. She was 1lb and 8 ouces then, so she really had to go every 10-15 minutes!!! I would NEVER let her out of my sight and if I couldn't watch her for even a minute, I put her in her play pen (a real human playpen). I work, so she is in her pen from 6:30am to 3:30pm. She has her bed, some toys, and the pee pad on one end. For the first few weeks, I would come home and she had peed off the pad, but she quickly got the hang of it. About a month ago, we bought an x-pen where she has more space since she was too big for the play pen. She's done great in there, and we have started leaving her free for VERY short periods of time in the house. So far, so good. I am hoping that in the next few months I can eliminate the x-pen all together. Overall, I don't have to watch her around the house anymore, she does her thing on the pad and then comes scratch my leg so I can give her the treat. It's all about consistency and REPITION!!! GOOD LUCK! I am posting a picture of the x-pen!
GOOD LUCK!
Mari

[Yorkies*Forever]

Litter box training works the best if the breeder starts them at about 5 or 6 weeks in my opinion. If she didn't then get her the x-pen ad put the litter box in it with her. Her kennel is her bed and putting her litter box in her bed really defeats the purpose. The x-pens work great because it is like a small home for them where they have their bed, food, and toilet. They still learn that their bed is seperate from their toilet. I still suggest putting a potty pad in there also untill she gets the hang of it.

[Dartprincess]

JRH1581
I remember reading something about litter train go to Training on and its pretty far down but look under Litter wee pad there will be a site to explain little training quite interesting I might add. Hope that helps

[ashley]

Esme's mommy what kind of playpen is that, where did you purchase it, and if you dont mind me asking how much did you pay for it.

I cant find a gate small enough to fit in the door of the bathroom, and i hate having to shut her in while im at work, so ive thought about maybe getting a playpen, but im not sure where to even start.

[StewiesMom]

Jennifer -

The first few weeks are the hardest. I cried and cried and felt hopeless about my fate as a Yorkie owner (or Yorkie OWNED, as they say). Believe me, it gets much better.

Stewie is 6 mos old and is pee pad trained in my house (has some accidents at other's houses, like my mom's) I did the same thing you are planning to do with a big crate. Mine was wire & 2' x 3'. I put a pee pad on one end and food, water, bed, etc on the other end. He went on the pad 100% of the tiem when he was in there because he wouldn't pee where he sleeps/eats.

I'm glad you found Yorkie Talk. There are a lot of great people here who can be very humorous and love to give advice. I hope you stick around.

[jrh1581]

Originally Posted by StewiesMom

Jennifer -

The first few weeks are the hardest. I cried and cried and felt hopeless about my fate as a Yorkie owner (or Yorkie OWNED, as they say). Believe me, it gets much better.

Stewie is 6 mos old and is pee pad trained in my house (has some accidents at other's houses, like my mom's) I did the same thing you are planning to do with a big crate. Mine was wire & 2' x 3'. I put a pee pad on one end and food, water, bed, etc on the other end. He went on the pad 100% of the tiem when he was in there because he wouldn't pee where he sleeps/eats.

I'm glad you found Yorkie Talk. There are a lot of great people here who can be very humorous and love to give advice. I hope you stick around.

Thanks sooo much for the encouraging words. I've only had him for about 5 days and I've already shedded a few tears because I'm afraid I'm not doing a good job as a new Yorkie mom! I do have a couple of questions: Do you still have his potty location inside the large crate or did you switch the location once he learned to go on the pads? If so, does Stewie know to go into the crate's open door to use the pee pad when you're home and he's free in the house? What do you do at night?

Thanks for the help. I DEFINITELY plan on sticking around...it's addictive, lol. Everyone's so kind and eager to help. I couldn't be happier to have found this site!!

~Jennifer~

[babi1542]

Pebbles is the same I have her with in the bathroom at night to go to sleep and also during the day when I am at work. She pees 100% of the time on her wee wee pad
I have her cage with her blankie and the door of the cage is open, and her water bowl then on the opposite side I have her wee wee pad. She was not doing her poo poo there, but for the first time last night she did it also on the wee wee pad. Someone here gave me that suggestion and it worked! I am one proud mommy! Best of all she is only 3 and a half months.
She's my baby!!!

[StewiesMom]

Hi Jennifer,

To answer your questions...

Do you still have his potty location inside the large crate or did you switch the location once he learned to go on the pads? I actually disassembled the crate. When I'm at home, he pretty much as free run of the house. I used to watch his every move. He likes to be in the same room as me for the most part, so its not difficult to keep an eye on him. When I'm at work or school I have him confined in the kitchen with a baby gate. I know you described that your apartment would be difficult to do this with, so the crate might be a good idea for you.

If so, does Stewie know to go into the crate's open door to use the pee pad when you're home and he's free in the house? I have a pee pad in the kitchen (downstairs) and one in the corner of my bedroom (upstairs) where he spends most of his time. When he has to go, he just jumps down off the couch or bed or wherever and goes, then runs back looking for a treat.

What do you do at night? We share a pillow. He's in bed with me most of the time; sometimes he hops out to munch on some food or lay on top of the heating vent. 90% of the time he is in bed. Sometimes on weekends if I am sleeping in, he will get up at 7AM or so to pee and then crawls back in 'til I get up.

Many people on this forum use only positive reinforcement to train their dogs to be housebroken... like ignoring it when they have an accident. It definitely didn't work for me.

Here's what I did:
When I caught Stewie in the act of peeing anywhere but his pad, I would say "No, that is not where you go potty" in a stern voice and pick him up and put him on his pad. Then, I would use a happy voice and keep repeating "make potty".
After that, if I saw him sniffing around on the carpet, I would say "make potty on your pad stewie" over and over in a happy voice. He eventually caught on and would go seek out the pad. Sometimes, randomly, I would just put him on there and make him stay on there for a few minutes while I repeated "make potty on your pad". I know I must've looked and sounded crazy.

Now that he's potty trained I am soooo happy! It just takes a lot of time. I was a miserable Yorkie Mommy the first few weeks, but now he is just great company since I don't have to worry about him messing up my house with pee and poo.

Anyway, good luck with your pooch. I hope I helped you a little!


EDIT: Forgot to mention that when he got it right and went on his pad, I would literally freak out and go crazy for him so he knew he did a good job. I would also give him a small treat. I am still giving him treats, but I am making them smaller and smaller. He's so funny; sometimes he pees like not even the size of a dime just so he can get a treat

[ReconsMomma]

He's so funny; sometimes he pees like not even the size of a dime just so he can get a treat





hahahaha............that is sooo cute....

[babi1542]

Stewie's mom.
When you see them doing pee or poo somewhere else that is not the wee wee pad, do you pick him up literally when he is doing it or after he finishes then you take to the wee wee pad? Also, since the pad is so small do you literally not let him move from the pad until he does it? If yes what about the time that he already did it? Thanks,
I have Pebbles trained 100 % of the time when she is with her baby cage in the bathroom all day while i am at work and also all night while sleeping I just have not been able to train her when I have her loose and I am also in my office one room. Thanks

[jrh1581]

Babi1542

What I've been doing with my baby is this: If I don't catch him when he's sniffing, I catch him when he first squats. I clap my hands and say "No" in a firm voice. Then I put him on his pee pad (which i have in a litter box) and tell him to "go potty". If he looks at me like I'm crazy (which he usually does, lol) I keep putting him there until he goes, even if it takes a while. Most of the time, he won't go and so I watch him VERY carefully for him beginning to sniff again. I put him on the pee pad again and repeat the "go potty" until he finally goes. I then get really excited and dance around and give him a treat. I would suggest clapping your hands or saying "No" whether he's started or not because if has already started to pee, it catches them in the act. For me, clapping my hands or saying "No" makes my baby stop mid-stream. My boyfriend grabbed him before he was finished once without saying "no" or clapping his hands, and pee went EVERYWHERE! He left a trail of pee on the way to the pee pad! I'm still working with my little one, so I have yet to see if this will work, but he's decreased the number of accidents in the house so far. My main concern is him learning where to go to potty even when I'm not watching him. Hope this helps.

~Jennifer~

[StewiesMom]

Jennifer - it sounds like you are doing a good job. I have a litter box and litter, but haven't tried it yet since I am pretty sure he will try to eat the litter.

babi - I used to pick him up in the act if he was pooing. If he peed, I would say "No Stewie, make potty on your paper/pad" so I would avoid dragging it all over.