Reptile & Amphibian Forums

We have a 18 week old yorkie female who I am thinking will never be housebroken. We got her when she was 11 weeks, I put her in her kennel at night and she goes all night(9-10hrs)without needing to be let out. During the day, however I am at a loss as to how to get her to understand that she needs to go outside. I am home with her all day and watch her very closely, I take her outside every hour sometimes every half hour and we stay outside sometimes as long as 30-40 min.!! sometimes she goes, sometimes she dosn't. I have tried putting her back in her kennel if she dosn't go and then taking her out again 10 min. later and sometimes then she will go. Am I crazy in thinking she would be scratching at the door by now? I take her out the same door every time and keep her out of the bedrooms and other areas of the house, any ideas on what else might work? She does seem to do better when the weather is nice(obviously!)but I think it is just because she wants to play outside not because she needs to go potty. She is smart, she sits and fetchs and understands the word "treat"we have to spell it now) so I know she has potential. I just didn't realize she would be this hard to housebreak...HELP!

You have to remember that this is a BABY. Much like a human child it takes time and PATIENCE. Be very consistent and continue to watch her closely.

There is no magic forumla to get them house trained, but it can be done.
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Joan
Responsible Breeders spay/neuter Pet puppies.
Statistically, the average breeder remains in a breed for five years. The mark you leave on that breed, good or bad, is entirely up to YOU!

My male yorkie is the same age and is just now making some progress. It really helped me to praise the good and really make a big deal out of the bad. Shaking a rolled up newspaper at him when I catch him seemed to have an effect. Also, really limiting his freedom in the house when I can't keep a watchful eye on him at all times has helped. Be persistent and patient.

Thanks for your responses. I have limited her area in the house as much as I can now so we will see if that helps. I just wondered if it took most Yorkies this long or if it was just me!

I have a 2 year old male who still has issues with going outside, however he does a GREAT job with puppy pads. He thinks he is a human though, so why should he ALWAYS go out to potty..LOL. It will get better, just be persistant an dVERY patient.

Lots of us face the same problems with the wee ones (yorkies). They do not develop the ability to hold their urine as quickly as other breeds. I have experienced the same situation as you have described. My best advice is don't allow free run of the house unless you don't mind finding surprises. Even having pee pads about the house and litter available, in a large area it is sometimes difficult for them to navigate to the special place when the urge strikes them. We have tried princess panties lined with pantie liners. This is the next best option to the crate confinement or a playpen. They will grow out of this phase. Their bodies will mature but it is going to take longer with Yorkies than other breeds I have found. Scoulding is only effective if you catch them in the act of going tinkle or poo. Some pups are rather sensitive and excessive, agressive scoulding can do more harm than good. NEVER, NEVER strike your pup or bare an object as if to threaten to strike them when they make a mistake. This will only teach the pup to fear you and make them think that you are unpredictable. It is better to scoop them up if they start to pee and take them immediately out side to the choosen spot. Place them gently on the ground and repeat "hurry go potty" keep repeating this in an encouraging voice, not an angry voice. As soon as you see they are going potty use a soothing voice and say "good girl" or "good boy". Try to not use their name when you give the command (hurry go potty) calling their name out will sometimes distract them from the mission at hand. As soon as they have finished, praise them very enthustacilly and play with them as a reward. Try to resist draging them directly back indoors without allowing them the reward of play time. These are the methods that I have used for years with with hundreds of dog that I have trained. Positive reinforcement works well and everyone ends up being happy and feeling good about a job well done. Yorkies are a special challange when it comes to house training. Rule # 1. is If you can't give them 100% supervision while they are out of the crate or pen they are doomed to make a mistake. They are not at fault if a mistake happens. You are to blame. They look to you for guidance and are too young to know all of the rules at this age. It takes on average 21 reputitions of new behavior for a pup to learn this new behavior. Some catch on faster than others. When it comes to bladder control this is not an issue of the mind. It is an issue of the physical body's development or lack there of. These little ones are complex and require lots of patience, understanding and love. With this in mind I'd be willing to bet none of us were house trained by 3-4 months of age! And we are suppose to be the superior creatures Best of luck, Debi