I just got a yorkshire terrier. I was wondering the best way to potty train her without using the puppy pads.

Answer 1

Crate training is a necessity for any yorkie, whether you bring them home as puppies or adults. There are three reasons for crate training your dog. First, it will help you with potty train your yorkie. Second, it will keep your dog in a secure environment when you cannot monitor them. Finally, you'll be providing your yorkie with a place to escape when they need a break from home life.

The first step in crate training is to select a crate. There are two choices: a metal or a plastic crate. Metal crates are roomier, let in more air, and are easy to fold down so you can move them from one room to another. Plastic crates provide a cozier environment for your dog, and they are more convenient for traveling.

The crate you choose should be large enough so a adult yorkie could lay down, stand, and turn around. Since most yorkies are fairly small, you shouldn't have trouble finding a crate which fits these needs for an affordable price. Before you start crate training, you'll also need something soft, such as a bed or towels, to place on the bottom of the crate. You should also purchase a special toy for your dog to have in his crate. Ideally, the toy should be one that can be filled with treats so it can keep his attention.

When you begin crate training, place the crate in the room your family is in most often and leave the door open all the time. Choose a command for going into the crate, such as “Go to bed” or “Go to your house.” Then, throw some treats into the crate to encourage your yorkie to investigate. Make sure to say the command as you toss the treats. You should keep repeating this step periodically until your yorkie no longer seems reluctant to enter the crate.

The next step of crate training involves shutting the door while your yorkie inside. Make sure he has his special toy with him, of course. You should stay in the room during this stage and should let him out after a minute. The time he stays in the crate should progress to about thirty minutes. Remember not to make a big fuss when you let him out of the crate because that sends the wrong message. You want him to be just as happy in the crate as he is out of the crate.

Once you pass that stage of crate training, you can begin leaving the room. Again, start by leaving for only a minute and work your way up to a half an hour. After your yorkie has mastered that part of crate training, you can start leaving the house following the same pattern. Basically, you are teaching your dog that when you leave you will come back. This is especially important for yorkies because they are prone to suffer from separation anxiety.

Generally, these steps can be completed in just a couple of days. Remember though that even the best puppy can't be left in a crate endlessly without making an accident. A two month old puppy should only stay in the crate for two hours. Keeping the dog in longer will cause major setbacks in your crate training.

Answer 2

have you thought of litter box training her?

Litter box training:
You will still need to use a crate-for those times when your eyes are not literally on the pup. You can use regular old news paper, or recycled newspaper pellets (like yesterday's news) in the bottom of the box.

The box should be located in an easy to get place, preferably in the same room as her crate. The *general* rule for puppies is: they can hold potty for 1 hour per month old (i.e. 4 mos=4 hours) between potty breaks, provided she hasn't eaten or drank anything. When it's time for a potty break, take her *on a leash* to the box, give her 5 minutes. If no potty, or not all potty occurs, she spends 5 minutes in the crate, then 5 minutes back to the potty location. Keep doing the 5 minute rule until you have potty success.

Also, anytime your eyes are not LITERALLY on the pup, she needs to be in the crate. Dogs learn by Immediate Association, so if you do not catch *the start of the behavior* you cannot correct after the fact. Puppies also have the attention span of a gnat, so anything longer than 5 minutes in the potty location becomes potentially play time.

Outdoor training is the same-leash for 5 minutes, crate for 5 minutes, just outside instead of in a box.

Answer 3

Have her on a feeding schedule and schedule as much routine as you can (feeding, walking, yard play, house play, etc). At first, supervise your pup at all times and anytime you see her start to sniff and/or circle, take her outside where you want her to go and say "Find your spot" or "Take a break" or something you will say when you want her to go potty. Take training treats with you and give her one when she goes there and praise her a lot. It helps to have a small kennel cab. While potty training, don't put blankets, food or water in there with her. Blankets or towels are often used like pads are, to potty on. Have a small kennel because too much room, just enough to turn around and stand up in at her full grown age. You can put a special treat when she is in there like a little Kong. Take her out hourly at first, then start increasing time between pottying.
At night after her last potty, put her in the kennel cab and if she wakes in the night or very early morning and is whining alot, take her out always praising her when she potties.
Over time she will hold it longer and eventually she will be able to turn the cab into a den with a bed in it or blanket that she can go into when she wants to.
She will also see this as a safe place and you can use it to put her in to go to the Vet or on a trip and it will feel safe to her.

Answer 4

Nope. It's one or the opposite, with crate coaching being most popular. If you cannot watch him, he must be crated. Period. Potty pads coach the puppy it is ok to pee or poo within the dwelling, that is the whole reverse of what potty coaching is meant to do. They're vain and an utter waste of time, individually. By utilizing them you're giving him the choice to move within, but additionally giving him the option to do it external. It's VERY complicated - and coaching must be steady and useful. By utilizing them you're additionally no longer instructing the puppy to "keep it" and a few puppies on potty pads in no way gain knowledge of to "keep" their bowels/bladders. It's a lot simpler to simply take the puppy out at consistent durations and supervise to avoid injuries.

Answer 5

To potty train your puppy:

Watch closely to see when your puppy has an accident. When she does immediately run over and say "no." Then take her outside and show her exactly where to go. Next, clean up the mess with a rag. Take that rag outside and hang it over the spot that she should go. It will give the spot "the scent." Do this every time.
Also, your puppy eventually will be able to control her blatter. Just make sure you take her out when she needs to go, or she WILL make a mess!

Also try these websites for more information:
http://www.seefido.com/html/how_to_potty_train_a_puppy.htm
http://www.mybestfriendobedience.com/potty_training.htm
http://www.pottytrainyourpup.com/

I hope that I helped!

Answer 6

I have a yorkshire terrier as well and personally I use the puppy pads or wee-wee pads...and its not as bad as it may seem. We first taught her in her little crate that we brought her home in which had shredded peices of newspaper..and once she wasn't scared to roam around, we put shredded peices of newspaper on the pads and she learned very quick to go there, and has done so since (and she's 2 now). Good luck!

Answer 7

Never leave your dog unattended and the moment you see her acting like she has to go, pick her up and take her outside. Immediately, give her a treat when she goes.

If you cannot watch her, put her in a crate. For a yorkie, you will probably need the smallest size. The crate I got for my pug allowed us to section it off and to make it bigger as she grew. She only needs enough room to turn around in it. If there is too much room, she will go to the furthest point and do her business there. Typically dogs won't go where they sleep.

Your dog will hate the crate at first, and you will feel horrible, but they get used to it. Just make sure you give her toys and a kong to play with inside of the crate.

Eventually, she will learn. It took us 9 months for her to be perfect, but she never has an accident in the house now. It's great!

Good luck.

Answer 8

Consistency. Take her out every 30 minutes the first day. Take her out 2 times during the night. Crate her when your sleeping or not at home or when shes napping.

Answer 9

Here's an article about getting you dog used to their cratec traing -- i think it's very worth the read

http://dogpublic.com/articles/article.aspx?t=puppies&sid=14&pid=97

Answer 10

why are you against the puppy pads?