How to potty train and housebreak your Yorkie

Posted on April 19th, 2008 by Amanda - Teacup Yorkie Dog Lover.
Categories: Potty training and Housebreaking, Yorkies and Yorkshire Terriers.

1) Buy a crate or kennel that is close to the size of your yorkie.

Unfortunately you will not want to leave additional room for the yorkie. If the yorkie is enclosed in a small space they will not go to the bathroom. They have a strong instinct to not soil themselves.

Is this cruel? Will the yorkie dislike me? Will this method effect my yorkie’s personality?

Rest assured that your yorkie will have better self-esteem after they have learned how to control their body. Yorkies are very loving and forgiving. Yorkies enjoy being in a small space. They feel safe. Your yorkie will learn to love their crate or kennel and will return of their own free will in time for privacy and solitude.

2) Leave the yorkie in the crate or kennel for at least 45 minutes while you are at home at least once.

Leave the room and stand in a spot where the yorkie can still hear you but cannot see you. When they whimper or whine say loudly but respectfully and in a firm voice, “No.” Repeat this process for a few minutes and then tend to other business.

This step is a teaching step. Your “no” will allow the yorkie to associate you with the situation. Yorkies love their owners and want to please us. They may continue to whimper or whine several times after the first, although they will eventually understand that their crate or kennel is a place of safety and serenity.

3) You may leave your yorkie in the crate or kennel for a longer period of time while you are absent from the home.

Do not leave the yorkie unattended for longer than 8 hours. If you overuse the crate the yorkie may begin to feel neglected.

4) As soon as you return home, especially after an extended period of time, release the yorkie from the crate or kennel and rush them outside to “do their business.”

Afterwards give your yorkie a treat. Praise them immediately after they have relieved themselves, and continue doing so for a few minutes. Give your yorkie lots of attention after removing them from the crate or kennel.

5) Repeat this method as often as necessary. Frequent repetition is most useful.

7 comments.

ashley

Comment on July 12th, 2008.

so….after we crate train our yorkie for a while,when will he or she know to take responsibility for himself to scratch at the door for us to let him use the restroom himself?

ashley

Comment on July 12th, 2008.

to let him use the restroom outside

ashley

Comment on July 12th, 2008.

THANK YOU

Amanda - Teacup Yorkie Dog Lover

Comment on July 13th, 2008.

Ashley,

Our dogs are still young. They can beary hold their bladders for more than 4 hours. They are but pups still, 4 months and 6 months old.

However, we have started training them to sit bark for what they want.

So I would expect to see my dogs start to ask to go outside very soon.

The point is that they need to know they can ask you and how to ask you.

Even now our sweet Yorkies try to ask but its not always in the same way, or they feel ashamed so they run somewhere to hide their trasgression.

So we also needed a way for us to know what they needed, scrathing at the door would be great, But we don’t have a fence and they love to run around and find new people. They are just so friendly.

But the treats help a lot, and be patient. Their baby minds are still develping.

christie

Comment on August 5th, 2008.

hii i got a teacup yorkie she is 8 wks old. i have had her since she was six weeks. i just started trying to take her for walks but everytime i put her down to follow me and walk she lays down or sits and stares. . . what should i do to show her to follow me?

Amanda - Teacup Yorkie Dog Lover

Comment on September 13th, 2008.

I would use “treat therapy”- hold a treat out so she can smell it. Then move and hopefully she will follow you. You could give her a treat every few feet and then play with her…she is most likely still getting to know you. She may miss her family…but she will adopt you fully soon. Bella did the same thing. She may even be homesick. I would spend some bonding time with her doing age appropriate puppy activities, like catch with a stuffed animal. Watch to see what she likes to do, then mimic it or even just sit on the floor near her when she plays. She should begin to make eye contact and interact with you during play. As you build the relationship she will follow you more…possibly wherever you go!

Brenda

Comment on October 16th, 2008.

I have a yorkie and he is two years old and still is not house trained! He loves to stay outside but once he comes in he goes to the bathroom in the house. I take him to the spot where he goes to the bathroom and tell him “NO” and then put him back outside. Today i found poop and pee in two different spots. At night we put him in his cage but it is big but he still goes to the bathroom in there too. Can’t take it no more! What can I do?

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