5 1/2 Year-Old Yorkie Finally House Trained
"Love me, love my poop!"
Sometimes House Training Takes a Nudge in the Right Direction
“Doctor, since I talked to you, Mitya has only pooped on his pads on
the bathroom, not anywhere else in the house! Thank you so much!”
Rewind two weeks.
Mitya was a 5 1/2 year-old male black and tan puppy-cut Yorkshire
Terrier totalling 3 3/4 pounds “with his IV in,” as his nurse was fond
of saying.
“Doctor, he keeps pooping anywhere he wants all over the house. I’m
beside myself,” said his mom.
“Does he sleep in a crate at night?” yours Truli asked.
(Horrified look.) “Of course not, he sleeps on his pillow next to me,”
she replied.
“Where do you want him to go? Outside on the grass, inside on a pad?”
Doc Truli asked.
“He pees on his pad in the bathroom. It’s just, he usually poops
behind the dining room door or the living room sofa,” Mitya’s mom said.
“And what is your response when he does this?” Doc asked.
10 Common Puppy House Training Mistakes
- Rubbing puppy’s nose in “it”
- Punishing Puppy
- Feeding Puppy on an irregular schedule
- Confusing Puppy with Several choices for the potty
- Not taking puppy to toilet first thing in the morning
- Not coming home on time
- Not getting up in the middle of the night for very young puppies under 4 months old
- Not getting Puppy to the toilet when Puppy feels like going
- Not praising Puppy gently and calmly for being “good”
- Not even trying to house train Puppy because of excuses (The kids are supposed to do that; too busy with work…)
“I tell him no, rub his nose in it, to tell the truth, I get very
frustrated sometimes and maybe angry,” she said.
Doc Truli said,”Okay, here’s what you do. Do not punish him. Do not
raise your voice. Mitya has no idea what you are angry about, but he
becomes frightened and nervous, and he only wants to please you. So no
more punishment at all.
“Instead, set him up for success. Establish a schedule of feeding him
two or three times a day and taking him to his pad. When he is not
ready to relieve himself, because he has never known a crate, carry
him around with you all day. Set him down on his pad when he’s ready
to go. This is guaranteeing his success.”
10 Keys to Teaching Puppy About House Training
- Establish a realistic, consistent schedule
- Watch Puppy at ALL times, No excuses!
- Choose a quiet, safe place for the Puppy toilet
- Take Puppy for a check-up and be sure Puppy is not ill (makes “holding it” difficult)
- Be calm and reassuring; do not punish, shout, or act frustrated (Yorkies and Chihuahuas will hide the poop if they are scared)
- Feed Puppy the same times every day
- Crate or hold or tie Puppy to your waist with a 6-10 foot training leash or parachute cord in between toilet opportunities
- Clean up Puppy’s mess when Puppy is not looking
- Be patient. Some Puppies “get it” in a day; most take weeks or months
- Never, never, never give Puppy the run of the house until the house training is learned and understood. Reliably.
Two weeks later, peace and tranquility abound at Mitya’s home. After a
few weeks, he’s able to run wherever he wishes, and he is happy to use
his pads. Mitya understands what he is supposed to do. He is a happy
dog.
“Mitya has been perfect since our conversation,” reports his ecstatic
mom.
