How to house break a yorkie.

by ashley
(Baton Rouge, La)

I just bought a 3 month old yorkie on 2/21/09. I have been trying to crate train her because i work an 8-5 job and cannot have her running all over my brand new house chewing up everything.

When I get home from work, I take her out and she will sometimes do her buisness but at night she will not go and ends up going in her crate. I have had to bath her every day for a week and clean her crate, and the other day I started using baby glycerin suppositories to get her to go outside. Well that worked, but I don't want to have to do that forever, and I'm at a loss.

I have to sit outside with her for hours trying to get her to go. I love this dog and paid a lot of money for her. The last thing I want is to have to get rid of her. I have trained dogs before, but she is just impossible. She will come inside, after sitting outside for an hour and head straight for the kitchen or living room and try to potty. I cannot take my eyes off of her for a second, it's like having a baby.I really need some good advice, I've tried everything!!!!





Hi Ashley
You've hit the nail on the head there - puppies ARE babies, and many people don't realize that they're almost as much work as a human baby to begin with!

Like babies, puppies aren't born knowing what is expected of them, they learn through repetition and association, and this takes time. Using a suppository to encourage your pup to eliminate outdoors is definitely not a good idea, and obviously you can't do it regularly. It may achieve the result you want in the short term, but long term it isn't teaching her anything, and could harm her.

If she doesn't eliminate when you take her outside, bring her in and put her in her crate. Then take her out again in about 15 minutes, and repeat the whole process. She won't poop in her crate unless she doesn't have a choice (if it's the correct size). She likely needs at least one potty break during the night, and I would recommend taking her outside immediately if she wakes up in the night. Even if you don't hear her, try to set your alarm for 2am (or somewhere around then) and take her outside.

I know how frustrating it is to have to clean a crate, and bathe a puppy, over and over again. But as she matures her control will improve, and with consistent training she will learn what you expect her to do.

Make sure you feed her and give her potty breaks on a regular daily schedule, this helps to regulate her bowels too. Also, small breed puppies tend to get constipated now and then, so follow the guidelines on my A Constipated Puppy page to prevent that from happening.

If you are gone all day, make sure she gets enough exercise and one on one time with you, to prevent anxiety and behavior issues.

Raising a puppy takes a lot of time, patience and effort, but it is well worth it. You may find these pages helpful too...

Potty Training


Crate Training


New Puppy Care

I wish you the best of luck with your little girl. Enjoy her.