puppy in the snow - what to do about potty training

What do you do if you have a Yorkshire Terrier puppy and it's winter with 4 feet of snow outside and you have to take it out to potty?





Hi
This is a common problem for owners of small breed dogs in the winter time. Most tiny dogs hate getting outside in the cold, wet or snow. Understandable as they are so close to the ground and have little body fat, they get very cold!

However, potty training needs to go on regardless of the weather. You can clear snow from an area of your yard and carry your pup to that area - that will be her winter-time potty spot.

Getting her a warm coat/sweater helps as does wearing little boots - but although some dogs love this, others won't tolerate clothes or shoes and are simply distracted by them. You'll have to see if it helps your pup or makes the situation worse.

If it's really impossible to get your pup outdoors you'll need to set up a potty area indoors using puppy pee pads, a dog litter box or an indoor doggie potty. You can find out more about these - and about puppy housebreaking in general - by visiting my Potty Train A Puppy page.

Hope this helps, best of luck with your puppy.