Training

Yorkies generally housebreak quite easily. The key to good house habits is consistency by the owner.  The puppy should, if he must be left alone, be in the yard (with shelter and water) or in an area where he is not expected to refrain from relieving himself.  When the puppy is in the main part of the house, the owner should be present.  When the puppy wakes from a nap, he should go outside and be praised when he relieves himself.  Watch the puppy for sniffing and circling in the house, this probably means he is looking for a place to go.  Take him outside and again praise. If you catch him too late, "in the act", do not spank him but scold him slightly and take him outside or to a place that he is allowed to potty. Soon the puppy will go to the door and "ask" to be let out.  Praise the puppy for this action. A crate is a handy tool for housebreaking.  Most dogs do not like to relieve themselves where they sleep and this teaches some control.  Do remember that a puppy does not have a great deal of control and use the crate only for short periods of time.  When he comes out of the crate, he should be immediately let outside and after he relieves himself, allowed to play in the house.

Puppy-proof your home

Raising a puppy is a lot like raising small children -- they get into everything. Raising a puppy is a lot like raising small children -- they get into everything. Some of what they get into can be hazardous to their health or to your possessions. You can make life safer for the puppy and your furniture by getting rid of hazards and temptations ahead of time.

To a puppy, the world is brand new and fascinating. He is seeing it all for the very first time and absolutely everything must be thoroughly investigated. Puppies do most of their investigating with their mouths. Murphy's Law says that a puppy will be most attracted to the things he should least have -- electrical cords, the fringe on your expensive oriental rug, your brand new running shoes, etc.

Preventing destructive and dangerous chewing is easier than trying to correct the puppy every second. Look around your home. Check for objects that could be put up out of the way of a curious puppy. Bitter Apple spray can be applied to furniture legs, woodwork and other immovable items. If there are rooms your puppy should be restricted from entering until he is better trained and more reliable install a baby gate or keep the doors to those rooms closed.

Take a walk around your yard looking for potential hazards. If your yard is fenced, check the boundaries and gates for openings that could be potential escape routes. Puppies can get through smaller places than an adult dog. The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence -- even to a puppy. If your yard is not fenced, make a resolution right now that your puppy will never be allowed to run off lead without close supervision. Keep him safe by keeping him on leash.

If you have a swimming pool or spa exercise extreme caution with a Yorkie. Curiosity as well as the need for a drink can lead a Yorkie easily "over the brink". Due to the amount of coat your Yorkie may have he may quickly become water logged. If you do not see him them fall into the water, he has no escape route or does not know how to use it, he can easily drown in just a few minutes.

Ask Your Breeder

Use your puppy's breeder as a valuable resource for advice and information. Don't be afraid to ask questions. The breeder wants your relationship with your puppy to be successful and can offer many tips based on years of experience.

A puppy should have a schedule. He should be taken to his outside relief spot last thing at night and first thing in the morning as well as after meals and naps, and that he should be praised when he does his duty. When taking the puppy to his outdoor spot, don't play with him or allow the children to do so. First things first. If the pup does not relieve himself, put him in the crate for a few minutes, then try again. Most puppies will not soil in their crates if they can possibly help it. Take your Yorkie out every 2 hours to the "potty" area, whether it has eaten or not. Don't play with the puppy until he relieves himself. If he doesn't urinate and defecate within 10 minutes, bring him inside and place him in his crate for 10-15 minutes, then try again. Continue this routine until he is successful, and then praise him.  The times that a puppy will most likely want to eliminate are after eating or drinking, after a nap, or after a period of play or vigorous exercise. Be patient, consistent, and regulate what goes into your puppy's tummy, so you can regulate what comes out.

Many Yorkie owners live in apartments and have found that they prefer to train their puppies to the disposable pads such as those used in hospitals, which have a plastic backing. Puppy's train well to these pads and many use these for their entire life.

Never punish your Yorkie puppy for mistakes. Once you're fairly confident that the puppy understands where to relieve himself, scold him for mistakes, but don't spank, scream, or push his nose in the mess. The spot should be cleaned up, preferably with an enzyme odor eliminator. If the odor is left untended, the dog will find it again, even if people cannot detect any smell. Failures in housetraining are human mistakes, not puppy errors. The puppy does not understand that carpets are for walking, not bowel relief.

If a puppy reaches four or five months of age and is still having regular accidents in the house, make sure he does not have a bladder infection, intestinal parasites, or other medical reason for his failure to signal that he needs to go outside. Then redouble the efforts to teach him what you want him to know.

Is House Training That Difficult?
Believe it or not, it is not that difficult to house train a Yorkie. (yeah, sure you say.. you don't know my dog)
Some Basic Concepts for you to Understand

• Yorkie develop elimination habits during their first few months of life.
• Yorkie do not want to eliminate where they rest.
• Being creatures of habit, dogs will return to their "usual spot" whenever it is convenient.
• Yorkie can be conditioned (trained) to react to a conditioned stimulus in a certain way. (They can be taught to eliminate when you say a word over and over).
• A behavior is likely to be repeated if it is positively reinforced. (You will therefore be using food treats and praise to reinforce elimination at the proper time, in the proper place

Crate Training
To some people a dog crate seems like cruelty to the dog. However, if presented correctly, it is just the opposite. It gives your Yorkie a place that belongs to him, a safe den where he can go if he wants to be left alone or rest. It also give you a place to keep your Yorkie at the times when you do not want him underfoot, and a safe way of traveling your dog. If you crate your Yorkie in the car, he can be left with the windows completely down. It is extremely dangerous to leave your Yorkie in a closed car in warm weather or ride loose in the back of a truck. Also if you should have an auto accident, your dog is not likely to be thrown out of the car or escape in the confusion. Motel rooms generally prefer crated dogs, also. To crate train your Yorkie, first select a crate which will be large enough to fit him as an adult. The puppy should be fed in his crate, and encouraged to sleep in it with the door open. He may be left with the door closed for short periods of time once he is used to it. Avoid leaving a Yorkie puppy in a crate for extended periods of time. NEVER use the crate as a punishment. The location should be out of the way but near family activity.

Helpful Hints for Housebreaking
The goal for "house breaking" your Yorkie is to have it "potty" outside and not inside your house...right? Why do so many people train their dogs to do it inside? Let me explain further...people use the "old" newspaper method in some cases until their Yorkie are 4 to 5 months old, this is wonderful. It saves their floors from getting messed up...you bet...but it's also "IMPRINTS" the dog that it’s 'OK" to eliminate inside the house. Think about it, sure the dog will relate the scent of "printers ink" to elimination, but what does that have to do with "GOING OUTSIDE”?. I've had many Yorkie owners call me wondering why their "ADULT" dogs (totally housebroken???) loves to urinate on or around the coffee table, the one that this weeks newspapers are stashed under ....get the idea???
Here are some hints to make house training a little easier

• Keep your Yorkie puppy up on a "consistent" housebreaking schedule. Feed at the "SAME" time ever day.

• Designate one area outside as a "potty" area.

• Take your Yorkie out every 2 hours to the "potty" area, whether it has eaten or not.

• The times that a puppy will most likely want to eliminate are after eating or drinking, after a nap, or after a period of play or vigorous exercise.

• Make up a written time log showing feeding and trips to the "potty" area, this really helps.

• Bring the puppy on a leash to the designated area. Initially you want to teach the puppy what the words "go potty" mean, but don't distract the puppy from its business by constant "YAPPING"...be quiet...say "go potty" just before you see it is about to, say "good Potty" (not too loud or distracting) as it eliminates, and then get really excited and be as loud as you wish, saying "GOOD POTTY" once the puppy has done the "business"....and give it a treat. I suggest "moist flavorful treats as opposed to the dry kind.

• The two most important words in house training are "WATCH" or "CONFINE". Never give a puppy full run of the house, start in a small area like a utility room or a small pen, don't graduate to a larger area until it has PROVEN (no accidents) itself in that area for a period of time. "Watching" means ....CONSTANTLY being aware of where the puppy is. I prefer most people to put the puppy on a leash when not in the puppy pen or crate. (Outside dog runs are a great investment too!!)

• Get yourself a suitably sized "Crate" the same day you buy your puppy. It's not inhumane or cruel (cruel is constantly reprimanding, scolding and possibly getting physical with the puppy for eliminating inside the house). DO NOT fill the entire floor area of the crate with newspaper or bedding of any kind, just put make a 1/4 of the crate a 'Bed", if you wish. Always make sure the crate is in a well ventilated area out of direct sunlight. Also, if you live in colder climates, be sure the room temperature stays fairly constant, not too hot...or too cold.

• NEVER BE PHYSICAL WITH A PUPPY FOR ELIMINATING INSIDE... In fact..."never" be physical with your puppy ...period. Being overly physical with your Yorkie will make it not want to perform in front of you, and will actually cause the puppy to leave gifts for you out of your sight .You know... "the ones your dinner guests find behind the furniture"

• You can start a very young Yorkie puppy on newspaper, but get rid of the paper as soon as you can and begin formal crate training. Be patient, consistent, and diligent in taking the puppy outside; regulate what goes into your puppy's tummy, so you can regulate what comes out. "WATCH" or "CONFINE”, gradually extend your pups living area, keep track on your "housebreaking log" and in a matter of a few short weeks....PRESTO!!! No more Accidents.