Yorkie potty training: avoid most common mistakes

Owning a Yorkshire Terrier can be one of the biggest blessings in life. But at the same time, training them to do their business properly can be quite a pain. There are many people who give all sorts of advice and yet there are very few who know how to deal with a Yorkie’s business. The Yorkie potty training is one of the most difficult tasks for pet owners and can be quite grueling if you don’t know the correct techniques. Moreover, taking a Yorkie outside to pee and poo sometimes can be frustrating too. Therefore, you need to know how to train your Yorkshire Terrier for doing its regular business.

When is the right time to start potty training a Yorkie?

There are many people who just keep asking the same question: when is the right time to start potty training a Yorkie? Pet owners usually don’t know how young a Yorkie must be to get a training. So, here is an ultimate guide to help you with the same queries.

The right time to start potty training a Yorkie is when your dog is about 6-8 months old. You don’t want to start too early, because your dog can be too playful for serious trainings. However, the earlier you start, the easier it is.

If you keep delaying the Yorkie potty training, then let me tell you that it’s not good for both of you. First of all, it is always difficult to train a dog after it grows too old. If you let your dog to pee and poo inside anywhere he wants your home becomes a mess. So, as soon as your dog is 6 months old, you can start training him.

Remember, the amount of time for which a Yorkie can hold its bladder depends on the age of the dog. Therefore, when you see that the dog is able to hold the bladder for considerably longer duration of time, understand that it is time for the training.

How to train a Yorkie to pee and poo outside?

Training a Yorkshire Terrier to pee and poo needs discipline from your side too. You must remember that your patience and perseverance will translate into a disciplined and well-behaved Yorkie. Follow the following 4 principles.

• • • Examine the dog: Observe your dog and see for the signals that it gives you to convey its need. Whenever you see your dog about to pee or poo at a wrong place, gently pick it up and take it to the correct place of doing business. This has to be done repeatedly so as to make the dog understand that the location of urinating and shitting is fixed and there should be no deviation. Soon your dog will start telling you when it needs access to that place. A dog can walk stiffly or smell the floor or even hold the tail in some awkward position to tell you that something is not normal with it and it needs to go outside.
    • Plan a schedule: Prepare a schedule for your dog to follow in Yorkie potty training. Puppies have smaller bladders and hence, cannot hold for long. However, you need to condition your puppy well so as to make it understand when you will be taking it out for the usual business.
  • Designate a place: Choose a particular place for pee and poo. The Yorkie potty training must have only one designated place which the dog must remember at all times. Also, reward your terrier if it follows the plan and starts responding to the training.
  • Reward your dog: Your Yorkshire Terrier needs motivation for its good actions and needs to know when it has behaved well. Therefore, you need to acknowledge his efforts and must show that you appreciate the dog’s discipline. Reward the dog with some snacks or a pat or even with something it likes to do. This way, it will get ingrained in the dog’s mind that following the instructions to poo and pee outside will get it rewarded.

Most common mistakes committed by pet owners

The pet owners can also get a bit amateur with the Yorkie potty training. There are a couple of things to be kept in mind, which otherwise can lead to problems if not followed.

• • Don’t punish your terrier for anything. This is the biggest “No” for a pet owner. Moreover, punishment can scare your dog, making it to dislike you and disobey you even further. Punishments just do the opposite of what appreciations can do. Remember: always use positive reinforcement! 
  • Some owners don’t establish keywords for the dogs to follow. Whenever your dog goes inside the crate or on the training pad to pee or poo use a word like “Good”, “Yay!” or “Good job”. These words must be ingrained in the dog’s mind as signs of appreciation. The next time, your dog listens to these words, he will know that he has done the right thing.

• Some pet owners spend too much time beside the crate / training pad. Once your dog has peed and pooped outside, it is important for you to start maintaining a distance from crate and increase it with passage of time.
• Don’t use the crate / training pad forever. It is meant only for the duration of the Yorkie potty training. Therefore, once the Yorkie potty training is over, start avoiding the crate altogether in a gradual manner. However, sometimes I do leave a crate or training pad, especially when we are not at home.
• Excessive praise. It can be seen by the dog as a play and this can lead it to whine just to grab your attention.
• Some pet owners keep the crate / training pad far from the bathroom or in a place where doors can be closed. Make sure that the dog can quickly access the designated place. OtherwiseAccessibility of the designated place is very important.

15-minute rule

Pet owners following a Yorkie potty training regimen must remember the 15-minute rule. The rule says that you must give around 15 minutes for the dog to pee and poo outside. One must not expect a dog to simply go outside and quickly do its business. The bowel and bladder muscles must get enough time to get relaxed for passage of urine and excreta. What I do is I always carry a cell phone to scroll my Facebook or Instagram during this time. It can otherwise get boring and therefore, you must ensure that you have something to keep yourself occupied. Otherwise, you will feel impatient and your dog will feel the same as well.

Conclusion

Yorkie potty training can be a difficult and frustrating task. The pet owners can be in double trouble if they don’t know how to do it properly. However, if you follow the instructions and tips mentioned in this article, you should be fine. Just don’t start potty training your Yorkie too early or too late. Well, it’s never too late, but it can be a more challenging task for you.

Also, make sure your dog must feels comfortable in the surroundings where he has to do his business. If your Yorkie does not like the outside environment, you are certainly going to fail in making your dog pee and poo outside. However, the good news is, I’ve never met a Yorkie who doesn’t like to be outside!