Potty training and realistic expectations

[marymel]

Hi. Love this forum. We just got a new male Yorkie a week ago. He's 13 weeks old. We came by him in sort of a strange way. My cousin's wife posted on facebook that she was trying to find a home for a purebreed Yorkie and he was free. I wasn't looking for a dog, let a lone a puppy. (Our teacup poodle died unexpectedly last August. We were all heartbroken and I didn't ever want to go through that again.)

Anyway, something drew me to get more info on this puppy. I always thought they were cute but didn't no much about them (beyond the stereotypical stories about small dogs being yappy, biting, etc.) I was told a breeder "friend" of theirs had one puppy left out of the litter and they were trying to get rid of him because they were having trouble selling him due to the economy. (They had thought they'd get $1600 per puppy.)

Something about this puppy kept me thinking about him (without even seeing a picture of him.) After a little chatting back and forth, I told her we'd take him. My cousin would drive him up to me.

He arrived, and we all fell in love with this little guy. We named him Charlie. Come to find out, though, that the "breeder" friends were actually a couple who were pretty poor. They had a purebreed Yorkie and so did another family member. They thought breeding the dogs would be a quick way to make some money. I also found out that the puppy had never been seen by a vet.

I was concerned. Not about his lineage really. I could care less about that. But I was afraid I'd end up with a dog with problems, health or otherwise. I took him to a vet last week, and turns out he's healthy!!! The vet said he doesn't believe he's a pure breed. (My cousin insists it is. Again, makes no real difference to me.) Right now, Charlie weighs 7 poundns 6ounce and the vet thinks he could weigh up to 15 or 20 pounds. I am a bit disappointed with that. I was hoping he wouldn't get much bigger. I have very bad arthritis in my hands (and am recovering from my 8th surgery on a joint replacement that didn't work in my thumb.) Small dogs are easier to manage physically.

But right now I'm just glad he's healthy. He's a little love of a puppy. He's got a great personality. He loves to cuddle and is very happy lying beside me or on my lap. He'll play around with the ball or other toys he has, either with me or the kids or even on his own.

I have a couple of questions though, and I'm hoping I'll get some responses. First, crating. The vet is encouraging me to crate Charlie. And I'm sort of old school. I feel like the dog is a dog but also a member of the family. Our last dog had run of the house but was very well behaved (we got her when she was 4.) Right now Charlie sleeps where he wants, which is usually in the bed with one of my two girls, or occasionally on my bed or in his comfy bed in my room.

I basically am happy with this arrangement but I want to do what's best for Charlie. And I do not want a spoiled, unruly child. I will say he behaves perfectly for me. When I tell him "bed," he may get out of his bed once, but once I say it or put him back, he'll stay. I'm just wondering is it "wrong" for me to let him sleep like this?

Next is on potty training. He was supposedly pad trained before he got here. And he seems to be somewhat, though he has occasional accidents. I don't mind him using the pads. I think they're great. When I catch him in the middle of an accident, I tell him "No" very firmly and move him to the pad. But he's still having the occasional accident. I'm not expecting perfection after a week, but I am wondering what's a realistic expectation to have him trained by?

Lastly, his eating. I've kept him on the same food he came with (a Wellness brand.) The vet said to feed him about a 1/4 cup 3 times a day and take the food away in between. So that's what I've done so far. I know he's small with a small stomach but he doesn't seem to eat much. I don't give him treats really. Occasionally I'll give him a half of a baby carrot. If he does something right, I might give him a few Cheerios. He's had an occasional Tpbone and loves it. But when it comes to his food, he doesn't have much interest. If I put a bit in my hand, he'll eat it and then will eat a bit from the bowl but he never finishes it. I don't want cater to him either and be stuck hand-feeding him forever. Any suggestions?

Overall, he is a perfect dog for our family. He has a perfect personality. Very loving. Cuddly. Listens well. (When he bites, from teething, and you tell him no, he settles down and stops.) He doesn't bark much. He's not chewing on anything, like shoes. We all just love him.

But since none of us have had an experience with puppies before (our last dog we got when she was 4 and dogs I had as a kid we got as adults, too. I just want to make sure we do everything right by this little guy. (And I feel as nervous as I did when I had my first baby.. So any and/or all comments or suggestions are very much appreciated.

Thanks.

Mary

[Sarah]

you don't mention anything about how Charlie is doing with potty training. Is he potty trained or how are you handling that? If you don't want to crate then don't do it. If you don't mind his sleeping arrangements with your girls or you on occasion that's even better. Allowing your dog to sleep with you is "bonding" which the dog needs.

School of thought these days is that allowing the dog to sleep with you is spoiling, however, as long as Charlie continues to listen to you and you are being the Boss, you wont' have any problems.

Regarding food. you may want to review the forum called diet and nutrition, there's a heap of information there regarding Yorkies and what to feed them.

[Phenomwmn]

My Multipoo sleeps in a nylon carrier/crate. He is comfortable there. Occasionally he will sleep in the bed and if he wants to sleep in his crate I put it on the bed beside me. He is only 10 weeks so I prefer him close to me so I can here him wine when he needs to use the bathroom. He is pad trained. I have not been walking him outside because he still has shots he needs to keep him from getting parasites which he will get at 12 weeks.

[Gail]

Remember he is still very young and accidents will happen with his potty training
If he is only having accidents at this point he is doing very well
I have read (although I have never found it to be true) that puppies actual don't have enough physical control to go very long without a potty break until they are nine months old
You have to be careful about the potty pads if you don't want your dog to be using them when he is an adult
I have a friend who's adult dog refuses to pee outside
She will go for a walk and then go inside to her pad to pee

[MaryAnn]

Rule of Thumb is a puppy....... one month old - every hour; two months old - every two hours; three months old - every three hours; and so on.

But please remember to choose where you want your puppy to relieve himself... either always outside or always inside. Mixing the two during potty training will only confuse your dog and make totally house training a very difficult endeavor.

[Stacey]

We too have a new puppy (3 days now) but have previously had dogs and I have never crated any of my dogs. I don't think it does them any harm but all my dogs have had their own bed, generally sleep beside my bed at night and have the run of the house with a dog door out to the yard and I have never had a problem.

As for feeding, currently Bentley will only eat when I'm standing next to him as he feels the need for company but is slowly venturing further and further away from me so I'm sure it's only a matter of time until he gets into routine as will your little man.

Potty training......when we talked to the breeder about him she said he had been trained on paper, unfortunately when we got him home he had no idea what the paper was for so have had more off the paper than on, in fact I'd go as far as to say that on the paper was a fluke!! We have got some puppy pads to try which he has completely ignored other than to sit on up to now. We say no when he starts to go to the toilet and put him on the pad and tell him toilet but at the moment he hasn't clicked. Any suggestions from anyone would be great although again, I'll give him time to settle in properly and see how he goes.

[MaryAnn]

Welcome to the Forum Stacey. How - exactly - are you "paper training? You should to begin with, line the whole safe area with pads and see where the puppy likes to go. He/she will soon find a favorite place, and the scent will keep attracting him/her back to the spot. Dogs do not like to foul their nest, so he/she is likely to choose an area that is away from where he/she sleeps and eats.

Once he/she has chosen a spot, you can start remioving the pads, taking away one every couple of days until there are only two pads left. If your puppy has a good aim, you might be able to make do with only one pad. However, puppies often feel the pads under their feet and then place their rear ends facing the other way over the floor, so a bigger area is often more practical. Change the pads regularly.

* The puppy goes on the paper.

* As the puppy is relieving himself, you say, very quietly, "go Pee", or whatever you feel comfortable saying, as long as it is exactly the same words everytime.

* As soon as the puppy is finished, give lots of praise by telling him good job and give a good treat. Play with him.

* Everyone in the family should follow suit each time they see the puppy go.
*

[psuek2007]

I have read (although I have never found it to be true) that puppies actual don't have enough physical control to go very long without a potty break until they are nine months old

I too have read this and have been told by breeders this however... our 2 toy poodle pups (age 16 wks) are being crate trained and they have never gone potty in their crate. At night time they are in there approx 9 hrs without any accidents. They get taken right out to go potty first thing in the morning. So they are able to "hold it". Even humans need to go to bathroom during the night so the pups must too. If they couldn't hold it that long... they'd be going in their crate.

[psuek2007]

We purchased 2 toy poodle pups 2 weeks ago. The breeder also told me on the phone they were paper trained however when we got there to see the pups... the enclosed area they were in was covered in newspapers so they were going all over the place.
We tried using newspapers when we got home and they shredded them everytime we'd put them down.
I changed to the puppy training pads and the pups (now 16 weeks old) kept tearing up the pads then dragging them off.
So I went and purchased one of them plastic training pad holders that clamps the pad in place so they can't grab at it.
Yeah! Ok!! That didn't stop them from ripping the pad from the holder either. So now I am taping the pad to the pad holder around edges to at least hinder their fun.

Has anyone got any tips that may help this house training go any smoother?

[MaryAnn]

Yes! psuek2007.....Exactly what I stated above. OR just take your puppy outside to potty. I see you live in NY...I, too, live where it gets cold in the winter or it's raining and we just bundle up and head outside. You'd be surprised how fast they learn to go when the weather is not very nice.

You should however, do only one or the other (inside using pads or newspaper) or (outside all the time) as to not confuse your puppy. Always watch for the obvious sighns they need to go.

My breeder trained my gal and her littermates to all learn to go potty outside. I purchased her and her sister when they were just 4 weeks of age. Although I couldn't yet bring them home...I drove an hour each way to go and visit them every weekend. My little gals got used to wearing their little collars and it was wonderful to see them go out and potty at such a young age. By the time we brought them home...my husband and I took turns getting up during the night and taking her out. We never had a problem. We established a routine and were CONSISTENT with following it. It worked.