Bathroom Training

Question
Hi. I'm having a difficult time getting my yorkie to understand where to go to the bathroom. I can not take him outside because he shivers so I keep wee wee pads in the house. My yorkie however only goes on the weewee pads from time to time, and there have been times where he doesn't even get out of his crate (unlocked) to go to the bathroom and goes right in the crate. I don't know what to do. Can you help me?

Answer
Janeen -

I am not going to tell you what you are probably wanting to hear.  I am a life-long dog person and very committed to dogs, but they are dogs, they learn like dogs, and they have to have dog expectations.

Take him outside.  You are not doing him any favors by babying him. He will not be able to feel confident in any setting except inside a house if you don't get him used to it.

I live in the northeast, and it's not cold enough here except in the very dead of winter for me to ever consider letting a healthy dog potty in my house.

Because you are not giving him trips outside and rewarding him for going potty out there, he does not know any better.  He figures that one place in the house is just as good as any other, and is confused when you're not happy.

It's important to remember that even the tiniest dog is still that - a dog, and needs to learn dog things so they don't end up with psychological and behavioral problems.

You need to get him on a schedule of going outside.  Every time you get home, you take him out of the crate and right outside.  Then every hour that you are home you take him out.  Once more before bedtime, and then first thing in the morning.

It is only when you are an active partner in teaching him where to potty that he is ever going to understand.  A mother dog has to teach a baby puppy not to potty in the bed, and the same is true for your role in your dog's life.

Housebreaking isn;t something that just happens, and wee wee pads will not make it happen either - they should only be used for a dog who is incontinent for health or age reasons, or put down at night in case the dog has to potty then.

I know this wasn;t what you wanted to hear, but I figured I had to be blunt about it.

-Beth