Potty training yorky that I am watching

Question
QUESTION: I am watching a puppy (8 months old) for my sister who is on vacation. She is driving me crazy, because no matter how many times I take her out to potty, I find out she has done it somewhere in the house.  I will have her for another week. Would it work if I just leave her in the crate during the day and take her out to potty and play every few hrs?  I am at my wits end.  She is quite playful and I was enjoying her, but the potty cleaning has gotten to me.  Please help.

Thanks
Dory

ANSWER: Dory,

That depends on how big her crate is.  If it is a small carrying cage then it is too small for you to leave her in for an extended period of time.  If it is large enough for her to have a bed, bowl of water, food and newspaper to potty on then it is ok.

Do you have any rooms in your house that are not carpeted?  You could try putting her in the bathroom and shutting the door when you cannot watch her.   As long as she has the things I mentioned above (and maybe a toy or two) she would be ok and then you wouldn't have to worry about the rest of the house.

They also have doggie diapers at any pet store.  You can put the diaper on and not worry about her going on the carpet.  Take it off when you take her out to potty and then put it back on when she comes back in.  It is a bit more of a hassle but it is worth it for a short period of time.

If there are no pet stores nearby you could buy a small pack of baby diapers and cut a hole out of the but area for her tail. It will look funny but if it fits her it will work just as well.  If you are really desperate you can take a couple of sanitary napkins (it will look really funny) and make an X with them.  Tape them together with something like packing tape or silver tape.  It will take a little bit more work because you will have to make it so the tape doesn't stick to her hair but it does work in a pinch.

When your sister comes home from vacation ask her to purchase a reusable doggie diaper from petsmart or someplace like that so next time you babysit you can enjoy your little niece without all the mess.:0)

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: thanks for your prompt response. I was wondering is it too late to train the puppy at this point?  Also, is it possible to train her in the one week that she has left with me.  Apparently my sister has not been training her as they leave her in the yard most ofthe day.
thanks
Dory

ANSWER: Dory,

Your odds of potty training her are slim to none.  Yorkies are the most difficult to train of all the small breeds.  Since she is eight months old I would say that you would probably be wasting your time.  Even if you could have some measure of success you would definitely need more than a week.

I don't know what region of the country your sister lives in but I am concerned about the fact that she leaves her out in the yard most of the day.  Yorkies are house dogs and are not meant to be left in the yard.  They do not handle temperature extremes well.  Over the past 20+ years of breeding Yorkies I have know many instances where Yorkies who were left outside for extended periods of time have died from heat stroke.  Even taking your Yorkie for a walk in hot weather has the potential to kill them.

Some people believe the misconception that because it is an animal it can tolerate very hot or very cold temperatures.  This is not the case with Yorkies.  They are domesticated animals and while they are tough little dogs, temperature extremes are very dangerous for them.  Unfortunatley I have had first hand experience loosing a Yorkie because of hot weather.  I went on vacation and left my Yorkies with a house sitter.  At the time I had seven and the house sitter let them out to go potty.  When he let them back in he didn't count them and he left one outside.  The temperature that day was about 80 degrees.  He found her in the yard about four hours later and she was unresponsive.  He took her to the vet right away and they put her on intrevenous fluids but she died sometime during the night.  The vet said it was heat stroke.

Needless to say I was devastated.  I could go on an on and tell you more horror stories but I think you get my point.  I urge you to talk to your sister about this and try to make her understand that she should not be leaving her Yorkie outside.

I'm sorry I could not give you better news about the potty training but I don't believe in sugar coating things.  I simply tell it like it is.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: thank you so much Melinda.  you were EXTREMELY helpful. We live in Maryland, just outside of DC.  My sister does not leave her out by herself, but the dog spends a long time outside while my nephews are playing in the yard. I will make sure to pass on this info to her.  
I did notice when we had a very hot day last week (90+) and I took the yorkie out for a long walk, she was VERY lethargic on her return and kind of passed out on the cool hardwood floor. i put an ice cube in her water and she rested for a while. thanks for the info.  I have learnt alot.  
with great appreciation
Dory

Answer
Dory,

Thank goodness she didn't die from heat stroke.  I had a customer once who bought a dog from me and she also took her for a long walk on a hot day.  When they returned from their walk the poor dog collapsed in front of the water bowl and died.  

I don't know where you took her for a walk but I always tell people to think about this when they are going to take their Yorkie for a walk; Get down on the ground and see what the difference in temperature is from where your Yorkie will be walking and the air around you.  The difference in temperature between the ground (where your Yorkie is walking) and the air around your head is significant.  If you were walking on blacktop and it was 90+ degrees then where your Yorkie was walking was probably around 130 degrees.  If you use that as your measurement then you will be able to gauge whether to take them for a walk or not.

You didn't say what method you decided on to keep her from using your house as a toilet.  If you can, I would appreciate it if you would tell me. You are very welcome about the info, it is always nice to know that my time and knowledge are appreciated.