QuestionHi,
I have couple of questions about our 16 weeks old female yorkie.
First question: We have 2 story house and puppy stays usually on the first floor in the kitchen, but runs around the house like it's hers:). She found a way to climb up and down the stairs, so at night we close stairs so she will stay downstairs, Every morning at 5 am she starts crying and going nuts, waiking up the whole house, since I get up at 6 I have to take her to my room, otherwise it's a disaster. Any idea how to stop crying and barking?
Second, She is trained to pee on wee-wee pad( we have 2 of them in 2 different places on the first floor) but number 2 is done all over the place, any idea how to stop that?
Third, when she get's upstairs looks like she is peeing on the carpet in different places lie on purpose, we tried to put wee-wee pad upstairs and nothing helps.
AnswerDavid,
First off, your baby should not be running around the house at will. There is no telling the kinds of things that can happen when she is allowed to run free. She could get hurt by something falling on her or she could ruin something you value. She will be coming into the chewing stage soon and anything wood they can get their teeth around would be suspect.
The solution to your crying and potty training problems are the same. You need to purchase a cage to keep her in when you are not able to keep an eye on her. At night you need to tell her it is time to go to bed and put her in her cage. You can ease her anxiety by placing something in the cage with her that smells like you.
The answers to your questions are long and detailed. Since I am not a big fan of typing and my time is limited I have cut and pasted a section of a book I wrote on Yorkshire Terriers below. The first part is about cages and crates. The second part on potty training deals with outdoor training but can be adapted to indoor potty training with a little imagination. If after reading what I have written below you still have questions let me know.
Crates Verses Cages:
The most practical use of a crate is for transporting your pet. Crates for small dogs are lightweight and compact. The handle on the top makes carrying them easy. They are especially important for pets that become nervous or overly excited when traveling. Whether you are traveling or just taking a short trip to the veterinarian, using a crate is the safest way to transport them.
Over the years I have come to believe that cages are the best choice for everything else. Cages range in sizes and styles, but overall they are the same.
When you are breeding a cage is a must have item. I always preferred the ones whose tops could be flipped over allowing you a large area to access the inside of the cage. This feature came in handy when I had puppies because it allowed me a large access area. When you are changing newspaper in the bottom of the cage several times a day (because puppies poop a lot) it is much easier to do when reaching inside the cage from the top rather than through a small opening like the door.
A cage also allows you to see everything that is happening inside. This comes in handy when your female is near her delivery date and you need to keep an eye on her. The ability to observe what is going on inside the cage is very important.
Puppies are by nature playful and often forget when they are outside that they are supposed to go potty. If this happens to you, the best thing to do is to make a small enclosure for the puppy to use for the purpose of going potty. It must be small enough that the puppy does not have enough space to play. You can find the materials for this at any hardware store. I have found that small plastic lattice fencing that is about two feet high works best. You will need to make an oblong enclosure that has no exit. The only way the puppy can get out is if you take it out. You can experiment to see what works best but I have found that an oblong shape is best because it gives the puppy a little room to roam and smell for a spot but not enough room to play.
When puppy will not go potty you will need to put it in the enclosure and tell it to go potty (or whatever phrase you are using). At first this can be very trying but if you are consistent it will eventually get the idea and go potty. When it does you should praise it extravagantly and then let the puppy out of the enclosure so it can run around and play for a little while before you take it inside. Giving it a few minutes to play serves two purposes. It teaches the puppy that if it is good and does its duty that it will be allowed to run around in a large area. It also teaches it that it should do its business before playing.
