Yorkie wont poop on pad

Question
I have a five month old Yorkie and we are training her to use the pee pee pads inside.  She's doing great with going pee on them. Almost to a 100%. But she refuses to poop on them. She will poop anywhere else except on the pads.She also refuses to go outside. We could be at the beach or park all day and she'll hold her poop until we get home and she'll go on the floor somewhere. Good thing for laminate flooring!!! Please help with any suggestions!!!!

Answer
Hi Ann,

Good thing for laminate flooring, indeed!

I suggest first that you teach her words for the action. It can be whatever you want to say, "Hurry Up," "Go Potty," "Better Go Now," etc. These words are only to be used when she is in the right place to potty right here, right now. Don't say the words while still indoors. You want them to become a "trigger," in a way.

Use the words at the park when she potties, and also in the yard, so she'll get familiar with them. When she potties, whip out a wonderful treat and give it to her. (The more special a treat, the more memorable! Use something really special, like bits of hot dog, or dried liver.) It helps to have three or more of these treats so that she gets a sustained treat, not just one. Call her name, align the treat so it lines her eyes up with yours, and move backward for her to come to you and get it. Might as well be teaching her name and teaching her to look at you when you say her name at the same time you reward pottying in the right place!

Don't wave the treats around in advance, because that could lead to her being unwilling to potty unless she sees food first! Keep them out of sight until it's time to reward her with them. At first do the treats anywhere she potties (other than in the house), but then start giving the treats only when she potties in your yard. Don't discontinue them anytime soon. Let it become a strong habit. Even after she doesn't need them every time, keep doing it part of the time.

You'll need to go outside with her to do this. When she gets back to the house is too late for the reward to connect in her mind with pottying. If you wait until she comes back to the house, that's what you're rewarding--coming back to the house--and that would work against your purpose. The reward needs to come right after she potties. Watch, though, to make sure she's finished. Some dogs need to go twice to fully empty. If you notice this pattern, start with the treat routine after each time, and then gradually work it to the point that you do the treats only after the second time she goes, when you know she's really finished.

If she hasn't pottied after 10-15 minutes of being outside, bring her back in and put him straight in the crate with the leash still on. In 5 minutes, take her outside again (because you KNOW she has to "go"!) Repeat until she potties outside, and when she does, praise her like he's just saved the world.

Best of luck,
Patti