Puppy wont go to the bathroom outside..

Question
i read your answer about taking the dog outside and then if he doesn't go bring him back in..we have a yorkshire terrier for about 2 & 1/2 weeks now..at forst when we got him we didn't know how to train him to go outside or to stay in..i finally got a crate today...and i have introduced him to it...i have also been bringing him outside all day...but now he comes in and pees on the floor...when i put him in the crate..he is ok..then he barks..i think he is used to being left out at night...i want to get him into the right habits...but how do i do this? do i leave him in the crate barking??? Or do i let him out at night..and crate him during the day???? Please help!!!

Answer
When you take him outside to potty, you should put him on a leash and walk him around to keep him from getting distracted and 'forgetting' he needs to potty. If he hasn't pottied after 10-15 minutes, bring him back in and put him straight in the crate with the leash still on. In 5 minutes, take him outside again. Repeat until he potties outside, and when he does, praise him like he's just saved the world, and you can then drop the leash or take it off if it's safe to do so, and play with him for a few minutes before going back in. When you go back in after he has pottied outside, don't put him in the crate, but use baby gates or closed doors to keep him confined to the room you're in. That way, if he does start to potty, you can catch him immediately and take him back outside (again, on leash).

If he is barking in the crate, you must ignore it. If you let him out when he barks, he will learn that barking gets him let out of the crate, and will continue to do it every time he's crated. ONLY let him out of the crate when he's quiet. If he's barking, act as if he's not even there; don't even scold him. You didn't say how old he was, but generally, puppies need to be taken out ever so many hours as they are old in months. So, if he's 12 weeks old, that translates to him being 3 months old, and that means he should be taken outside at LEAST every 2 1/2 to 3 hours to pee. This also dictates the amount of time he can stay in his crate at a time. By the time he's 5 months old, he should be able to go all night without a potty break, but up until then, you'll need to get up and take him outside sometime during the night.

When you cannot watch him, and at night, he should be in the crate - until he's housebroken, that is. Then, you should be able to start leaving him loose at night, and then eventually loose all the time.

Kristen