Yorkie House Training Tips

Yorkshire terriers are an independent, free-spirited, feisty breed of dog, which makes house training them not the easiest task. When potty training your Yorkie, your goal has to be to make it understand what it is you want it to do. Consistency and a healthy dose of patience are required.

  1. Stick to a Set Schedule

    • Upon bringing your puppy home, have a set potty-training schedule ready. Stick to this same schedule on a daily basis. Feed your Yorkie at the same times every day and after feeding, bring it outside to the same location each time. When you return to the same spot every day, your puppy smells its scent, which encourages it to use the same potty-spot each time. Bring your Yorkie to the potty-spot upon waking up, before bedtime and prior to play and exercise sessions. Avoid giving your puppy water two hours before bedtime to avoid nighttime accidents.

    Crate Training

    • Your puppy will not relieve itself on its own bedding. Crate training is therefore a good way to train your pup. Make a bed for your Yorkie inside of a pet crate. Place your puppy in the crate when you leave the house. While in the crate, your puppy learns to combat the urge to relieve itself. When home, observe your puppy in the crate; if it starts pacing around nervously, bring it outside to the potty-spot to relieve itself. Refer to this as "business" and avoid playing with your pup because this sends the wrong message. Place your pup back in its crate afterward, but avoid leaving it in there for hours at a time.

    Paper Training

    • Confining your Yorkie to a small space in the house can help with potty training. A baby gate at the exit of the room keeps your puppy from escaping. Spread a newspaper or doggie pad in a corner away from its water and food. Allow it to relieve itself on the paper. You may have to physically place it on the paper the first couple of times, but by not cleaning the newspaper and just covering it with a clean sheet of paper, your pup will smell the scent and realize that the newspaper is its potty location.

    Reward and Reprimand

    • When house training your puppy you have to send it the correct messages to avoid confusion. When your puppy does what it is supposed to do, and relieves itself in the expected manner, reward it with a treat. This positive reinforcement motivates your puppy to continue the good behavior. If your Yorkie has an accident and relieves itself on the carpet, avoid using physical violence to discipline it, because this only scares your pup; use firm verbal commands to make it understand that what it did was wrong.