Tips to Potty-Train Yorkies

Potty-training a Yorkshire terrier is essential to keeping your home free of pet stains and smells and will ultimately help keep the function of your home more fluid. However, potty-training a Yorkie is a process and is much like training any other dog or puppy.

  1. Have Patience

    • Think about a Yorkie as a toddler or infant. Potty-training a toddler is not an easy process and can sometimes take months of practice and training before he is fully potty-trained. Training a Yorkie is quite similar in terms of process. It takes weeks and even months for the smartest Yorkie to gain complete understanding of the potty-training process, and there may be a few hiccups along the way. This is expected, so remain patient and keep your frustration level low during the potty-training process.

    Create a Den

    • Dogs are den animals. Meaning, there are areas where dogs relax and enjoy their surroundings. This area is called a den. Dogs often sleep in these areas and usually do not mess in these areas. Therefore, create a den area. You can use a kennel or crate to create a den. This will allow the Yorkie to understand that this area is a no-mess area.

    Use Piddle Pads

    • Yorkies are small dogs, and they do not have large amounts of mess. Therefore, if you have a lifestyle that will keep you away from your home or apartment for extended periods of time, use waterproof liners. This will allow your Yorkie to mess on the liners in certain areas of your home while you are gone without compromising your potty-training routine.

    Show Encouragement and Disapproval

    • When your Yorkie messes outside, or on the liners and not in the den area or other areas of your home, show it encouragement. Use words such as "good job" or "great job" and give the dog a treat when it shows improvements in potty training. When it makes a mistake, note it with words such as "no" or "bad dog." This method encourages good behavior and can curtail bad behavior.

    Remain Consistent

    • Being consistent in your training will allow your Yorkie to understand the fundamentals of potty training. If you are not consistent with encouragement, disapproval, using the den area, and the waterproof liners, you are more than likely going to confuse your Yorkie and derail your potty-training routine. Make a routine and stick to it.