Like many small breeds, Yorkshire terriers are notoriously difficult to potty train. One reason is they have small bladders, which means they can't hold it as long as larger breeds. According to Dr. Mark Carter from Springhill Veterinary Clinic in Garland, Texas, one of the primary reasons people surrender their Yorkshire terrier to a rescue society is potty training issues.
The best way to potty train a Yorkshire terrier is to follow a consistent pattern---sleep, wake, potty, play, eat, potty, sleep. This gives your Yorkie many opportunities to potty outside and receive praise for good behavior.
Things You'll Need
- Dog crate
- Leash
Instructions
Instructions
Set up your crate so it is just large enough for your Yorkshire terrier to stand up, turn around and lie down. If your crate is too large, your Yorkie will relieve itself in one corner and sleep in another. Dogs potty train in part because they don't like to mess where they sleep. Over time, they will expand that "clean area" from the crate to the room and then, the whole house.
Put the leash on your Yorkshire terrier. This is an important step to follow every time you take your Yorkie outside to potty train. Your Yorkie has a short attention span, which means you need to praise it within a few seconds of the good behavior. The leash ensures your Yorkie is close by and you can give it immediate praise. If your Yorkie is across the yard when it goes potty, you may end up praising it for coming to you rather than for going potty outside.
Carry your Yorkshire terrier outside to the spot you want it to go to bathroom. After you have been working on potty training for a while, you may not need to carry it outside. However, when you are just starting out with potty training, carrying it outside will prevent your Yorkie from going before it gets outside because it is too excited or its bladder is too full.
Give your potty command, such as potty.
Stand quietly without interacting with your Yorkie until it has gone potty.
Immediately praise your Yorkshire terrier using a high-pitched, happy voice.
Remove the leash.
Play with your Yorkie inside or outside.
Set food and water down for your Yorkie to eat and drink.
After about 10 minutes, repeat steps two through seven to take your Yorkshire terrier outside to potty again.
Put your Yorkshire terrier back in its crate to sleep.