[jimwhawthorne]

Hi, everyone. I am not new to owning dogs. In fact many years ago I bred Rottweilers.
This is my first experience with a small dog.
He is a 7byear old Yorkie. He's a perfect dog except for one thing.
He won't think twice about going to the bathroom in the house. We walk him 2 -3 times a day. He isn't crate trained. But we have grandchildren and we have a large corral ( it's a big, fold up one to set up a quick area to keep the kids in. ) when He's in there he will hold it. So we know he can hold it if he wants. But if we leave him alone for awhile then all bets are off.

So I would like any suggestions 🤔 that the community will come up [email protected]
Thanks

 

[JoanneF]

Sorry, I have a few questions. But they are necessary to help us answer.

First, have you had him long? If not, how long has he been with you? What were his toilet habits in his last home?

Is there an anxiety element from being left?

If you have had him a while, is this a new habit? If so, has a vet ruled out a medical cause?

How have you approached toilet training so far?

 

[jimwhawthorne]

We have only had him for 3 weeks.
He came from a foster home for dogs as they saved him from being put down. He was only there a couple of weeks. They own 3 rescued miniature greyhounds.
He was chipped so we know he is 7 years old, but other than that we don't have any more information. He loves to lie in our laps. He understands and obeys "No" . He a great little dog and we are just trying to train him not to go in the house.

 

[JoanneF]

It's worth popping a sample into the vet to rule out a UTI first. Then, I'd go back to basics with toilet training.

That means taking him out on leash more often than he needs to toilet, to keep him empty. As soon as he toilets, immediately reward him. It has to be immediate to be clear that it's for toileting and not for anything else and it has to be generous to make it worth his while to try to hold his toilet until he is outside.

It's when he realises that outdoor toilets win sausages and indoor toilets win nothing that he will try to hold his toilet to get the reward.

If he has an accident inside don't react at all. If you get annoyed he may learn to fear your reaction and avoid you if he needs to toilet (by going off and toileting out of sight) - the opposite of what you want. Dogs cant make the distinction between you being annoyed at him TOILETING, as opposed to toileting INDOORS. Just clean the area with an enzymatic cleaner to remove any trace of smell that might attract him back to the spot.

 

[CachetheBC]

We have only had him for 3 weeks.

Keep in mind that it can take a newly rehomed dog some time to settle in, to adapt and adjust to all the changes they have gone through (-- your pup has been 'rehomed' at least twice in a very short period of time). Some dogs it may adjust fairly quickly, while for others it may take many months for them to trust and believe they are not going to be rehomed again.

This graphic gives a general outline of what to expect.

So we know he can hold it if he wants. But if we leave him alone for awhile then all bets are off.

I am assuming by this, that you mean when you leave him by himself in the house?

It is also not uncommon for newly rehomed dogs to experience 'abandonment'/separation difficulties, (from their perspective - it happened before, it could happen again), (I have adopted several rescues over the years) until they learn to trust, with practice and over time, that when you leave, you indeed will be returning home to them. Stress/ anxiety may be contributing to his inability to maintain house training skills, and he may need help to understand that when you leave, you will indeed be coming back. Perhaps consider practicing 'separation' and work up to actually leaving the house- (you could start with simply leaving him in another room), very briefly at first, gradually increasing the time you are gone, give him a stuffed Kong to work on, or safe chew bone - something to help keep him calm and busy. (Make a point of giving him a Kong or some other item you plan to use at other times as well, so that the item does not become associated with the fact that you are leaving him.)

 

[Curls]

I agree it wouldn't hurt to make sure he doesn't have a UTI. Beyond that, you mention you walk him 2-3 times a day. Are these the only times he has an opportunity to potty outdoors? If so, I would take him out more often. As a tiny dog he may not have the storage capacity of the Rotties you are accustomed to.

I would retrain him as though he was a puppy. He might simply be kind of clueless. Some dogs need a bit of help generalizing that they should never pee anyplace where they can look up and see a ceiling. Take him out every hour, reward him with a tasty treat and praise when he pees outside. Inside he should either be under close supervision (that is, sitting in your lap or actively playing with you) or else in his play pen until you are ready for the next potty trip. Space the potty breaks further apart once he proves he can go a full hour without mishaps, then a full 90 minutes, then two hours.