[Stephanie Brent]

I'm a senior citizen and I've rescued a Yorkie/Chihuahua (Yenti) and she is about 7 years old. We've been together ten days. She was spayed during her heat about a month ago.

It took Yenti only two hours to fall in love with me and she generally follows me everywhere and we've worked out a good schedule for peeing and pooping, EXCEPT that every now and then she pees on any area rug or towel near a door. We are in the suburbs of Chicago so sometimes she thinks it is too cold or too wet to stay out until her business is finished and sometimes if she's in the house and I've gone shopping, she takes an extra pee even if she was outside within an hour. At night we go out around 7:30 pm and then she holds it until we get up at 6 am as long as she's in bed with me and so she can hold it.

This is my first dog. I've always had cats. I don't mind her using pee-pads but she only uses those if she's locked up in a small room and I leave the house. Otherwise she prefers near a door.

I am buying her a thundershirt in a couple days when the right size is in the store.

All other suggestions are welcome.

 

[Brick97]

Have you tried laying a pee pad near the door? If yiu don't have company over and you worry about her messing in the house, I would try putting a pad by the door since that's where she likes to go the most.

 

[stapov]

You may want to clean the area rug with some special cleaning solution designed for pet urine. If there is any scent there at all, she will keep using it as her bathroom! Although she is a senior, make sure you grab some treats and treat her when she goes outside to reinforce the behavior.

I'm not a big fan of pee pads unless she has to be home alone for long periods of time. I think they really create a lot of confusion for the dog.