House Training

When you get your new puppy, there is so many new things for her to learn. One of those things is the proper place to piddle! This is such an important task for your puppy to learn as early as possible as bad habits are hard to break.

Many books and web sites are advocates of crate training, and granted, it is a safe and resposible way for you to train your dog. But Isabel was paper trained when I got her. The way this was achieved was that the breeder kept she and her litter mates in a playpen when away from "mom" and while half of the play pen was soft with blankets for playing and sleeping, the other half of the play pen was lined with newspaper. I continued the play pen theme with Isabel for those first few weeks when she was not supervised, and it worked well for her.

I've also heard some people talk of litter box training yorkies and other of the small breeds of dogs, but haven't actually talked to anyone in person to know the success of this method. I think in any case, it is best to not give a yorkie full run of the house when potty training. Confining to a crate, or to a kitchen during extended times when you are away is safest and best for training.

The puppy pads also worked great underneath the newspaper since they are semi-absorbant and lined with plastic. Those are a must from your local pet store in those first weeks your puppy is learning (if you go the paper training route).

Again, while I'm an advocate of the crate method, for me, paper training worked best. I live on the East coast where we have harsh winters and very deep snow and it isn't always in the best interest of my dog to be always running outside. So we have a back-up plan.

For learning to go outdoors, which Isabel does now, here are a few quick tips on when to take your puppy out:

* First thing in the morning (no, not right after your first cup of coffee)

* Right after their nap

* Right after their meal

* Right before their bed time

* If ever they go to the door and cry, look sad at you or sniff around this deserves the highest praise and a quick exit

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