| First and foremost, you must have a routine for your | | | | keep a chart with times of day for potty breaks. |
| Terrier to follow daily. To be really successful in | | | | These can be adjusted gradually as you make note of |
| housetraining, you must have a schedule to take your | | | | your puppy's natural elimination patterns. |
| terrier outside to potty and, over weeks to a few | | | | Feed your Yorkie dinner at the same time every |
| months, it becomes ingrained in their every day life. | | | | evening, early enough to have his food settled enough |
| Most people want to go to the bathroom right after | | | | to have a successful potty break before going down |
| they wake up. Your Yorkie is no different and this is | | | | for bed for the night. And in the morning, begin the |
| where the routine begins. As soon as you are up in the | | | | whole routine again, keeping to the same schedule. |
| morning, take him outside for his first potty trip of the | | | | Potty trips should be kept short (ten to 15 minutes at |
| day. He has been holding it all night, so go out quickly | | | | the most) and low keyed, and do not let your Yorkie |
| without any disruptions or distractions. | | | | confuse these breaks with playtime. Give your |
| Make this potty trip a short one. Let your Yorkshire | | | | Yorkshire Terrier plenty of praise and affection when |
| Terrier do its business and then come right back in for | | | | he does his business. A small treat and verbal praise |
| breakfast. Let him eat while you get ready for your | | | | work good for this purpose, and will reinforce his good |
| day. By the time you are all dressed and have eaten | | | | potty habits. |
| your breakfast, it will be time to take your Yorkie out | | | | At one time, negative reinforcement was the rule. If |
| to potty again. | | | | your dog had an accident in the house, he was |
| Hopefully your Yorkie's food and water has settled | | | | scolded and punished. This has proven to be less |
| enough so that he is ready to go back out and do it | | | | effective than positive reinforcement. Praising the good |
| again. Your Yorkshire Terrier puppy will need potty | | | | behavior works because your Yorkshire Terrier wants |
| breaks at mid-morning and mid-afternoon. If your job or | | | | to be loved and to please you. If you are late getting |
| school takes you away from the house during the day, | | | | home and find an accident, just go right to your normal |
| then you will need a friend or family member to keep | | | | routine. |
| to the routine. | | | | After taking your Yorkie out on his potty break, you |
| Your Yorkie will need to be taken out again as soon | | | | can clean up the mess without any fanfare. It is best if |
| as you return home. Again, a schedule or routing | | | | your puppy doesn't even see you doing it. You both |
| needs to be followed consistently. It may be helpful to | | | | just let it pass and do better tomorrow. |