How to Stop a Yorkie Peeing in the House [Training]
Your Yorkie is adorable, lovable, and endearing—until it pees on your brand-new living room rug!
As much as you love your dog, we know how frustrating it can be if they’re frequently having accidents indoors.
We’re here to help with a quick guide on how to stop a Yorkie peeing in the house.
Why Does My Yorkie Keep Peeing in the House?
Understanding why your pup may be having toilet problems can be the first step in finding a fix.
Insufficient Training
The most obvious answer for frequent in-home accidents is a lack of training. Proper training requires patience and perseverance. There are vital milestones your pup should reach in the first year, and if they haven’t met these, they’ll be behind.
Around six months of age is generally deemed an appropriate time for more advanced training activities. If you don’t have the time or knowledge to handle training yourself, it’s best to enlist the services of a professional at this point.
Excessive Emotions
One of the appealing things about Yorkies is how affectionate they can be. These highly sensitive dogs can be adoring pets. However, they are also prone to a diversity of emotions that can make them prone to accidents.
Dogs may urinate more frequently when they’re scared. If your Yorkie pees when strangers visit or other dogs come around, this may be a factor. Alternatively, your pup may also pee more when they get over-excited and happy. Reducing emotional triggers can help.
Too Much Water
Yorkies have small, compact bodies and digestive systems. Any food or water they take in will thus pass relatively quickly. If your pup is drinking too much water, they may therefore be more prone to toilet emergencies.
Note that excessive water intake can be linked to health problems such as diabetes. For this reason, it’s best to talk to your veterinarian about the issue. In addition, you want to rule out any more serious health conditions related to excessive thirst and urination.
Lack of Toilet Solution
Frequent accidents may mean it’s time to reexamine your Yorkie’s toilet options. For example, if your pup doesn’t go outside often or it’s a hassle to get outdoors—for instance, because you live on the upper floor of a highrise—you may want to provide more indoor toilet options.
There are many indoor toilet options for dogs, such as “pee pads” that you can lay out for them to use. The pee is collected in a plastic container, which you can then empty. Some pee pads also mimic the appearance of grass, making it easier to train dogs to use.
Environmental Changes
Yorkies are sensitive creatures, and environmental changes can cause them to act out by peeing inside your house. Examples might include the arrival of a new pet or baby or rearranging the furniture.
Changes to your home routine can also cause your Yorkie to exhibit behavioral issues. For instance, if you transitioned from working-from-home back to office life, your pup may become upset and act out.
Health Issues
Diverse health issues can cause urinary incontinence. In Yorkies, a urinary tract infection, UTI, may be to blame. This requires veterinary treatment to keep it from worsening. An untreated UTI can cause your pup significant discomfort.
How can you tell if your dog has a UTI? You may notice that they are licking themselves frequently, peeing more, or even seeing blood in their urine. Diabetes is another common reason for dogs to pee more indoors and likewise requires veterinary attention.
Age
Your dogs may be more prone to accidents simply because they aren’t yet adequately trained. Invest in some “puppy pads” for indoor toileting for the time being, and make sure to give your dog the time and attention it needs for training.
At the other end of the spectrum, old age can be another cause of frequent urination in dogs. Elderly dogs tend to have less bladder control. They are also prone to more health issues like kidney failure. Even a well-trained dog may experience accidents in these cases.
How to Avoid Accidents With Your Yorkie
With a better understanding of the causes of your Yorkie’s unwelcome bathroom behavior, you can start figuring out a fitting solution.
Take Them Out Regularly
One practical way to minimize the risk of indoor accidents is to take your dog out more often. Most pups will have to go outside anywhere from three to five times per day to urinate. That said, the exact amount of required outings varies depending on factors like size and age.
Younger dogs generally need much more frequent outings. This is because puppies don’t yet have complete bladder control. Plus, their bodies are even smaller, meaning water passes through them rapidly and requires quick relief.
Limit Water Intake
Sufficient water helps your dog stay hydrated and healthy. However, there it is possible to give your dog too much water. If your Yorkie is drinking excessively, try to control their water intake by portioning it. Always use the same water bowl and refill it at about the same time every day.
Remember that puppies will likely need to relieve themselves shortly after eating and drinking. Therefore, it would help if you prepared in advance for an outdoor toilet session after feeding time. This can help establish a positive pattern of behavior.
Provide Positive Reinforcement
When your Yorkie urinates in the right place at the right time, make sure to reward them. You could provide pets and praise—or give them a treat or toy to play with. This will reinforce the behavior for the future.
Don’t punish your pup when they get it wrong. Scolding or hitting them will only make them afraid and likely increase the odds of a toilet accident. If you’re getting frustrated, remember that your pup doesn’t know any better! It’s on you to teach them.
Enlist the Help of a Professional
If your Yorkie is still a puppy, don’t expect them to avoid accidents entirely. Generally, puppies don’t gain complete bladder control until about six months of age. At this point, it’s time to ramp up their toilet training.
This will require regular attention, as you need to be on hand to take them out when they need to pee and provide positive reinforcement when they get it right. If you can’t train your Yorkie yourself—for example, because you have to go to work—hire a pro.
What to Do When Accidents Happen
Even with the appropriate precautions and changes described above, accidents cannot be completely eliminated. When an incident does occur, take fast action using an enzymatic cleaner.
This will help eliminate any lingering smells, which can make your house unpleasant. Eliminating odors is also essential to avoid recurrences in the future. Dogs will recognize old pee scents and revisit their favorite “pee spots,” so you want to get rid of any aroma.
The Final Word on How to Stop a Yorkie Peeing in the House
It can be frustrating when your Yorkie has an accident in the home. However, remember that it’s not their fault. It’s up to you, the dog owner, to determine the potential issue and address it. The above guide provides the facts you need.
