Rule #1 Be consistent!
In my last post, we talked about choosing just one method to potty train your Morkie. Train him to go either inside or outside but you can’t mix them up. Inside, you can try litter training, use puppy pee pads or even newspaper. Outside simply find a spot and consistently take your Morkie puppy there.
Rule #2 Be consistent with feeding times too
- if you want to potty train your Morkie more easily, feed him at the same time every day. Dogs like Morkies, Yorkies or Maltese, should be fed three times a day to avoid low blood sugar shock or hypoglycemia.
- usually, they will have to go within 10 to 20 minutes of eating, as well as upon rising and before bedtime
- in between, if you see your Morkie is anxious or is looking around and sniffing, be sure to take him out or to his papers right way or outside – whichever method you’ve chosen
Rule #3 Be lavish in your praise
Praise for your Morkie for going potty in the right place
Give your Morkie plenty of praise, and avoid all old school, cruel training like whacking the dog with a newspaper. That just makes it much harder to potty train your Morkie.
- never, ever rub your dog’s nose in a “mistake.” Never use her name in a “no” statement like “No, no! Bad Bella. Bad dog.” Just a firm, “no no no” will do.
- swatting your Morkie with a rolled up paper is definitely not the way to do it
- all these negatives will leave your pup confused and upset
- instead, focus on all the times your little Morkie does do well, and give her lots of praise, using her name and keeping your tone positive
One trainer, dog expert Sharda Baker, suggests a great idea; even when your dog is fully trained, continue to reinforce the behavior.
When your dog is actually going, repeat your phrase or use “Go potty.” That will cement the Morkie’s behavior thanks to this additional bit of positive reinforcement.
Although there are challenges specific to potty training a small dog — and Morkie puppies are no exception — it IS possible to overcome these hurdles and have a happy, healthy and potty-trained toy dog!
I have a 8 weeks old Morkie. I take him outside every 2 hours. At night he only goes outside twice pees and back to bed. during the day he could be out for 20min, comes in a pees on the area rug in the kitchen. Is it to early to start potty training him?
Thanks for your question Dianna.
Eight weeks old is a little young to start to potty train your Morkie because he can’t control his bladder or bowel at all at this stage. In another 4 to 6 weeks he should have enough control that you can start.
However, in the meantime, there’s no reason you can’t encourage him with tons of positive feedback. So if you “catch” him going where you want him to, lavish him with encouragement, including a treat. But when he makes a mistake ignore it. Otherwise, he’ll become nervous and anxious around you since he can’t fully grasp what you want. In fact, even when he is 12 to 16 weeks, the ideal time to start potty training, mistakes should go unnoticed for the most part. Focus on all the “good pottys” and you’ll soon have a trained little friend.
Don’t forget, pick one place and stick with it, for potty training. Either inside on papers or pads, OR outside but not both.
Good luck!
Deb@MorkieNation.com
Hi all. I just got a 9 month old Morkie. The fister mom advised using pads. But we really wanted her to go potty outside. We had a day of accidents then we just started going outside on a schedule. Ditched the pee pads altogether. We had been keeping her in the kitchen and entry which r tile. Took her out on a schedule of every 2 hours and praised her every pee. We r on day 5 and have only one accident on day 2. The key was eucalyptus. I put drops of same on the floor in the kitchen. Evidently they hate eucalyptus. We go out on a schedule now of 5am, 7am, then 11-12, 3-5, and between 9-10. Our Morkie came crate trained and in 4 nights has slept basically 10-5 and no accidents. We had a pad in her crate but took it out after 1 night. I think u have to choose in or out because otherwise it’s confusing. I should add we had owned a large dog for 12 years and we trained her the same way. A crate, a schedule and then you can relax the schedule as the dog learns to let you know about going out. Ours is still learning that – it’s about 1/2 the time but we watch for sniffing.
Sonja thanks for sharing! This is great news.
Hey everyone, you heard Sonja – EUCALYPTUS!
Deb@MorkieNation.com
I have a female Morkie. She is 13 weeks old. I have read your article on outside or inside but not both. I live in a place where the weather is very cold. After the sun goes down and until 8 or 9 in the morning it is too cold to be outside. Her breeder trained her inside only using pee pads. She does very well with peeing. It is a hit and miss with pooping on the pad. I am confused on how to proceed. Is it impossible to train her to go outside when it is warmer? Right now I am having a hard time with her trying to eat everything on the ground. She is not fully vaccinated either. I am afraid she will get sick. I have heard different opinions on why it is a bad idea to continue to inside train her.
I now understand not to combine potty areas inside and outside. My 1 yr old Morkie, was trained on pee pads inside her roomy condo/crate, by my daughter in law who gave the Morkie to me. I have put her in her ‘condo’ after eating, and she went poo poo twice, and peed twice on pee pad. She knows she is a bad girl when she pees and poos on carpet. Going CRAZY!!! Please help! Attractants on pee pads do not work!
Donna
My morkie is a 9 month male who I’ve pad trained since we got him. He is crate trained and can hold it for 8 hrs at night. He’s will go #1 and 2 on pee pads in the garage with no problem. Whenever he is loose in the house we take him to the bathroom every hour. Sometimes he goes 30 minutes and then pees or poos somewhere. I’m very frustrated with him. Yes he is on a strict eating schedule and we are very consistent with him. Any suggestions?
how did you get your dog house trained on the pee pads. I am struggling. I just got this 5 month old puppy from an owner who lets him pee and poop in house she said she used the bell method but im having a hard time this is day 4 at my house.
Amy I had a very small yorkie didnt want her outside because she was 7wks old I paper trained her then I started letting her go outside with my mini dashhound it takes patience but she got old had heart problems I had her pad and she was dead at almost 16 yrs old she would cough and leak pee I never scolded her she always had my love and I had hers I seen people scold an swat but she didnt go through any of that dogs are like kids my first child I made him set on potty terriable time and my other kids was a breeze they’re little need all love and praise my dogs were spoiled I bought her she was sick but she was very old I lost her would love to have a personality dog like she had and beautiful she was have patience dont push it so hard give the puppies a chance to make the decision they will make u happy with them that’s what they want but to many words to them and they feel ur frustration makes then a nervous wreck
I am very frustrated and so is my puppy. I am gone from 7-5 mon-friday, I hate it but it has to be. We have a 8month old Morkie(boy) . He started out pretty good, we made the mistake doing both, taking him outside and having him go on the potty pads. Being we are gone so long, and I hate confining him to a cage so we put baby gates on both sides of the kitchen and he stays in there for the day, he has his crate with a blanket he can go in that is in the kitchen with toys and food and potty pad is in the kitchen. during the evenings and weekends when he is not in the kitchen, he will just find an area to go on the carpet both #1 and#2, . I think we just need to work at training him again, but my biggest question, is it okay that we put the baby gates and not use the crate, I just can’t do that to him being we are gone all day.
Hi Lisa, I am in the same boat as you are. I talked to my vet about my work schedule and how I cant feed them three times a day due to me working 8-4. Dog are natural den animals so being in a crate all day is not cruelty to them. Keeping them in their crate with a little blanket/sheet over it will be just fine. make sure they have a toy and some food(no water) Just some tips my vet gave me that may be helpful for you 🙂
Try when ur gone having some kind of music puppy being alone is not good but dont confine them to crate the baby gates should be fine has the room to move and you have pee pads down it should work I always kept food and water down to mine
Hi i just got a morkie puppy and i was training her to go outside and inside but this isn’t working out as she is still going number1 on the rug and she is to young to hold it very long so is my best choice to train her on paper or outside
Hey Larry, if you prefer outside, keep doing what you’re doing. As soon as she does a little poop inside, (ignore here) take it outside, with her on a leash, and put it near her most recent pee. Then use your phrase, “go potty” or whatever it is, several times in a very positive voice, so she’ll associate it with going outside. After a short while, you can pick it up and carry it in. You may have to do this a number of times, but it WILL work. Really!
Best of luck, Deb@morkienation.com
My Morkie is six months old, she likes to go outside to potty. Ut will use the paper too BUT the problem is that she will also pee on the rug. She always uses her paper for #2 but not consistent with #1 and I don’t know why. I tried everything the wrong way and the tight way of doing it and neither seems to work. She knows she did wrong and will even let me know she did it but I don’t know why else yo fo. Any ideas?
Hi Sharon,
I was having this problem too. upon lots of research I learned that dogs have a hard time telling the difference between rugs and pads. Your best option for training would be to pick up the rugs and remove them until she is consistent with only using the pads.
Hi 🙂 I was just given a Morkie by my daughter. It was initially for her son but they are just gone too much with the children’s activities. He is 6 months old. At Christmas, when they first got him they started trying to teach him to go outside. He has had accidents but when I went to pick him up this weekend I noticed he generally went to the door when he had to go potty. A couple of questions: (1) Is he beyond paper training now. I am currently in a rental house but would like for him to be paper trained as I may be moving into an apartment. (2) He is used to being kenneled during the day. I work full time – should I continue leaving him in the kennel since that is what he is accustomed to?
Thanks for your help.
Hi Janet! It WILL be possible, but not easy, to retrain your Morkie to use papers. The key is, don’t offer him the choice of going outside. When he indicates he has to go, perhaps by going to the door, take him to the pee pads/papers and encourage him there with a catch phrase such as “go potty.” Your voice should be very ‘happy.’
What many people do with a small dog is get a small pen enclosure – here’s one as an example at amazon.com — http://amzn.to/1PR6jMC. You can put his kennel in the enclosure with the door open and he’ll probably enjoy staying in it during the day. Include a water bowl, some toys and puppy pads and he has everything he needs… perhaps some food too.
Since it’s hard to small dogs to hold on much more than 4 hours, this is a good way to protect your home while you make life comfortable for your Morkie. Plus in your case, this will reinforce using the papers instead of going outside.
Good luck with this – let me know how it goes!
best regards,
Deb@MorkieNation.com