Talk to the breeder for tips and advice, and then jump right in. The rate at which the puppy succeeds is determined by the amount of consistent training that you, as the owner, give him.

Everyone’s excited about the new puppy,… until those “little accidents” around the home get really frustrating!!

Potty training or dog housebreaking your small dog is a real test of your patience, but it is also one of the first opportunities that you and your Morkie puppy will have to bond.

Dog house training is a lot of hard work, but it is necessary. In fact, it’s job one.

Just keep in mind, when it comes to housebreaking, every dog succeeds at a different rate. Morkies – being among the smartest and yes, most mischievous, can be especially challenging. Owners say that Yorkie potty training can be a real trial, and so can training a Maltese, so of course, it could be tough housetraining your Morkie. But with some patience and sense of humour on your part, you WILL survive Morkie puppy training!

Three shortcuts to easier housetraining

First, be consistent in letting your Morkie know where you want him to go

• do you want her to go on papers, puppy pads or in a litter pan – or outdoors?
• you can’t mix methods or switch from one to the other. Pick one way of dog housebreaking and stick with it.
• use the same phrase every time, whether it’s “go potty,” “do your business” or whatever you choose – many dogs can be trained to go on command, just by using this simple phrase!

Second, be consistent with feeding times.

• because they’re so small, most dogs like Morkies, Yorkies or Maltese, should be fed three times a day to avoid low blood sugar shock, or hypoglycemia
• usually, they will need to eliminate within 10 to 20 minutes of eating, as well as upon rising and before bed time and
  in between as needed
• if you see your dog looking around and sniffing, be sure to take him out or to his papers right away
• Use your action phrase often!

Third, be lavish in your praise, and avoid all old school, cruel training like whacking the dog with a newspaper.

• 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
• trainers tell us that this old style of training is really bad, since the dog probably doesn’t even know why you’re mad
• swatting your dog 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 dog does well, and give her lots of praise, using her name then and keeping your tone positive

1.  When your Morkie wakes up, even from a short nap, take him to the potty place.

2.  Feed your Morkie on a regular schedule which will eventually be three to four times a day. After he eats or drinks anything, take him to the potty place.

3.  After your Morkie plays or exercises, take him to the potty place.

4.  Withhold water for two to three hours before your Morkie goes to bed.

5.  Just before bedtime, take him to the potty place.

Going outside – “house training” means your Morkie can never go indoors, even on puppy training pads or “pee pads” as we call them in our household.

Pick one and stay with it.

Changing house training methods will confuse your Morkie and will ultimately lead to accidents.

Not only does it make dog ownership more enjoyable, but obedience training can literally save your dog’s life in key situations – think of your Morkie slipping out the door and running into traffic…. if he responds to stop, sit or stay, he’s safe.

Why train my Morkie?

The #1 cause of death for dogs in Canada and the U.S. today is euthanasia. Yup, putting your dog down because you cannot deal with his behavior problems, aggression or destructive patterns.

So, training is not only important – it’s life and death for many dogs.

Training for young puppies should include house training, fear and aggressiveness control, chew training, and basic commands like sit, come, stay, and familiarizing her with leash and collar.

Begin with simple training and adopt a soft and gentle approach when your dog is young. She is going to lose attention and get frightened if you adopt a harsh training regime.

At young age, your dog’s attention span is low. Do not bore her with lengthy and serious training sessions.

Lengthy and harsh training sessions will make your dog averse to learning.

The goal: at least 15-30 minutes of training every day.

You can get there with small 3-5 minute sessions spread all through the day. Spread it out and try to incorporate training in whatever she does.

Make training fun, not boring for your Morkie.

What to teach your puppy to get started:

• The Big Three: Sit, Stay, Come
• Three more: Down, Off and walking on a leash