Hi everyone! Meet Riley!

[Sugarfied827]

Hey guys! Finally figured out how to upload pictures! Don't mind me for showing off my little girl We got her 4 weeks ago today....she's now 18 weeks old and weighs 2.9 pounds....such a big girl haha! Things are going great. Of course potty training being the most difficult thing right now. She can hold herself overnight in her crate but needs to go out every hour once she's out of her crate. Sometimes she seems to just dribble but if I don't take her out she will just pee on the floor! We crate her for a few hours during the afternoon and a few hours in the evening in order to fix dinner etc....do you think she needs to be crated more throughout the day? Thanks for any suggestions/tips! ~Kim

Hope the link works!
http://i1311.photobucket.com/albums/...psad5b231b.jpg
http://i1311.photobucket.com/albums/...psad5b231b.jpg
http://i1311.photobucket.com/albums/...ps96aaf467.jpg

[Wylie's Mom]

A belated CONGRATS on your new kiddo. She sounds so smart, doing so well w/ her potties. I don't have advice on crating, as we never did it. We used an xpen during the day and fenced off an area when each of ours was a puppy. I know a lot folks here though use crates, so you'll get some good advice .

Btw, your links aren't working for me...

[wisteria]

She is ADORABLE! I don't have any words of wisdom when it comes to crating, but you will get some from others.

[normarae63]

ADORABLE!
Welcome to YT. (The links worked for me )

[Teresa Ford]

Glad you posted pictures we love watching them grow up. She is very cute !

[Verbena]

She is a cutie. Hello and welcome to YT

[MandiesMom]

That's weird that the links worked for some of you. They aren't working for me either. ?

[Judyest]

I would love to see little Riley ~ but links are not working for me either.

[MishyMish]

Hi Riley!

[instcollector]

Your little Riley is so cute!!! Her face makes me smile. I am new on the forum and do not have a Yorkie, but I adore them, and my grown daughter just lost hers.

[Maximo]

Welcome to YT. Riley is adorable! (the first linked picture worked for me)

For crate training a puppy, don't go over 2 hours, 3 hours maximum. Puppy bladders are tiny and still developing. Although she can hold it overnight, which is amazing, daytime is different -- greater urges to go.

Crate potty training involves leaving the pup in the crate for most of the day and taking out only to potty and play for relatively brief periods -- frequently.

You could modify this (as it sounds like you are doing), and when she is out of the crate during the day, make sure her freedom is still limited to a relatively small area where you can supervise her closely. Take her outside to potty frequently and always praise her profusely when she goes in the right place. Give her a small treat like a single kibble.

Potty breaks should be after each meal, when she wakes up from sleeping or a nap, and after playtime or anything that causes excitement. If you stick to a schedule, her body will naturally grow into the rhythm.

Develop a means by which she can tell you when she needs to go (never rely on this completely, but start training now). Use potty bells on the door handle or one on the floor, or some other method. My boys (who are pad and outdoor trained) come to me and get my attention and I just know what they want. I'm not sure how to explain to train for this.

Good luck!

[Sugarfied827]

Thanks for all of the wonderful advice! Maximo I'm going to try crating her for longer periods of time and see how that works out. She loves her crate so I know she won't mind! She does have free roam of the house however is watched like a hawk. If she leaves the room I follow her to see what she is investigating or try to lure her back in with her squeaky skunk toy that she loves so much. I like the idea of the bell ringing system. Although I think she would just play with the bell haha. It sounds self explanatory but I'm guessing you ring the bell as you take her out to potty? As anyone else had success with this method? And I'm not sure why the pic links aren't working for some (they won't even work for me) I'm uploading from my iPhone. I have a very cute video I'd like to share but I better master pic uploading first lol! And thanks for all the kind comments....I think she's pretty cute too

[Maximo]

Originally Posted by Sugarfied827

Thanks for all of the wonderful advice! Maximo I'm going to try crating her for longer periods of time and see how that works out. She loves her crate so I know she won't mind! She does have free roam of the house however is watched like a hawk. If she leaves the room I follow her to see what she is investigating or try to lure her back in with her squeaky skunk toy that she loves so much. I like the idea of the bell ringing system. Although I think she would just play with the bell haha. It sounds self explanatory but I'm guessing you ring the bell as you take her out to potty? As anyone else had success with this method? And I'm not sure why the pic links aren't working for some (they won't even work for me) I'm uploading from my iPhone. I have a very cute video I'd like to share but I better master pic uploading first lol! And thanks for all the kind comments....I think she's pretty cute too

Ringing the bell for fun and to go outside, not just for potty, is a bit of a challenge. I think for training most people demonstrate for the pup how to ring the bell each time before going out. You can use your pup's paws to ring the bell each time before you go out. Use keywords and phrases to mark the behavior: ring the bell, and then say "Potty time!" or "outside" or whatever you like. Using keywords really helps with any training.

[southernbelle04]

Awww! She's adorable! Welcome!