7 y/o Yorkie - too late?

We're looking into adopting a 7 y/o male yorkie but he's not housetrained. Would it be too late to train him b/c he's older now?

Does anyone have any advice or recm'd about how to go about this? I'm a first time dog owner, but hubby grew up with them his entire life.

Re: 7 y/o Yorkie - too late?

It is never too late.

If you have the time and patience to do it, then def go for it.

Older dogs rule!!!

Re: 7 y/o Yorkie - too late?

Honestly, unless you are going to be home all the time (at least in the beginning) I would think long and hard before taking him.
Especially after seeing Jess's experience with Mia.
Sometimes it's almost impossible to reteach them, unless you are willing to spend a ton of time OR hire a trainer.

I agree with Reggie though - adopting an older dog is an awesome idea!

Re: 7 y/o Yorkie - too late?

If you guys work a lot, then I would say don't do it. You need to be home to do this, especially with an older dog. With a puppy it would be easier.

Re: 7 y/o Yorkie - too late?

as far as housetraining goes, i agree with the others, it's never too late but you will need the time and patience for it.

but another important question is, has he been neutered for a while? i ask because if he was just neutered or if he isn't yet then he will likely lift his leg and mark. getting past marking behaviors is a whole other beast, in addition to housetraining the dog. it took me a couple months of having my owen in diapers before he stopped marking in my house, and he was about a year old. i'm not sure if the marking instinct is more "cemented" in an older dog - but i would look into it if the dog hasn't been neutered.

i hope it works out for you, because adopting an older dog can be so rewarding! good luck.

Re: 7 y/o Yorkie - too late?

Thanks so much for your feedback ladies. I may be making a career change soon, and will have about 4 weeks at home...figured I can dedicate those 4 weeks to training him.

However, before we do go about anything, we are going to spend some time with him and his foster to ensure he's the right one for us.

Re: 7 y/o Yorkie - too late?

Oh, and he is neutered!

Re: 7 y/o Yorkie - too late?

My big guy Bruno is 6 and he'll still catch on to something new that we make a habit. He also sleeps so much now since he's gotten older. He pees in the morning at 6am when my husband gets up and then not again for hours until he wakes up.
He is trained to go on pads but loves to go outside too. When we leave the house for hours at a time, he doesn't use the pad until we come home and he wants to greet us.
It may be easier to train the 7 y/o because he might not have to go that much.
Good Luck

Re: 7 y/o Yorkie - too late?