Housebreaking Advice

We have a 12-week old Yorkie. When we got him, the breeder told us we couldn't take him outside until he got his second round of shots. So we paper trained him with newspapers right near the back door.

Once he got his second round of shots, we started taking him outside to do his business.

Now we are caught in the middle of a weird situation. He will go to the paper on his own now and hardly has any accidents in the house anymore. And that's in only a week and a half of us having him! He eliminates outside but only if we pick him up and bring him out. Our goal is for him to bark at the back door when he needs to "go."

So here is my question: We praised him and gave him a treat whenever he went on the paper. Now that we want him to bark when he needs to go outside, how do we ween him off the paper now? I'm afraid he'll be confused like, "I thought I was good and get treats on the paper?"

Any advice would be awesome! Thanks!

Re: Housebreaking Advice

What if, every few hours, you take him and the paper he's used to going on outside? Gradually stop taking the paper outside with you and begin praising him for going on the grass.

He may never learn to bark when he has to go, but he will probably learn to stand at the door when he's gotta go.

Re: Housebreaking Advice

Good suggestion from PP, that is what I did with my second dog. We never should have done the paper thing with him. Live and learn.

We took the 3rd one directly outside, I just wipe his feet when he comes in.

We put bells on a string and hang them from the doors (to the outside), so he can reach them to hit the bells. We started telling him

"puppy go pee/poo" and hit the bells. After a few weeks, he now hits the bells himself to let us know he has to go out.

Good luck!

Re: Housebreaking Advice

My dog was wee wee pad trained in an apartment and when we moved to our townhouse decided that she wanted to go outside sometimes and on the pads others..lol...it works for us...and is good to know if we aren't home she will go to the bathroom...

Have you tried moving the papers? maybe if they aren't by the door she'll bark, or you will see her standing by the door so you know to let her out. My dog doesn't bark at the door she just stands there till we notice she wants to go out..lol