Can Yorkie Poo Puppies Be Left Alone and How Do I House Train Them Effectively?

Dear VetBabble,

Question:

Can Yorkie Poo puppies be left alone for parts of the day and how can I effectively house train them?

Answer:

Yorkie Poo puppies are indeed capable of spending some time alone during the day, although like most puppies, they benefit from a consistent potty training schedule, love, and positive reinforcement. Yorkie Poo’s are known to have smaller bladders, meaning they’ll need to be taken outside more frequently than other breeds. Although this might seem daunting, there are effective ways to teach your pet to control their bladder, and even enjoy the process. Toady, we’ll discuss the importance of crate training, toilet training and where you can find resources on effectively train your new pet.

The Importance of Crate Training

Crate training is an incredibly useful tool for potty training and teaching a puppy to spend time alone. Far from being cruel or restrictive, crates can provide your pet with a comforting and safe space of their own when they need to rest or when you’re not at home. How Do I Crate Train My Puppy? is an excellent resource that covers the crate training process in detail, and can provide you with a roadmap to ensuring that your pup views their crate as a positive space.

Quick and Effective Toilet Training

Potty training a Yorkie Poo puppy can be a challenge, but with a consistent schedule and plenty of positive reinforcement, it’s entirely achievable. The aforementioned small bladder of a Yorkie Poo requires them to go outside frequently, so ensuring you’re taking them out about every 30 minutes when they’re not in their crates is critical. Keep in mind the “rule of thumb”: one hour per month of their age, plus one, for how long they can stay in their crate without having to potty.

Our team here has created some insightful training guides which you might find helpful, such as How To Toilet Train Your Puppy in 3 Days and How to Potty Train Your Puppy in 3 Days. These guides provide you with a step by step approach to quickly and effectively use reward-based methods to teach your puppy where to do their business.

Caring for Your Puppy When You’re Not Home

As mentioned before, Yorkie Poos can be left alone, but there is a limit. The “rule of thumb” for how long they can spend in their crate is a good guideline also for how long they can be left alone during the day. Each dog is different, but, generally, no dog should be left alone for absolutely no longer than 8 hours. If you are crate training, this will ensure your dog’s safety when you can’t supervise them directly.

Training a dog, including a Yorkie Poo, is a journey that requires patience and understanding. Besides the guides mentioned above, exploring Basic Dog Training would be beneficial as it provides detailed tips and tricks to training your new pet on a range of areas, from good behaviour to basic commands. By providing ample time, patience, and positive reinforcement, you’ll make the learning process enjoyable for both you and your pet.