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Are you wondering what to do about your Yorkie potty training regression?

You’re probably feeling devastated after you’ve put so much effort into housebreaking your Yorkie.

Don’t despair because we’ve got 7 Yorkie training tips & tricks to help you deal with potty training regression.

Just keep on reading.

7 Tips on Yorkie Potty Training Regression

Yorkshire Terriers have such an adorable appearance that people often forget that they’re terriers.In other words, Yorkies can be as stubborn as mules and are notoriously difficult to housebreak.

Don’t be surprised if you hit a wall in your Yorkie potty training, and your dog regresses to peeing inside the house.

It’s far more common than you think, but it’s nothing that a dedicated owner can’t handle.

What’s important is to understand what causes potty training regression and find the right fix.

Here are 7 tips to help you with this daunting task.

#1 Understand Potty Training Regression

Think about your Yorkie as a small child. Even if you have potty trained them well, your Yorkie can still have an occasional accident in the house.

That’s normal, especially if you reduce the number of potty breaks.

But if your Yorkie continues to do their business inside the house, then you are dealing with potty training regression.

Usually, puppies between the ages of four months and one year are more likely to “forget” about their potty training.

That’s because your Yorkie puppy is still very young and needs more time to remember their potty spot.

However, medical issues, stress, and anxiety can also lead to potty training regression.

#2 Rule Out a Medical Issue

Lots of owners think that their peeing in the house is a matter of housebreaking gone wrong or a behavior problem.

But it can be something much more serious that requires urgent attention.

Any inappropriate urination after you’ve housebroken your Yorkie can be a sign of an illness.

You might be dealing with urinary tract infection, problems with the kidneys, or diabetes.

All these can make your Yorkie pee more than usual and have accidents in the house.

While puppies are less likely to develop such health problems, inappropriate urination in Yorkies is worrisome.

That’s why you should take your Yorkie to the vet to rule out an illness.

#3 Eliminate Stress and Anxiety

Besides illness, stress and anxiety can also lead to potty training regression in Yorkies.

Whenever your pooch is afraid, nervous, or anxious, they might not be able to hold their bladder or alert you of the urgency of the situation.

Fireworks, thunders, and other loud noises can scare a small dog like a Yorkie out of their mind and make them hide under the bed.

You’ll likely find a wet puddle when you go looking for your dog.

Separation anxiety can also trigger inappropriate urination because your Yorkie is in such distress that they can’t control themselves.

Unfortunately, Yorkies are prone to this condition because they bond strongly with their owner.

If you’re dealing with Yorkie potty training regression, you should think if something might have stressed your dog.

Eliminating the trigger and overcoming the separation anxiety should help you return your Yorkie on the right track.

#4 Reevaluate Your Daily Routine

If you’re having trouble with your Yorkie potty training, you should reevaluate your dog’s daily routine. Maybe you’ve been neglecting it these couple of weeks or made adjustments to it recently.

Remember that regular visits to the potty spot are a must no matter how old your dog is.

You can’t expect your dog to hold their bladder for hours without soiling the carpet.

In addition to this, stick to the basics of potty training:

• Feed and water your dog at the same time to predict when your Yorkie will need a bathroom break.
• Don’t give any food or water to your Yorkie two hours before bedtime.
• Keep an eye for signs that your Yorkie has to go. If you ignore them, you have only yourself to blame.
• Use a crate or a playpen to help you re-teach your Yorkie to hold their bladder.
• Have realistic expectations. Puppies have small bladders and need frequent bathroom breaks.

It’s possible that you’ve moved too quickly and you need to go several steps back. If you’ve changed your potty training routine, start from the beginning and move slowly.

#5 Keep Tabs

During a regression period, you might also consider keeping tabs on your Yorkie’s bathroom habits and writing down the time between potty breaks.

When there’s an accident, make a note of when it happened and where.

While it might seem silly, it will help you spot a pattern if there’s any.

For example, your Yorkie might be peeing in one specific area or at a specific time.

Once you notice a trend, you can put your efforts into fixing the problem.

Moreover, keeping tabs on your Yorkie’s bathroom habits will allow you to make the right adjustments to your dog’s daily routine. It will also help you spot any stomach or bladder issues.

#6 Stick to the Same Potty Spot

When their Yorkie starts to have accidents in the house, some owners think that their dog doesn’t like the potty spot and change it.

That’s the worst you can do in such situations because you’re going to confuse your Yorkie.

Going to the same location makes it a part of your dog’s daily routine and reinforces the notion that the acceptable place for doing one’s business is outside.

Moreover, that spot smells like your Yorkie, and the familiar scent is likely to relax them and encourage them to relieve themselves.

Instead of changing the location, you should increase the number of outings per day until your Yorkie stops having accidents. Also, increase the rewards and use plenty of positive reinforcement to make the experience pleasant.

#7 Handle Regression The Right Way

I can understand how frustrated you might be if your Yorkie start doing their business in the house again.

However, yelling and scolding your dog won’t do anything but deepen your problem. Such tactics are a big “don’t” in dog training.

Remember that stress and anxiety are one of the biggest triggers for potty training regression. The more you scare your Yorkie, the more likely they are to urinate inside.

That’s the opposite of what you want.

Moreover, don’t rub your Yorkie’s nose in their mess or leave them in a soiled crate.

While dogs are clean animals, they get used to staying in dirty dens, and then you’ll never reteach them to go outside.

If you catch your Yorkie in the act, tell them a firm “NO” and get them to their potty spot as soon as possible.

Stay positive and keep your temper at check.

In most cases, potty training a Yorkie requires weeks of patience, frequent bathroom breaks, and strict rules.

However, all these efforts pay off when you get to enjoy a pee free house. Don’t worry if your puppy regresses in their potty training but try to find why it has happened.

Likely your Yorkie just needs a quick refreshing course, and you don’t have a reason to worry.

What do you think about these 7 Yorkie potty train regression tips? Have you ever dealt with this? Tell us in the comments.

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