Housetraining Yorkshire Terriers can be a lot trickier than many people think! To be successful in housetraining your Yorkshire Terrier, you have to set up a schedule. Your Yorkie isn't going to do that for himself. It takes your effort and monitoring for several weeks to a few months for this to occur, so that your Yorkshire Terrier learns a routine.

To help your Yorkshire Terrier know when it's the right time to go potty, simply stick to the routine consistently. Your Yorkie is like most people in that when they awake, they normally go to the bathroom right away.

Well, your Yorkie needs the same courtesy. Don't stop to make coffee or check the newspaper - take your Yorkshire Terrier out as soon as you're up and moving. He's been holding it all night, so don't make this difficult.

This potty break should be short, say 5 to 10 minutes or so. Your Yorkie can come inside and have breakfast while you get ready for your day. Before you leave the house, take your Yorkie out for a potty break, so they've got the best chance for success.

The thinking here is that if the Yorkie had some time to eat and for the food settle, it will be ready for potty before going into the crate or the room where you keep him during the day. And keep in mind that if you have a puppy, you will need to schedule a mid-morning and mid-afternoon break as well.

If you're at work all day, you need to arrange for a family member or friend to handle those breaks for you. Ensure that whoever does this follows the routine you have created precisely. Ideally, the potty breaks should be short, about 5 to 10 minutes, and should not be confused with play time. You want the Yorkshire Terrier to understand and know the difference between potty and play.

For dinner time, use a similar housetraining schedule This means taking your Yorkshire Terrier out as soon as you get back to the house. Try to feed your Yorkie dinner at the same time each day.

Your goal is to feed your Yorkie early enough in the evening such that he has time for the food to digest and be ready for a potty break before going down for sleep. And you'll want to follow the same pattern and schedule for housetraining the next day, and the following day, and so on.

You can make notes on the times and potty breaks for your Yorkshire Terrier. We've even seen people make a simple checklist of the Yorkie's schedule and post it on the refrigerator for the whole family. This involves the whole family in housetraining your Yorkie as well as giving you a more accurate view of your dog's potty needs.

Be sure to give your Yorkie lots of positive praise and affection when he goes potty. Verbal praise and a small food treat work great. In the old days, dog trainers advised punishment when a dog went in the house...but this has been shown to be less effective than the positive reinforcement housetraining.

Keep in mind that Yorkies love to please their master! If they make a mistake in the house, try not to be too upset with them. And if it's your fault and you miss the schedule, just clean it up and get your dog back on track without scolding him. If you stick to this schedule-based method and combine it with positive reinforcement and praise, you'll find that housetraining Yorkshire Terriers is a snap!