Potty Training for Your Morkie: A Comprehensive Guide
Potty training is a pivotal aspect of raising a Morkie, a delightful crossbreed that combines the traits of a Maltese and a Yorkshire Terrier. This guide explores the nuances of potty training for Morkies, delving into the fundamentals, preparing for the process, and addressing various aspects that contribute to a successful training journey.
The Basics of Potty Training for Morkies
Potty training is all about teaching your Morkie to eliminate in appropriate places, primarily outdoors. Understanding their cues and rhythms is key to success. This process involves patience, consistency, and positive reinforcement to cultivate desirable habits.
Importance of Patience and Consistency
Patience and consistency form the backbone of successful potty training. Morkies are intelligent but may take time to grasp the concept. Maintain a calm demeanor and avoid frustration, reinforcing positive behavior consistently to encourage desired outcomes.
Preparing for Potty Training
Gathering Necessary Supplies: Equipping yourself with essentials like treats, a leash, waste bags, and cleaning supplies is crucial for a smooth potty training journey. When potty training a Morkie, having the right supplies can make the process more manageable. Here are some essential supplies you'll need:
Treats: Use small, tasty treats as rewards for your Morkie's successful outdoor potty breaks. Positive reinforcement encourages them to repeat the desired behavior.
Leash: A leash is crucial for taking your Morkie to their designated potty area. It helps control their movements and keeps them safe while outside.
Waste Bags: Always have waste bags on hand to clean up after your Morkie during potty breaks. Responsible waste disposal is essential for maintaining a clean environment.
Best dog poop bags
Cleaning Supplies: Accidents may happen indoors, so having enzymatic cleaners designed for pet messes will help effectively remove odors and prevent your Morkie from revisiting the same spot.
Puppy Pads (Optional): Puppy pads can be useful during the initial stages of training. They provide a designated indoor spot for your Morkie to eliminate, gradually transitioning to outdoor potty breaks.
Crate: A crate serves as a safe space for your Morkie and can aid in potty training by preventing accidents indoors. Choose a crate that is appropriately sized for your dog's comfort.
Wooden dog crates for small dogs
Portable dog crate for small dogs
Tether or Baby Gate: To prevent your Morkie from wandering off indoors and having accidents, consider using a tether or baby gate to confine them to a specific area.
Notebook or App: Keep track of your Morkie's potty schedule, noting successful breaks and any accidents. This can help identify patterns and adjust the routine as needed.
Having these supplies readily available will set you up for success during the potty training journey with your Morkie.
Setting Up a Designated Potty Area
Creating a specific spot outdoors for potty breaks helps your Morkie associate the location with elimination. This consistency aids in training.
Establishing a Routine
Consistent routines set the foundation for successful potty training. Regular feeding times and scheduled potty breaks contribute to better control over your Morkie's elimination habits. Establishing a consistent routine is essential when potty training a Morkie. Dogs thrive on predictability, and a structured routine helps them understand when and where they should eliminate. Begin by setting regular feeding times for your Morkie, as meals often trigger the need to potty. Take them outside shortly after eating, during waking up in the morning, after playtime, and before bedtime. Designate a specific area outdoors for potty breaks and consistently take them there to create a strong association between the spot and elimination. By following a routine, your Morkie will learn the appropriate times and locations for pottying, making the training process smoother and more effective.
Getting Started with Potty Training
Positive Reinforcement Techniques
Reward your Morkie with treats, praise, or affection when they eliminate outdoors. This technique reinforces the desired behavior and encourages them to repeat it. Positive reinforcement techniques are highly effective when potty training a Morkie dog, as they encourage desirable behavior and create a positive association with eliminating in the appropriate place. For instance, when your Morkie successfully potties outdoors, immediately offer verbal praise such as "Good job!" or "Well done!" in an enthusiastic tone. This positive verbal feedback lets them know they've done something right.
Treats are another powerful positive reinforcement tool. Keep a stash of small, tasty treats handy during potty training. When your Morkie eliminates in the designated area, reward them with a treat. This creates a direct connection between the action and the reward, reinforcing the desired behavior. Additionally, using a specific phrase like "good potty" or "outside potty" consistently while they are eliminating can help them associate the command with the action, making it easier for them to understand your expectations.
Physical affection is also a valuable tool. After your Morkie has successfully pottied outside, offer them gentle petting, scratches, or a belly rub as a reward. Dogs often respond positively to physical touch, and this form of positive reinforcement strengthens the bond between you and your Morkie while reinforcing their good behavior.
Remember, the key to successful positive reinforcement is immediate feedback and consistency. By using a combination of verbal praise, treats, and physical affection, you can effectively communicate to your Morkie that eliminating in the right place leads to positive outcomes, motivating them to repeat the behavior.
The Role of Timing
Timing is essential in potty training. Take your Morkie out first thing in the morning, after meals, playtime, and before bedtime to minimize accidents indoors.
Verbal Cues and Commands
Introduce simple verbal cues like "potty" or "outside" to associate specific actions with the desired behavior. Repetition helps your Morkie understand and respond to these commands.
The Best Age to Begin Potty Training
Understanding the developmental milestones of your Morkie is key to starting potty training at the right time. Recognizing signs of readiness and considering individual factors, such as age and temperament, help determine the optimal starting age. The best age to begin potty training a Morkie dog is rooted in understanding their developmental milestones and signs of readiness. Morkies, a crossbreed between a Maltese and a Yorkshire Terrier, exhibit individual variations in their growth and cognitive abilities. Generally, starting potty training between 12 to 16 weeks of age, when Morkies are more physically and mentally capable of learning, is advisable. At this stage, they have better bladder control and are becoming attuned to their bodily cues. Observing cues like sniffing, circling, or restlessness can signal that they need to eliminate, indicating readiness for potty training. However, it's important to note that every Morkie is unique, and some may show readiness signs earlier or later. Tailoring the training to your specific Morkie's pace and observing their behavior is key to initiating potty training at an optimal age.
Frequency of Potty Breaks
Understanding your Morkie's bladder capacity and age-related needs guides the frequency of potty breaks. Maintaining a consistent schedule fosters better control over elimination.The frequency of potty breaks for Morkie dogs is a crucial aspect of successful potty training. Understanding your Morkie's bladder capacity and age-related needs plays a significant role in determining how often they should be taken outside. Generally, Morkie puppies have smaller bladders and shorter control over their eliminations, necessitating more frequent breaks. As a rule of thumb, puppies may need to go outside every 1 to 2 hours, along with key times like after meals, play sessions, and waking up in the morning. As Morkies grow older and their bladder capacity increases, the frequency of potty breaks can be gradually extended. Consistency in timing and offering ample opportunities for outdoor elimination are essential to reinforce good habits and minimize the risk of accidents indoors.
Preventing Accidents Indoors
Supervision and Monitoring: Keeping a close eye on your Morkie helps prevent accidents indoors. Supervise them during playtime and when they're not in their designated space.
Using a Crate for Training
Crates provide a safe and confined space, reducing the chances of accidents indoors. Avoid using the crate as punishment; instead, make it a positive space.
Managing Excitement and Stress
Morkies might eliminate indoors due to excitement or stress. Minimize such triggers and create a calm environment to promote appropriate elimination habits.
Positive Reinforcement Techniques
Use rewards, treats, and verbal praise to celebrate successful outdoor eliminations. Positive reinforcement helps your Morkie associate the behavior with positive outcomes.
Nighttime Potty Training
Establishing a Nighttime Routine:
Create a consistent nighttime routine that includes a last potty break before bedtime. This helps reduce the likelihood of accidents during the night.
Limiting Water Intake Before Bed
Restricting water intake before bedtime minimizes the need for nighttime potty breaks, contributing to uninterrupted sleep.
Using a Nighttime Potty Schedule
Wake up during the night to take your Morkie out for a quick potty break. Gradually, your Morkie's bladder capacity will increase, and they will sleep through the night.
Addressing Reluctance to Potty Outside
Identifying Reasons for Reluctance:
Understanding why your Morkie might be hesitant to eliminate outdoors helps you address the issue effectively. Common reasons include fear of unfamiliar surroundings or extreme weather conditions.
Gradual Exposure to Outdoor Environment
Gradually introduce your Morkie to the outdoor environment to acclimate them and reduce reluctance. Slowly extend the duration of outdoor trips to build their confidence.
Encouraging Outdoor Exploration
Engage your Morkie in positive experiences outdoors, like playtime and short walks. Associating outdoor trips with enjoyable activities encourages them to potty outside.
Duration of Potty Training
Factors Influencing Training Timeline
The training timeline varies based on factors such as age, temperament, and individual learning pace. Celebrate progress and adapt your approach based on your Morkie's development.
Celebrating Small Wins
Acknowledge and reward your Morkie's successful potty behaviors to motivate consistent positive actions. Celebrating small wins reinforces the desired outcome.
Staying Patient During the Process
Potty training takes time and requires patience. Avoid punitive measures and maintain a positive attitude throughout the process.
Handling Setbacks and Accidents
Staying Positive and Patient:
Setbacks are common and should be met with understanding and patience. Avoid punishment, as it can hinder the learning process.
Cleaning Up Accidents Properly
Thoroughly clean any indoor accidents using enzymatic cleaners. Proper cleaning removes odors that might attract your Morkie to the same spot.
Identifying Patterns and Adjusting
Observe patterns in your Morkie's behavior to anticipate potty needs. Adjust the training routine based on these observations to prevent future accidents.
Transitioning from Puppy Pads to Outdoor Training
Gradual Transition Process:
If using puppy pads, gradually move them closer to the designated outdoor potty area. This transition helps your Morkie associate the pads' purpose with the outdoor space.
Fading the Use of Puppy Pads
As your Morkie becomes accustomed to pottying outdoors, reduce the number of puppy pads indoors. This gradual shift encourages them to consistently eliminate outdoors
Potty training a Morkie puppy can begin from the moment that you bring a puppy home. Having all the potty training supplies already in place before the puppy is home will help you to immediately start the housebreaking process. Which house training supplies should you get to ensure a successful and quick potty training of your new puppy? If you are planning to train your dog to use an indoor dog potty training system, then set the indoor dog toilet in the area that the dog can easily access. Which indoor dog potties work best for Morkies? Since Morkies are small in size, they need an indoor dog potty that is specifically designed for smaller dogs. Some of the high success potty training systems that we can recommed for Morkies include the following:
Blyss Pets Klean Paws Indoor Dog Potty
IRIS Pet Training Pad Holder
Richell Paw Trax Mesh Training Tray
Vet's Best Pet Training Pad Holder
Indoor dog potty trays are usually used with puppy pads that help to contain the dog's urine and make clean up quick and easy. Some Puppy Pads help to neutralize the dog urine odor and are highly absorbent.
Once you set up the indoor dog toilet, the difficult part now is to help your Morkie puppy understand that this is the place where he or she is supposed to use as a toilet. Morkies have a good sence of scent and if you ever had a chance to observe how dogs select a spot to use as a toilet, you noticed that a dog that is ready to pee or poop will usually sniff the floor or a tree if it's a male and find just the right spot in order to urinate there. Dogs use their nose outdoors before selecting the area where they are comfortable doing their business and if we want to make the indoor dog potty attractive for your Morkie as a potty area, there are specially scented potty aid sprays that can help the dog to use the correct spot where to go potty. There are several different sprays for marking the dog toilet available on the market and using these potty training aids can significantly speed up the potty training process and help Morkie dog to have a clear idea of where the potty is located after you spray the dog potty tray.
Use the potty training spray to mark the area that you intend to use as Morkie's toilet.
How to potty train a Morkie? Begin potty-training your dog from the moment you bring the puppy home. You will need to pay attention to the dog's behavior during the first few days by identifying potty readiness behaviors that include Morkie sniffing the floor, pacing in circles and appearing anxious as if trying to find the right spot to use as a potty. As soon as you notice the dog engaging in such behaviors, quickly pick the dog up and take Morkie to the potty area, saying "Go Potty!" in a calm voice. Place Morkie on the dog potty tray that you already sprayed with the potty attractant spray. At first Morkie may not be sure what is expected, he or she may start sniffing around and will eventually use the dog potty tray. Reward Morkie with a small healthy treat immediately and praise the dog. Although young Morkie puppies need some time to learn where they need to go potty, the first few days are critical and require your full attention in order to potty train your dog in a shortest time possible. Since your Morkie puppy will need your undivided attention in order to get potty trained, be sure that you take the dog home during a holiday or when you have a few days to dedicate to potty training your new family addition. Morkies can not house train themselves and your presence is necessary in order for the dog to learn the new skill. Accidents may still happen even if you are carefully watch Morkie during potty training. Never yell at the dog and stay very patient. In case of an accident, quickly clean up the mess and continue observing the Morkie pup for potty readiness signs so that you could promptly take the dog to the designated potty area.
Morkies can be trained to use an indoor dog potty. One of the easiest to use indoor dog potties is the All-Absorb Silicone Training Pad Holder. It is easy to clean and easy to use. Morkie will need to be trained to use this dog toilet just like with any other indoor dog potty. Place training pad into the training pad holder to keep it in place and bring your pet there every time you notice any potty readiness signs in your dog's behavior.
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Another important point to remember as you are housebreaking a Morkie is that you need to completely remove any scent of the dog's urine or feces from the accident area. The best cleaners for completely removing dog's urine smell are enzyme based cleaners. Leaving even a faint trace of urine scent on the carpet or on the floor will attract your dog in the future to use as a potty area again, which is what we want to avoid. Enzyme based cleaner is very useful for removing the dog's urine as well as urine scent from your floors to help speed up potty training process.
While potty training a puppy or a full grown Morkie may take some time, some situations call for use of doggie diapers. Doggie diapers for Morkies can help in different circumstances, including during traveling when you are unable to let your dog out for a quick bathroom break, for example. Dog diapers for senior Morkies can be a lifesaver in situations when the dog is getting older and may be losing control over his bladder. Senior Morkies may need to use dog diapers. Female Morkies can use doggie diapers during heat. Even Morkie puppies may occasionally need to use diapers at night, for example, to save your floors from numerous accidents that puppies are prone to. If you are at work during the day and want to avoid finding yellow puddles of puppy urine on the floor when you come home, you can use doggie diapers as well. Dogs that are still going through potty training occasionally need to use doggie diapers when the owners are not able to supervise the dog for an hour or so. Doggie diapers are designed for male dogs or female dogs and you need to get the appropriate size - which would be extra small or small, depending on the size of your Morkie.
How to housebreak a Morkie
What if you want to train your Morkie to pee and poop only outdoors during walks? Morkies can be trained not to soil in the house but it is the owner's responsibility to take the dog outside frequently enough (at least three or four times every day) so the dog can relieve himself during these bathroom breaks outdoors. If Morkie owner is at work all day long, it is simply not fair to expect that the dog would be waiting all day to go outside in the evening. Morkies are small in size and their bladder has limits as to how much urine it can contain. It is more humaine to potty train your pet to use an indoor dog potty when you are not around to take him outside every two or three hours. Be prepared for any accidents during potty training with an enzymatic stain remover solution that quickly cleans any accidents without leaving scent behind.
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Training your Morkie to potty outdoors has its advantages and it's relatively easy to accomplish. The housebreaking process is similar to that of indoor toilet training. Take Morkie outside as soon as you think the dog might be ready to pee or poop. Be prepared by having a small plastic bag with some treats and also a plastic bag to clean up after Morkie poops outside. Never leave the dog's poop without cleaning it up because someone may step into it and that is never a pleasant experience.
When at home and not busy, keep your Morkie close. Any moment you realize the Morkie puppy is getting ready to pee by sniffing around and pacing in circles, distract him by loudly clapping your hands and take the dog outside to his designated bathroom spot. As you move to the designated area, speak an expression that your Morkie will ultimately associate with the act of Pottying. This could be "Go Potty!" or something that is comfortable to say. Allow your Morkie some time to select a spot. While on the designated area, stand and just allow your Morkie to move within the area to select the ideal spot. Since puppies can take 1 to 15 minutes sniffing around, picking a spot, and relaxing bowel or bladder muscles, just plan to be for quite some time. After your Morkie is done poo'ing, just say "Good!" plus the phrase you selected to affirm the action and then give a reward treat. Morkies that are potty trained are much easier to take care of and initial investment of time and energy into potty training your pet is well worth the benefit of having a good mannered dog. How long does it take to fully housetrain a Morkie? That depends on your level of involvement in the potty training process. If the owner can allocate the first couple of weeks to spend with the dog and be alert to all the potty readiness signs, take the dog to the potty area and then reward the good behavior, the process can take weeks rather than months. Some Morkies may be quicker than others to learn to potty in the right spot, but ultimately with patience and consisten approach any Morkie dog can be successfully potty trained.
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