Ever noticed your Yorkshire terrier ruining your sheets of paper, furniture, kitchen utensils, scattering food around the house, and being unable to spend a day alone in their crate? This must have made you really upset and worried about your Yorkies behavior and made you question how to crate train a Yorkie?
One of the common concerns for owners is how to crate train a Yorkie? As Yorkies are little pups who are full of energy and enthusiasm. This makes it a little difficult for them to crate train. However, it is not an impossible task.
Crate training Yorkshire terriers is not a very difficult task if done every day with proper consistency and practice. So let us help answer your question: how to crate train a Yorkie?
How To Crate Train A Yorkie? A Step-By-Step Guide
Crate training your Yorkie will require you to spend a lot of time with your little puppy and to be patient with your pup. So here is a proper guide on how to crate train a Yorkie?
1. Select a Proper Crate
Before you engage in crate training your Yorkie, make sure you select a good crate for your little pup as he will be spending some time there. Therefore, it is important for him to be comfortable there.
Make sure your crate is nice and firm so that it can hold your pup. Also, add soft bedding, chew toys, etc inside the crate to keep your Yorkshire terrier entertained.
Check out this crate which includes a pet bed, crate cover, and dog food bowls.
Another option is this collapsible and portable dog crate for your Yorkshire terrier.
2. Introduce Your Yorkie to His Crate
The next step is for you to expose your little Yorkie pup to the crate. You can start by placing the crate in a room where people come and go often. This will make your Yorkie puppy go there often.
Next, you can start by keeping the crate open and commanding your pup to go in and out of the crate. Try and keep the crate open as much as you can in the initial stages of crate training your Yorkie puppy.
3. Potty Train Your Yorkie and Set a Fixed Routine
Crate training requires your Yorkshire terrier to have a fixed potty schedule as they would be spending a lot of time in their crate. Young puppies need to take out at least every 2 hours. Once they grow to be older dogs, they can hold it in for around 8 hours.
Thus, it is important first to identify your pup’s schedule and then fix a routine around that. Take a look at our extensive Yorkie potty training guide here.
4. Train Your Yorkie To Use the Crate for Shorter Period of Time
The next thing you can do is command your Yorkshire terrier to go inside the crate. You can keep your pup in for around 10-15 minutes and each day increase the time. You can keep a chew toy beside your pup for it to play with too.
Take a look at this awesome chew toy that your Yorkie will definitely love.
5. Train Your Yorkie To Use the Crate for Longer Period of Time
Once your Yorkshire terrier can stay in the crate for short periods, you can slowly start increasing the time. Do this gradually and not all at once. This will help your pup to not be too overwhelmed.
Doing this will help your little puppy stay in the crate for a few hours up to spending the whole night in it.
6. Reward With Treats for Independent Crate Time
The best way to crate train any dog is through using positive reinforcement. Providing your Yorkshire terrier with treats after staying in the crate for as long as you asked them to will help them perform that behavior again.
Make sure you provide your Yorkie with a treat every time the desired behavior is performed. Soon your little pup will make the association and stay for longer periods in the crate!
Confused about the best treats for your pet friend? Check out this treat.
7. Night Time Crate Training
For nighttime crate training, make sure you tire your dog the entire day. You can provide your Yorkie with a lot of physical and mental stimulation by taking it to the park, taking it around the neighborhood, or playing puzzle games with them.
Once your dog is tired, try putting your Yorkie in the crate for about 3-4 hours and then slowly allow it to spend the night in the crate. Give your pup a chew toy to keep it company.
Also, keep the crate in the bedroom as your little Yorkie puppy will have to leave for elimination according to their schedule. Once your little Yorkie is asleep in its crate, you can move the crate to where you like.
Check out this video on how to train your Yorkie?
Why Is It Important To Crate Train Your Yorkie? Top 6 Reasons
Now that we’ve understood how to crate train a Yorkie? Let’s understand why one should crate train a Yorkie in the first place. There are several reasons for doing so. Let’s explore more.
1. A Safe Space
Dogs often have a natural instinct to protect themselves from too much loud noise and disturbance at home. Thus, a crate provides a safe space for your Yorkie to take shelter.
2. Unsupervised Time For Your Yorkie
You may have a lot of things to do and complete in the day whether it be household chores or work. Thus, you cannot keep checking for what your little Yorkie is doing.
Thus, the crate helps you take away this worry about your dog as they are in one place. It helps you continue with your work and reduces your Yorkie’s interference in your work too.
3. Convenient for Travelling
If you plan on traveling for half a day or so you easily leave your Yorkie in its crate. This will leave you feeling calm and tense-free about your Yorkie’s whereabouts as your little pup will be completely safe inside the crate.
Besides being 100% safe in the crate while you’re gone, you can also forget worrying about your house, furniture, and kitchen being destroyed. You will be able to have a stress-free break!
4. Helps Keep the Yorkie Calm
If your Yorkie is whining or barking because of restlessness or boredom, a crate can be really useful in calming your Yorkie down. Your pup can rest easily or play with their toys.
This also allows you to peacefully do your work while your Yorkie kills time in their crate.
5. Establishes a Routine
Dogs stay mentally and physically healthy under a set routine. Having a fixed toilet time, time to walk, time to play, and time to stay in the crate will help your little Yorkie adjust better to their environment.
6. Housebreaking
If your dog has a fixed schedule, your Yorkie will be properly toilet trained on times when they are expected to. This prevents housebreaking.
Once you introduce your little Yorkie puppy to their crate and make it seem like a happy place, they are less likely to soil their own sleeping area and therefore will follow their schedule.
Things To Consider While Setting Up Your Yorkie’s Crate
As you have got the answer to how to crate train your Yorkie? Let’s keep in mind some things to consider when it comes to putting your Yorkshire terrier in their crate.
1. Location
The location of where you put your Yorkie in its crate is of utmost importance. Make sure you don’t isolate your Yorkie by placing him somewhere far away.
Keep the crate somewhere where there are people moving about and conversations are taking place.
You can place your Yorkie’s crate in the corner of the living room, in the bedroom, or in the kitchen. Find a good spot with good temperature and lighting.
Make sure you do not keep the crate to a place where there is too much sunlight, heat, or radiation or a place that is too dark and cold.
2. Bedding
It is also necessary to make sure that there is soft bedding on the floor of the crate as your Yorkie will be spending quite a lot of time in there. This helps them be comfortable and it gives a homely feeling to the crate which will make your Yorkie go to the crate more often.
Check out this ultra-soft bedding ,which is sure to provide lots of comfort to your dear pet.
3. Food and Water
Add the food and water bowls outside of the crate and put out the food whenever it’s their food time. Make sure not to keep refilling the food bowel as it may make your Yorkie a little lazy to get out of the crate.
4. Toys
Putting toys in your Yorkshire terriers crate will keep them entertained
throughout the time for when they are in the crate. It will also keep them mentally stimulated and active.
Check out these squeaky toys which will surely keep your little Yorkie engaged.
How Long Should You Leave Your Yorkie In The Crate?
When it comes to the time of leaving your Yorkie in the cage, it totally depends on their age. A 2-month-old puppy should not be left in the crate for more than an hour. As your Yorkie gets to the age of 5-8 months they can be left in the crate from about 5-6 hours.
Also, try avoiding leaving your Yorkie in the crate overnight as it may have an effect on their mental health.
How Long Does It Take To Crate Train Your Yorkie?
It takes up to 3 weeks for these adorable little dogs to train. Since Yorkies are extremely social and love their dog owners, they may face separation anxiety in the beginning but constant training and a rewarding system will help them stay in their crate.
Steps To Follow If Your Yorkie Cries Or Whines In The Crate
Firstly, it is important to know why your little Yorkie is whining. Is it because they have to eliminate or because they want to be played with.
Once you set your Yorkie to a fixed potty training schedule, you will know if your Yorkie is whining because it’s time for them to eliminate. If they have already completed elimination and are whining, it probably means they want you to play with them.
Make sure you don’t encourage their whining behavior and only once they stop whining you can let them out of the crate.
FAQs on How To Crate Train A Yorkie?
1. Should I Ignore My Puppy Whining In The Crate?
Try and understand the cause of the whining first. If it’s because it’s their time to eliminate let them out. If it’s because of boredom, let them out only once they stop whining. You can ignore the whining at that time.
If not ignored, your Yorkie might start being clingy.
2. Should I Cover My Dog’s Crate?
You can do this if your Yorkie is too excited or anxious about something. Covering the crate will reduce the number of visual stimuli that your Yorkie will perceive. Thus, it will help them stay calm and relaxed in their crate.
Try not to cover their crate at all times as then it may make your Yorkie very anxious to leave the crate and the environment around your little pup may seem to be very overwhelming.
3. Where Should You Put A Dog Crate?
Put your Yorkies crate where there is a lot of social interaction and people passing by. This helps your Yorkie feel less alone and then you can also keep a tab on your Yorkies activities from time to time.
Also, make sure to place the crate where there is adequate sunlight and ventilation. Lack of ventilation can sometimes lead to adverse conditions like heat stroke.
Conclusion
This article deals with the question: how to crate train a Yorkie? It explains a basic step-by-step procedure to carry out while crate training.
It is important for you to remember to be patient while crate training your Yorkie and making sure everything that needs to be around and in the crate is present at all times so as to reduce discomfort and give your Yorkie a nice happy and pleasant experience inside the crate.
