Yorkie Terrier Cage Training

Yorkies, or Yorkshire terriers, are lively, inquisitive dogs that make excellent apartment companions. They are known for their intelligence and occasionally for their willfulness, and cage training the Yorkie as soon as you get it home can help you establish a routine. Cage training, which is also called crate training, is an important part of toilet training for Yorkies.

  1. Size

    • The cage should be big enough for an adult Yorkie to turn around in, but not so large that it can soil one area and sleep in another. If the cage is too large for your puppy, put a cardboard box inside the cage that the puppy can sleep in, which will help it feel more secure.

    Features

    • In the beginning, leave the Yorkie in the crate at night and when you are not actively training it or playing with it. This will help prevent accidents from occurring and it will give the puppy a sense that the crate is a familiar, friendly place.

    Significance

    • Cage training encourages the Yorkie to see the cage as its den. A den has naturally good associations for a dog, as it is a place where it feels safe and enclosed. Cage training capitalizes on the fact that Yorkies are reluctant to soil their dens.

    Considerations

    • Puppies need to develop their bladder control, and as the Yorkie is a small breed, it has a smaller bladder to work with in the first place. Take the puppy out in the morning, in the evening, and after every meal. If the puppy soils its cage, that means that it needs to be taken out more often.

    Warning

    • Never force the Yorkie puppy into the cage, as this might make it nervous. Also do not give your Yorkie puppy food or water just before you go to bed. Puppies have poor bladder control, and will likely soil the cage by morning if you do so.