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Pens and Gates

Yorkshire Terrier Pens & Gates 

The 4 Huge Benefits Your Little Yorkie Will Receive

Overview

One of the most important aspects of caring for a Yorkshire Terrier is to have the right equipment and supplies. And when it comes to indoor playpens and gates, there are enormous pluses to having the right one. 

Crate Vs Pen Vs Gates

Crates, being a small metal cage, are never recommended for this breed. Not for sleeping, not for housebreaking, not for any reason at all. Being in a small enclosed space like that only serves to make a dog stressed and claustrophobic. It is not the preferred method of containing a dog and does absolutely nothing to teach house training. 

Playpens, on the other hand, which are larger yet enclosed areas, are indeed very useful allows you to keep your Yorkie in one area, yet is large enough to hold all of his needed items while allowing him to not only feel comfortable, but also be part of the family even when he is inside of it. 

Gates, which block off access to certain rooms, can work to some extent. However, there are some cons that we'll cover here. 

Why Playpens are So Helpful

Playpens are a great solution for Yorkies of any age, from tiny puppies to older adults. There are quite a few benefits:

1) Stops a Yorkie from chewing apart the house. So many owners become frustrated when their teething puppy or bored adult Yorkshire Terrier wants to chew, rip and gnaw on everything except his toys. However, the easy answer is to limit the Yorkie's ability to reach those non-toy items and of course, to offer a great selection of toys that actually meet his needs. 

Any time that your Yorkie is either home alone or you cannot keep a very close eye on him, his playpen will keep him contained to one area that prevents destructive chewing. 

2) Prevents bathroom accidents & marking. While an owner should, of course, be following all of the housebreaking guidelines, and make necessary changes to deal with marking,  the #1 method of limiting urine and stools being left all over the house is to use a proper containment method.

As stated earlier, crates do not work well. They do not stop a dog from having his natural bodily functions and only serves to cause stress and anxiety. But, the right playpen can keep messes to one area. 

Tip: Inside of the pen, have pee pads covering any free areas. Also have a quality bed, toys, food and water. Most dogs do not soil their belongings, so this leaves only the pads if the Yorkie needs to pee or poo. 

3) keep a Yorkie safe. If your house is not 100% puppy-proofed and you can't have your Yorkie right by your side... or if you are having lots of visitors and your Yorkie does not do well with foot traffic, the right playpen serves as a safe area, out of the way of commotion and/or danger. 

Portable pens are also fantastic for allowing a Yorkie to get some fresh air outside with you, if you'll be busy in the yard, or barbecuing, gardening, etc. and can't keep a close eye on him.

4) Plays a big role in helping with separation anxiety. Being home alone is rarely fun for any dogs. And some have serious issues struggling to cope with the isolation. You might think that placing a Yorkshire Terrier into a pen may worsen these anxious feelings; however, often it does just the opposite.

A dog roaming a large empty house often feels much more strain and loneliness than one safety inside 'his area' where he is warm, has his bed, all of his favorite toys and has his food and water right there. 

If you are using music, a TV or special CD's to help him, this ensures that he is able to hear these soothing sounds. It also ensures that all of the items that help him feel secure are within reach. 

Which Playpens are Best for a Yorkie

Now that we've gone over all of the important benefits to having a playpen for your Yorkshire Terrier, it's important to choose the right one. 

You'll want to opt for for that is of high quality (so it lasts a long time), is sized right (if it's too big, it loses its purpose) and one that is easy to move around (you may want to use it in several different rooms or even bring it along when visiting other houses). 

Here are our favorites:
1. The IRIS 24'' Exercise 4-Panel Playpen with a Door.

This is, by far, our favorite playpen for Yorkie puppies and small adults. It is 24 inches high and 8 square feet. it is made of heavy-duty molded plastic, so it looks nice and is easy to clean. Importantly, this playpen has a door; when you are home, you can leave the door open so your Yorkie can enter and exit at will. 

This is also a fantastic choice because as your Yorkie matures, or at any time that you feel your little guy or gal needs more room, you can add on one or more extension panels. As an added plus, Iris offers this in a range of colors if you want to coordinate this with your room's furnishings. 
2. The IRIS 34'' 8-Panel Playpen with a Door

If you know that you want something bigger and you have the space for it in your home, you may wish to opt for this one which is 36 inches high and offers a roomy 21 square feet, but takes up less floor space that you may think due to it's circular design. It is made of the same high-quality molded plastic. This is ideal for larger, adult Yorkshire Terriers and particularly those that are proficient jumpers. This has a door as well, which really comes in handy. And, as an added plus, this is available in 9 different colors. 
3. The ToysOpoly Portable Pet Playpen.

If you are looking for something portable, for example, a playpen that you can bring to someone else's house or easily move it from indoors or outdoors (with supervision, of course), this is a good choice. There is no assembly since the design is similar to a pop-up tent. It is made of sturdy and waterproof vinyl, has a removable zipper top (nice for shade when outside), and has air mesh all the way around (so your Yorkie can see out and so that it does not get hot). As an added plus, this comes in 7 different colors. 

Using Gates for a Yorkie

Another option is to use gates to keep a Yorkie in a certain room. However, you do need to be careful, because many canine gates have openings that a tiny Yorkie can fit right through, or gosh-forbid become stuck.

Gates are a good alternative in certain situations. Your Yorkie may do well in a certain room where he can move about to gain access to a window. Or maybe his favorite spot is on the sofa (and you trust that he won't soil it). 

Do keep in mind that if you use this containment method, you will need to thoroughly puppy-proof the room on a regular basis (something that should be done at any rate, but even more so if a Yorkie is going to be in one particular room all day without supervision. 

These also work well if you want to block off access to a staircase (falling down steps is a concern for this breed, especially for seniors), if you have a cat and want to separate the two... or if you have un-fixed male and female dogs and need to segregate them to prevent mating. 

Here are some great options that Yorkies cannot fit through:
1. The Richell 3-in-1 Convertible Elite Pet Gate.

If you need a room divider, and not just a gate across a doorway, at least some of the time but also think that a playpen would be good too, this is a great choice. Though, keep in mind it is a bit pricey, so you will want to be sure that you do indeed want to use this method. The 4-panel option fits across a whopping 91 inches, but the cool thing about this gate is that the panels can angle to fit any width less than 91 inches and those 4 panels can connect into a square which makes a playpen when you need it.  

The spacing between the slats is just 1 and 1/8 inch, so not even the tiniest Yorkie can slip through this gate. 
2. The Safety 1st Eco-Friendly Bamboo Gate.

If you are looking to block off steps or the doorway to a room, this is a great option. But, do keep in mind that gating off an entire room for a Yorkshire Terrier is not the best option for housebreaking or for making a cozy area when home alone; the playpen is much better for that. This said, this gate is easy on the wallet, is adjustable from 28 to 42 inches, has tiny spacing that a Yorkie can't get through, and does not require any tools to install. 
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My Yorkie is Shy - Helping a Yorkie come out of his shell. 

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