Owners should remember that crates are to be used for temporary situations. However, it is a good idea to allow your Yorkie to become used to his or her crate, so that when they must be placed inside, they can handle this without stress.
You will want your dog to be used to their crate when :
• Keeping your Yorkie safe when you are not home, for short periods
• Allowing him or her to have a place to retreat to, if needed. Commonly, dogs who live among other pets often need to have a space of their own. A house with a lot of foot traffic may be an environment in which a dog wishes to have a place to rest, away from the noise
• Traveling – Your vet may require that dogs are brought into the office in crates and/or you may opt to use a secured crate for the car as opposed to a seat harness.
Those who opt for crate training, typically do so because they believe:
• The dog will not eliminate inside the crate
• The dog can be left home alone as long as they are in the dog crate
• Puppies are out of harm's way in the crate if no one can keep an eye on them
• It is the easiest method to housebreak a dog
Some of these theories are not accurate. In fact:
• A dog does eliminate in their crate if they are inside it too long and simply cannot wait any longer
• A puppy should not be left alone for extended time, whether in a crate or not
The premise of Yorkie crate training is to keep the dog inside the area and remove them when it is time to go outside for their needs. The crate can also be used to keep a puppy from roaming around. For instance, a puppy who is teething will not be able to chew on potential dangerous objects when the owner cannot keep their eye on the puppy at all times.
When a dog is constantly confined, they are unable to learn about the world. Keeping your Yorkie in a crate for extended times severely limits the bonding that should be happening between the two of you…a vital element to having a happy, well behaved canine family member.