New to yorkies and training

[aweitzm1]

Hi All,

I can use all the help. I recently adopted two 5 year old yorkies this weekend. At night I crate them and they seem fine with it as long as they hear my tv playing.

Since I work full time I have gated off my kitchen area and left their crate door open. I left them today for the first time for about 2 hours. When I returned they got into the shelf with paper/plastic plates and one of them chewed the plastic off the other's collar. Now I need to replace the collar.

I left them classical music playing and plenty of chew toys. I would love ideas as to how to avoid them chewing things they are no suppose to.

A friend suggested crating them with nothing in their. I have a dog walker coming around noon so they would be crated 4-7 hours approximately. I hate the idea of crating them that long with no stimulation.

I would love to teach them not to chew and I have corrected the behavior when I see it. They have become very attached to me and want to sit where ever I am.

I go back to work on Thursday full time. I am very anxious to leave them alone after what I saw. I plan on leaving them tomorrow for an hour and Wed. for approximately three hours.

I appreciate any feedback

[Yorkiemom1]

Originally Posted by aweitzm1

Hi All,

I can use all the help. I recently adopted two 5 year old yorkies this weekend. At night I crate them and they seem fine with it as long as they hear my tv playing.

Since I work full time I have gated off my kitchen area and left their crate door open. I left them today for the first time for about 2 hours. When I returned they got into the shelf with paper/plastic plates and one of them chewed the plastic off the other's collar. Now I need to replace the collar.

I left them classical music playing and plenty of chew toys. I would love ideas as to how to avoid them chewing things they are no suppose to.

A friend suggested crating them with nothing in their. I have a dog walker coming around noon so they would be crated 4-7 hours approximately. I hate the idea of crating them that long with no stimulation.

I would love to teach them not to chew and I have corrected the behavior when I see it. They have become very attached to me and want to sit where ever I am.

I go back to work on Thursday full time. I am very anxious to leave them alone after what I saw. I plan on leaving them tomorrow for an hour and Wed. for approximately three hours.

I appreciate any feedback

Now, the fun starts!!
I like you leaving them for periods of time...they will get used to those periods of when you leave, and they will adjust. But, I crate mine whenever I leave the house....they are like kids and I do not trust kids out of my sight! All it takes is ONE instigator to turn the entire pack into misbehaving monsters!!! So, I crate! It also makes it easier God forbid, incase of an emergency, if they are all in one spot and not trying to run and hide from danger.....mine are all on a schedule from the time they are old enough to know about schedules....everybody goes down at noon - 4pm for naps....I need that time to get the MINIMAL amount of housework or errands done....and I can promise you, if I left them alone, even penned up in the kitchen, they would get bored and I can imagine them eating the baseboards, the trim, and the wall paper off the walls!

When I crate them for naps, they have water and I put one of those Himilayan (?? sp ???) chews in with them....they cant chew hunks off those and strangle, and I have never had one break a tooth on them, so for now, they work for us. They also used to have really hard bully sticks that I loved and trusted as chew material....they could not chew pieces off and they usually just chew for 20-30 minutes, then they go to sleep for naps. I really like those heavy braided rope toys....they can really chew and chew and I think those are really safe for them. Bedtime, I put food and water and that rope chew toy.....and I always cover my crates with a sheet....when the sheet goes over the crate, they know "it is lights out, time to sleep!

[aweitzm1]

Thanks I tried for 20 minutes again and they barked a little but I peeked through and their dog bed they were trying to get the stuffing out of. So now that is in the garbage. Now they will have nothing but chew toys and pee pads on the floor. I will also try different type of music. I will leave tomorrow for 30 minute increments and see how that goes. Hopefully eventually they will get it. I might have to crate them during the day while at work for longer periods of time and on the weekend work on letting them into the x-pen when I am away for shorter periods of time.

Thank Go-d for my dog walker I don't know what I would do without her.

[JadeD]

I would crate them while you are gone. Some dogs chew and some dogs don't. I have a 5 year old Setter that is loose in 3 rooms of the house and he has never chewed up a single thing. My older Yorkie that I adopted 9 months ago will tip over the trash and dig through it when left alone. The 2 puppies steal and chew everything. I crate the puppies when I leave for more than 15 minutes. Even when I am home they sometimes chew things up, but I try to watch them closely. They have access to 2 rooms while I am home. They will never have full access to the entire house as none of the dogs get that. At night my 2 Yorkies sleep in my bed and my daughter's Yorkie sleeps in her bed. It gives them time with us so they can cuddle.

Working during the day will work out, they will adjust to your schedule. Good luck.

If they learn not to chew then you can start crating them in the kitchen and then if they prove themselves worthy maybe another room as well, in time. Later on, after they are adjusted (a few months at least) start leaving them for 15 minutes out of a crate and then if they are good, do 30 minutes out of a crate while you are gone. That is how I get mine to adjust to being out while I am gone. My puppies are only 6 months old so they have a while to go before they are ready to be left out more than a few minutes.

[aweitzm1]

Originally Posted by JadeD

I would crate them while you are gone. Some dogs chew and some dogs don't. I have a 5 year old Setter that is loose in 3 rooms of the house and he has never chewed up a single thing. My older Yorkie that I adopted 9 months ago will tip over the trash and dig through it when left alone. The 2 puppies steal and chew everything. I crate the puppies when I leave for more than 15 minutes. Even when I am home they sometimes chew things up, but I try to watch them closely. They have access to 2 rooms while I am home. They will never have full access to the entire house as none of the dogs get that. At night my 2 Yorkies sleep in my bed and my daughter's Yorkie sleeps in her bed. It gives them time with us so they can cuddle.

Working during the day will work out, they will adjust to your schedule. Good luck.

If they learn not to chew then you can start crating them in the kitchen and then if they prove themselves worthy maybe another room as well, in time. Later on, after they are adjusted (a few months at least) start leaving them for 15 minutes out of a crate and then if they are good, do 30 minutes out of a crate while you are gone. That is how I get mine to adjust to being out while I am gone. My puppies are only 6 months old so they have a while to go before they are ready to be left out more than a few minutes.

Thanks for the advice I will definitely try it.

[aweitzm1]

Well I tried today to leave them in their confined space for 1.5 hours and I came home to ripped pee pads everywhere. They even got the one that was put in the tray and then they peed all over the floor.

It breaks my heart that I will have to crate them for longer periods of time but it is the only way.

I am hoping to start dog training at Petco next month and hopefully we can work on this issue or get tips from the trainer.