What to do about climbing Yorkie?? - YorkieTalk.com Forums

hockeymom · 04-11-2005, 11:54 AM

Does anyone have any suggestions for this: I put up a baby fence that separates the upstairs from the downstairs.(upstairs is all carpet). My yorkie has the entire run of the dowstairs, but we only let him upstairs at night to sleep with us. This is the problem.....Scooter will not stay downstairs if I go upstairs. I catch him climbing the gate!!! There are time when I am cleaing, etc. that I need him to stay downstairs. What do you do about a climbing dog?

yorkieagility · 04-11-2005, 11:59 AM

Have you thought about putting him in a crate for times you need him stay downstairs?

hockeymom · 04-11-2005, 12:02 PM

He hates the crate, you would think it was some kind of torure device the way he acts. Now that he knows he can climb, he does it all the time. He sometime climbs over even when everyone is downstairs.

klogan · 04-11-2005, 12:11 PM

Sorry...I have to laugh. I've had a simular situation recently. No one belived me that my little yorkie climbed up a 6 foot doggy gate we had in our kitchen!!!!

My solution...I took the doggy gate down. I was scared he would hurt himself. He is now able to go in a few rooms in the house without a gate while we are gone. He hasn't made in mistakes (knock on wood) and seems so much happy to be free.

The only solution would be to perhaps place him in a safe place (i.e garage or crate) while you need to get things done upstairs.

Does he do anything wrong when he is upstairs? If not, put him in a crate in the same room as you. If your baby cries...ignore it. It is hard, but worth a try! You could even bring a few toys in the room you plan to be in. Most likely your baby will just play and follow you with the toys!

Good luck.

hockeymom · 04-11-2005, 12:22 PM

He is like a toddler. He tears up any paper, he puts everything is his mouth, etc. We have baby proofed the downstairs, so I know he is safe. Upstairs are the kids rooms, and there are all kinds of good stuff for him to get into.

Tuck'smom · 04-11-2005, 12:41 PM

My fiance had an amazingly simple (don't know why I didn't think of it - must be a guy thing) suggestion. When you set the gate in position, just lean it toward the side your yorkie will be looking at (or climbing) a few degrees. They can't climb something requiring spiderman abilities. Of course, when I did this to Tucker, he chewed an exit hole through the plastic mesh of the baby gate. Maybe you'll have better luck there than we did!
Dana

whispersmom2 · 04-11-2005, 03:47 PM

A gate that has no cross bars would be the answer, IMO. Yorkie Rose has PVC fences and gates and there is no way a dog can climb up ad over. I have seen ads for them in Dog Fancy..

Reese · 04-11-2005, 04:33 PM

Not sure if you read my climbing post a couple of weeks ago, but Reese is in a pen during the day while I am at work and she was climbing out of it. Now this is only 2 feet so the fall was not to far, but she did land on hardwood floors. I ended up getting her the cover to the pen and she has been fine ever since. She really does not mind her pen at all. I leave the door open when we are home and she can roam around the house but she always ends up back in the pen. Actually she is there right now!

LoveBug · 04-11-2005, 05:07 PM

We bought our baby gates at our wholesale store. The crosses are hard plastic pretty big crosses so he can't chew through them or fit through.

I stay at home right now and since I have had him and am able to take him most places with me so he is not left at home alot. So far when he is left alone I have been able to give him full run and he just sleeps on his pillow I made him that is on our bed.

My stepsons bedroom door stays closed except when he is home (on weekends, lots of Legos for Caesar to get) but our bedroom and guest bedroom is upstairs.
He loves to get tissues and toliet paper well paper of all sorts when he gets a chance. He follows me every where. He barks and chases the broom mop vacuum etcs. So cleaning is a headache but I let him follow me where ever I go. Except for the barking it is just easier cause I know exactly what he is into since he is with me.

Now for the funny part that Caesar did.

Carter (stepson) had a friend over a few weeks ago to spend the night. His bedroom was demolished completely. So I put the baby gate at the bottom of the stairs to keep Caesar from going upstairs at all. Carter sometimes pulls his door to but doesn't make sure it is completely shut.
So a few minutes later after putting up the gate (I am in the downstairs bathroom peeing) and I hear the boys scream "Caesar" so I yell at Brandon (husband) to find out where he is.........
He didn't climb the gate. He found out that he could climb through the side of the stairs (the spindles) instead of climbing the gate was MUCH easier. Yes Mommie knew that the spindles on the sides of the stairs were big enough for him to get through she just didn't know that Caesar was smart enough to find the same out. After yelling at the boys and accusing them of moving the gate I figured it all out and then laughed so hard I thought I'd have to go to the B/R again.
I know they are very smart but sometimes it is just amazing.

Hope you find a solution to your problem. Thanks for listening.

YorkieRose · 04-11-2005, 06:25 PM

PVC gates stopped my climbers. A friend stated making them about 12 yrs. Rover Co. will make a gate to fit any door and any size.

miezzi · 04-11-2005, 06:44 PM

We sure do have smart furbabies out there!!!!

Mandy & Luigi & Mylo too!!!

Itspuppyluv · 04-11-2005, 07:51 PM

Lovebug's story reminded me of the time when Gus was a baby and did the same thing. He figured out he could get up the stairs if he went on the side except he didn't count on my sister's dog catching him by the leg and pulling him back down.

She was very gentle but she knew he wasn't allowed upstairs so she stopped him. She also tells on him if she knows he is up to no good. If he gets in the garbage or gets too close to the unfriendly cat she goes to her mom and barks. It is pretty funny. She is spayed but would have made a great mother.

iheartyorkies · 04-12-2005, 04:29 AM

Try this gate:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...=baby&n=540992
It's worked like a charm for us. And it extends to fit large doorways and pressure mounts. And it swings back and forth and catches closed. Babies r us also has many other gates with vertical slats. Our gate is metal and is also asthetically pleasing, doesn't look tacky or anything. Good luck!

Ringo · 04-12-2005, 04:44 AM

I Heart........

How much space is in between the slats? Thanks!

I remember when we first brought Ringo home. My husband took him outside for the first time and he squeezed through the holes on the chain link fence. He was that small. My husband panicked because there are other dogs that live next door that come and go through their dog door. He jumped the fence. I couldn't believe he was so small he could fit through one of those tiny holes. Just like a little rat.

04-11-2005, 11:54 AM	#1
hockeymom YT Addict Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Dallas, Texas Posts: 418	What to do about climbing Yorkie?? Does anyone have any suggestions for this: I put up a baby fence that separates the upstairs from the downstairs.(upstairs is all carpet). My yorkie has the entire run of the dowstairs, but we only let him upstairs at night to sleep with us. This is the problem.....Scooter will not stay downstairs if I go upstairs. I catch him climbing the gate!!! There are time when I am cleaing, etc. that I need him to stay downstairs. What do you do about a climbing dog?

04-11-2005, 12:11 PM	#4
klogan YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 661	I have to laugh Sorry...I have to laugh. I've had a simular situation recently. No one belived me that my little yorkie climbed up a 6 foot doggy gate we had in our kitchen!!!! My solution...I took the doggy gate down. I was scared he would hurt himself. He is now able to go in a few rooms in the house without a gate while we are gone. He hasn't made in mistakes (knock on wood) and seems so much happy to be free. The only solution would be to perhaps place him in a safe place (i.e garage or crate) while you need to get things done upstairs. Does he do anything wrong when he is upstairs? If not, put him in a crate in the same room as you. If your baby cries...ignore it. It is hard, but worth a try! You could even bring a few toys in the room you plan to be in. Most likely your baby will just play and follow you with the toys! Good luck.

04-11-2005, 04:33 PM	#8
Reese Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 109	Not sure if you read my climbing post a couple of weeks ago, but Reese is in a pen during the day while I am at work and she was climbing out of it. Now this is only 2 feet so the fall was not to far, but she did land on hardwood floors. I ended up getting her the cover to the pen and she has been fine ever since. She really does not mind her pen at all. I leave the door open when we are home and she can roam around the house but she always ends up back in the pen. Actually she is there right now! __________________ Reese's Mommy

04-11-2005, 05:07 PM	#9
LoveBug Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Mechanicsville Virginia Posts: 201	I have to respond to this one with a twist... We bought our baby gates at our wholesale store. The crosses are hard plastic pretty big crosses so he can't chew through them or fit through. I stay at home right now and since I have had him and am able to take him most places with me so he is not left at home alot. So far when he is left alone I have been able to give him full run and he just sleeps on his pillow I made him that is on our bed. My stepsons bedroom door stays closed except when he is home (on weekends, lots of Legos for Caesar to get) but our bedroom and guest bedroom is upstairs. He loves to get tissues and toliet paper well paper of all sorts when he gets a chance. He follows me every where. He barks and chases the broom mop vacuum etcs. So cleaning is a headache but I let him follow me where ever I go. Except for the barking it is just easier cause I know exactly what he is into since he is with me. Now for the funny part that Caesar did. Carter (stepson) had a friend over a few weeks ago to spend the night. His bedroom was demolished completely. So I put the baby gate at the bottom of the stairs to keep Caesar from going upstairs at all. Carter sometimes pulls his door to but doesn't make sure it is completely shut. So a few minutes later after putting up the gate (I am in the downstairs bathroom peeing) and I hear the boys scream "Caesar" so I yell at Brandon (husband) to find out where he is......... He didn't climb the gate. He found out that he could climb through the side of the stairs (the spindles) instead of climbing the gate was MUCH easier. Yes Mommie knew that the spindles on the sides of the stairs were big enough for him to get through she just didn't know that Caesar was smart enough to find the same out. After yelling at the boys and accusing them of moving the gate I figured it all out and then laughed so hard I thought I'd have to go to the B/R again. I know they are very smart but sometimes it is just amazing. Hope you find a solution to your problem. Thanks for listening. __________________ Caesar's Dogster page Cleo's Dogster page Caesar & Cleo's Photo Album

04-11-2005, 06:25 PM	#10
YorkieRose No Longer a Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: South Florida Posts: 8,577	gates PVC gates stopped my climbers. A friend stated making them about 12 yrs. Rover Co. will make a gate to fit any door and any size.

04-11-2005, 11:59 AM	#2
yorkieagility YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: House Of York Posts: 1,079	Have you thought about putting him in a crate for times you need him stay downstairs?

04-11-2005, 12:02 PM	#3
hockeymom YT Addict Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Dallas, Texas Posts: 418	He hates the crate, you would think it was some kind of torure device the way he acts. Now that he knows he can climb, he does it all the time. He sometime climbs over even when everyone is downstairs.

04-11-2005, 12:22 PM	#5
hockeymom YT Addict Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Dallas, Texas Posts: 418	He is like a toddler. He tears up any paper, he puts everything is his mouth, etc. We have baby proofed the downstairs, so I know he is safe. Upstairs are the kids rooms, and there are all kinds of good stuff for him to get into.

04-11-2005, 12:41 PM	#6
Tuck'smom Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: DeBary, FL Posts: 140	My fiance had an amazingly simple (don't know why I didn't think of it - must be a guy thing) suggestion. When you set the gate in position, just lean it toward the side your yorkie will be looking at (or climbing) a few degrees. They can't climb something requiring spiderman abilities. Of course, when I did this to Tucker, he chewed an exit hole through the plastic mesh of the baby gate. Maybe you'll have better luck there than we did! Dana

04-11-2005, 03:47 PM	#7
whispersmom2 Inactive Account Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: MD Posts: 2,985	A gate that has no cross bars would be the answer, IMO. Yorkie Rose has PVC fences and gates and there is no way a dog can climb up ad over. I have seen ads for them in Dog Fancy..

04-11-2005, 06:44 PM	#11
miezzi I Love My 3 Lovebugs! Donating Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: north east ohio Posts: 4,776	We sure do have smart furbabies out there!!!! Mandy & Luigi & Mylo too!!!

04-11-2005, 07:51 PM	#12
Itspuppyluv Gus Is The Fuss Donating Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: New Jersey Posts: 2,277	Lovebug's story reminded me of the time when Gus was a baby and did the same thing. He figured out he could get up the stairs if he went on the side except he didn't count on my sister's dog catching him by the leg and pulling him back down. She was very gentle but she knew he wasn't allowed upstairs so she stopped him. She also tells on him if she knows he is up to no good. If he gets in the garbage or gets too close to the unfriendly cat she goes to her mom and barks. It is pretty funny. She is spayed but would have made a great mother. __________________ Erin & Gus Gus You lost me at stay! "He is a good heart and a kind soul, and an angel on four feet." MW

04-12-2005, 04:29 AM	#13
iheartyorkies Boppin' Bo! Donating Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Indiana Posts: 2,719	Try this gate: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...=baby&n=540992 It's worked like a charm for us. And it extends to fit large doorways and pressure mounts. And it swings back and forth and catches closed. Babies r us also has many other gates with vertical slats. Our gate is metal and is also asthetically pleasing, doesn't look tacky or anything. Good luck! __________________ ~~~ i yorkies ~~~ Cynthia Turbo and Suri! Last edited by iheartyorkies; 04-12-2005 at 04:31 AM.

04-12-2005, 04:44 AM	#14
Ringo Donating Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 193	I Heart........ How much space is in between the slats? Thanks! I remember when we first brought Ringo home. My husband took him outside for the first time and he squeezed through the holes on the chain link fence. He was that small. My husband panicked because there are other dogs that live next door that come and go through their dog door. He jumped the fence. I couldn't believe he was so small he could fit through one of those tiny holes. Just like a little rat.