[JadeD]

I just got my first Yorkie 6 weeks ago (he is 9 years old) and luckily he was house trained. He has been great and only had a couple accidents, mostly our fault for not responding to his needs.

Having had other dogs in my life my first question is what type of crate do you have for the puppy? I have experienced with mine and other friend's or family member dogs that a lot of dogs do not like the plastic hard sided crates but are perfectly content in a wire crate where they can see everything still.

I have a crate set up for my Yorkie but mostly it is the set up that is important for me. The Yorkie has to walk through the crate and then the other end opens up into a hallway that is blocked off by a baby gate to create a little corner where his food and water is. The reason for this is to keep our big dog out of the Yorkie's food and water because the big dog does not fit in the smaller crate to climb through it. The Yorkie took to this set up right from the get go and doesn't mind the rare occasion I put him in his crate (I also stay at home so why have him crated when I am home?). Mine is very quiet in his crate unless I have just come home and then he has to say his normal hello's! to me as he is just so excited I came back home (even if I was only gone 5 minutes).

Good luck with the crate training. I am getting a half Yorkie puppy in a few months and I plan to set up a larger crate that has a portion of it with a pee pad so he can relieve himself if he just has to go while in the crate and then the other half with bedding where he can be comfy and sleep. The puppy won't be crated much because I will be home, but it will be crated several times a day to get it accustomed to being crated for it's own safety and well being. Once it is crate trained properly though I will have it out more.