Crate or Roam free? What do you do with your yorkie? - YorkieTalk.com Forums

Ella Blue · 10-24-2009, 06:32 PM

When you first brought your puppy home did you let your puppy roam free or did you use a crate?

We are considering quite a small yorkie and have been told they have to earn the freedom of being all over the house.

thoughts?

thanks so much

Mom2TwoYorkies · 10-24-2009, 06:41 PM

Well, Brody was our only true puppy (12 weeks old) since Rhianna was already pee pad trained and 6 months old when we got her. Brody would not have anything to do with his crate . . .it sounded like he was getting murdered!

He would literally scream . . .So we ended up giving in for our sanity and gated him up in one room of our house . . .then little by little he was introduced to the rest of the downstairs.

Rhianna, since she was our second furbutt, had full use of the house when she arrived, but like I said, she was already pee pad trained.

The crate is supposedly the safest place for a young pup and they are supposed to feel secure . . .I'd give the crate a try first, and if didn't work out for you, you should keep the pup in just one area of your house until he is potty trained and able to walk around and not get into everything.

4doggiemama · 10-24-2009, 06:42 PM

Crated/put in an ex-pen for a year when I wasn't able to closely supervise. Still put 1 of mine in an ex-pen when I leave and separate the Pommies from the Yorkies. Puppies left to roam could get into electrical cords or other hidden dangers. Also, if there is an accident somewhere, you need to find it and use an enzyme cleaner on the spot. Otherwise, the puppy will keep returning to the same spot. I have ex-pens on both floors so that when I need to I can use them. Good luck with your little one. ~Joanne~

iueled09 · 10-24-2009, 06:44 PM

We put Cooper in a crate at first. He hated it!!! He roams the house now, with some exceptions. We close off some doors that are not puppy proof. He is very rarely alone, so he usually stays in the room where someone is. Definitly need to protect them when they are little so a crate or confinement to a specific area is best.

romeos mommy · 10-24-2009, 06:46 PM

mine was crated , but not for long. i couldn't take the whining. he roams free and i wish i would have stuck to the crate training because he likes to mark.

wemple2 · 10-24-2009, 07:08 PM

Winston was crated in a cage with the top off to keep him safe and confined unless we were actively holding him or playing with him. He loved his cage, I put a pad in the bottom, a blanket for warmth, a few safe toys and food and water. With the top off it was easy for us to put him in and take him out and it was a wire type cage so he could always see us.
Might I remind you never let your new pups paws touch your floors until he/she has pottied in the proper place. Rule #1 in house training day one. Do not allow freedom to roam or you will regret it.

Mardelin · 10-24-2009, 07:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ella Blue

When you first brought your puppy home did you let your puppy roam free or did you use a crate?

We are considering quite a small yorkie and have been told they have to earn the freedom of being all over the house.

thoughts?

thanks so much

You were told correctly. Liken it to babies, when you bring them home from the hospital, do you put them in the middle of the floor and say have at it, it's your house? Same with pups, they need to have boundaries and learn what is acceptable and what isn't.....x-pen is great for those times you can't watch them. Most people don't like to crate their pups at night, they want them to sleep with them. I was one of those.....but, it's for their safety and you getting a good nights sleep (without worrying about rolling over on them or them jumping down from the bed and breaking something) and them not wandering the house when you are sleeping.

SweetKiaraJ · 10-24-2009, 07:47 PM

I always crate my puppies when they can't be supervised and at night time. I find it makes it easier to potty-train them. Sometimes I will baby gate them off into the kitchen or bathroom if I feel I will be gone for longer than they should be in their crate for. Once my puppies are paper-trained/pad trained they graduate to freedom to roam. I have one adult who I always crate at night because she has a bad habit of eating poo and I need to supervise her more closely.

Martini19 · 10-24-2009, 08:15 PM

I used a play pen...that way she was confined but she didnt really feel confined...until she learned how to get out haha

Darlene68 · 10-24-2009, 08:21 PM

Bailey is 7 months and was put in an xpen at night until he was about 4 months, now for the most part he has free range.

Patti · 10-24-2009, 08:23 PM

Mine were in a playpen when I wasn't able to watch them and at night until I was sure they were trained and then could have run of the back of the house during the day and my room at night.

dtrahan511 · 10-24-2009, 08:40 PM

Sophie was kept in a playpen area until she was fully trained!!! Now she has the full house (and of course thinks she's the boss of it!!!) LOL!

redvalaria · 10-24-2009, 09:41 PM

Fergus uses his crate, and loves it. Its HIS den. Always a happy place. He sleeps in it some nights, but now that he is nearly 1, he does have some nights where he roams free (when he isn't sleeping with me).

When he was younger I used a portable playpen and I LOVED it. Matter of fact, when we got my dad his yorkie pup, I bought him a playpen as well. He and mom travel with the baby and he has his playpen for in the hotel or when they have to leave him alone for a bit.

The thing about having the whole house is this: they are really smart BABIES. So, they can get into lots, but not neccesarily OUT of it. They have lots of "good ideas" (like chewing through your cell phone charger and eating your manolo's!) but not the training to know what is OK to chew, and what isn't.

So, till they are much older and know the rules, mine will always be crate and pen trained.

Good luck!

Reese1 · 10-25-2009, 03:58 AM

We brought Wrigley home as a puppy and we used a baby playpen when we were gone and a crate for sleeping at night. Wrigley HATED the playpen and would cry, she has separation anxiety and would chew the drywall and baseboards when she was free to roam! She would also climb out, so we had to buy a top for it.
We stopped using it once she outgrew the chewing and stopped having potty accidents!
When we brought Camden home, she was already two and we used the playpen for her as well, but she literally could jump up on the edge and scale down the side and get out!

So we bought a bigger crate for her when we are gone because she is still accident prone and her and Wrigley get into tiffs!
They both have their smaller crates for sleeping and they LOVE them and will go in them during the day! At night when they are tired they will sit and stare at you sometimes and I know they are telling us they want to go to bed!

bailie · 10-25-2009, 04:05 AM

all mine roam, even when they were pups i used pee pads, the only thing about it is u have to keep running around after pup to keep lifting it onto the pee pads, i would agree it prob best to use a confined area, maybe a baby gate, i would do this next time

10-24-2009, 06:41 PM	#2
Mom2TwoYorkies YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Connecticut Posts: 1,306	Well, Brody was our only true puppy (12 weeks old) since Rhianna was already pee pad trained and 6 months old when we got her. Brody would not have anything to do with his crate . . .it sounded like he was getting murdered! He would literally scream . . .So we ended up giving in for our sanity and gated him up in one room of our house . . .then little by little he was introduced to the rest of the downstairs. Rhianna, since she was our second furbutt, had full use of the house when she arrived, but like I said, she was already pee pad trained. The crate is supposedly the safest place for a young pup and they are supposed to feel secure . . .I'd give the crate a try first, and if didn't work out for you, you should keep the pup in just one area of your house until he is potty trained and able to walk around and not get into everything. __________________ Deb, Mommy to: Brody & Rhianna Belle

10-24-2009, 06:42 PM	#3
4doggiemama Donating YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: KS Posts: 3,289	Crated/put in an ex-pen for a year when I wasn't able to closely supervise. Still put 1 of mine in an ex-pen when I leave and separate the Pommies from the Yorkies. Puppies left to roam could get into electrical cords or other hidden dangers. Also, if there is an accident somewhere, you need to find it and use an enzyme cleaner on the spot. Otherwise, the puppy will keep returning to the same spot. I have ex-pens on both floors so that when I need to I can use them. Good luck with your little one. ~Joanne~ __________________ Joanne Eli ChipperEva Snowboy Rosie(R.I.P. 1996-July 29, 2013) Cocoa(R.I.P 1998-April 26, 2012):

10-24-2009, 06:44 PM	#4
iueled09 Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: North Vernon, Indiana Posts: 101	We put Cooper in a crate at first. He hated it!!! He roams the house now, with some exceptions. We close off some doors that are not puppy proof. He is very rarely alone, so he usually stays in the room where someone is. Definitly need to protect them when they are little so a crate or confinement to a specific area is best. __________________ New teacher and Yorkie mommy!

10-24-2009, 06:46 PM	#5
romeos mommy YT 3000 Club Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Pennsauken , NJ Posts: 4,068	mine was crated , but not for long. i couldn't take the whining. he roams free and i wish i would have stuck to the crate training because he likes to mark. __________________ Bernadette & Romeo

10-24-2009, 07:08 PM	#6
wemple2 Wee Winston Wiggles Donating Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Kewanee, Illinois Posts: 9,666	Winston was crated in a cage with the top off to keep him safe and confined unless we were actively holding him or playing with him. He loved his cage, I put a pad in the bottom, a blanket for warmth, a few safe toys and food and water. With the top off it was easy for us to put him in and take him out and it was a wire type cage so he could always see us. Might I remind you never let your new pups paws touch your floors until he/she has pottied in the proper place. Rule #1 in house training day one. Do not allow freedom to roam or you will regret it. __________________ As Ever, Kathy Intruducing Bentley Winston and Spencer: RIP My Sweet Angels

10-24-2009, 06:32 PM	#1
Ella Blue Yorkie Talker Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Toronto Posts: 21	Crate or Roam free? What do you do with your yorkie? When you first brought your puppy home did you let your puppy roam free or did you use a crate? We are considering quite a small yorkie and have been told they have to earn the freedom of being all over the house. thoughts? thanks so much

10-24-2009, 07:47 PM	#8
SweetKiaraJ Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Tx Posts: 100	I always crate my puppies when they can't be supervised and at night time. I find it makes it easier to potty-train them. Sometimes I will baby gate them off into the kitchen or bathroom if I feel I will be gone for longer than they should be in their crate for. Once my puppies are paper-trained/pad trained they graduate to freedom to roam. I have one adult who I always crate at night because she has a bad habit of eating poo and I need to supervise her more closely.

10-24-2009, 08:15 PM	#9
Martini19 Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Reading, PA Posts: 98	I used a play pen...that way she was confined but she didnt really feel confined...until she learned how to get out haha

10-24-2009, 08:21 PM	#10
Darlene68 Donating YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Canada Posts: 4,923	Bailey is 7 months and was put in an xpen at night until he was about 4 months, now for the most part he has free range. __________________ Darlene Bailey Blu & Jesse Bee

10-24-2009, 08:23 PM	#11
Patti Donating YT 30K Club Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Illinois Posts: 35,509 Blog Entries: 6	Mine were in a playpen when I wasn't able to watch them and at night until I was sure they were trained and then could have run of the back of the house during the day and my room at night. __________________ Cali Pixie Roxie : RIP Nikki; RIP Maya;RIP my sweet Dixie girl 1/17/08 http://callipuppyscastle.bravehost.com/index.html

10-24-2009, 08:40 PM	#12
dtrahan511 ♥ Spoiling Sophie ♥ Donating Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: New Iberia, LA, USA Posts: 1,340	Sophie was kept in a playpen area until she was fully trained!!! Now she has the full house (and of course thinks she's the boss of it!!!) LOL!

10-24-2009, 09:41 PM	#13
redvalaria Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Raleigh, NC Posts: 153	Fergus uses his crate, and loves it. Its HIS den. Always a happy place. He sleeps in it some nights, but now that he is nearly 1, he does have some nights where he roams free (when he isn't sleeping with me). When he was younger I used a portable playpen and I LOVED it. Matter of fact, when we got my dad his yorkie pup, I bought him a playpen as well. He and mom travel with the baby and he has his playpen for in the hotel or when they have to leave him alone for a bit. The thing about having the whole house is this: they are really smart BABIES. So, they can get into lots, but not neccesarily OUT of it. They have lots of "good ideas" (like chewing through your cell phone charger and eating your manolo's!) but not the training to know what is OK to chew, and what isn't. So, till they are much older and know the rules, mine will always be crate and pen trained. Good luck! __________________ -------------------------------- Kate-Mom to: Dante, Hamish & Fergus

10-25-2009, 03:58 AM	#14
Reese1 Donating YT 5000 Club Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Ohio Posts: 5,304	We brought Wrigley home as a puppy and we used a baby playpen when we were gone and a crate for sleeping at night. Wrigley HATED the playpen and would cry, she has separation anxiety and would chew the drywall and baseboards when she was free to roam! She would also climb out, so we had to buy a top for it. We stopped using it once she outgrew the chewing and stopped having potty accidents! When we brought Camden home, she was already two and we used the playpen for her as well, but she literally could jump up on the edge and scale down the side and get out! So we bought a bigger crate for her when we are gone because she is still accident prone and her and Wrigley get into tiffs! They both have their smaller crates for sleeping and they LOVE them and will go in them during the day! At night when they are tired they will sit and stare at you sometimes and I know they are telling us they want to go to bed! __________________ Crosley Wrigley Camden

10-25-2009, 04:05 AM	#15
bailie YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: northern ireland Posts: 947	all mine roam, even when they were pups i used pee pads, the only thing about it is u have to keep running around after pup to keep lifting it onto the pee pads, i would agree it prob best to use a confined area, maybe a baby gate, i would do this next time __________________ my beautiful sole mates,, beau,sonny,gino,frazer R.I.P my fallen angel bailie 97-2012