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Being a breeder of AKC Yorkshire Terriers for over seven years, I have come to know the in's and out's, the pro's and con's of crate training. With seventeen energetic Yorkies running around, one has to have some means of order and consistancy in place. Mostly all of our Yorkies live in the home with us, or perhaps I should say we live with them.

When we first started out, we only had two Yorkies to contend with. That was no problem, they slept with us every night and my wife is at home during the day. Eventually, our little family started to grow. We first introduced a crate to our male Yorkie because he decided that he wanted to start marking what was his and what was not! The first couple of days was the hardest. At first, he wasn't sure if he was being punished or not. Then I read an article that mentioned that domesticated dogs, like wolves, were den orientated. That made sense! They feel safe and comfortable inside a den. We modled his crate after a snug little den, complete with water and food, threw in some comfy pillows and his favorite toy and that was it. He loved it! Now he prefers to retire to his den for his naps and at night when bed-time comes.

Please do not make the mistake of crating your pet should he do something wrong! That will send a clear signal that his den is for punishment. It should be a place for him to escape for a rest or to just be alone while feeling safe and comfortable. Start out by introducing your pet to his den in short periods as a rest time, and gradually extend it from there. NEVER place him in the crate and leave him for extended periods of time at first. We leave the door open during the day and he can go in and out as he likes. at night is the only time that he is secured in. Most animals will not soil their bedding area but there are times when even this will happen. Be sure that your pet has time to take care of business before retiring for the night and things should be fine.

Now, we have several crates for mostly all of our Yorkies and they know which is theirs and will readily go to their own den. Crates come in various sizes and styles, so make sure you use one that is right for the size of your pet. A good rule is to allow enough room for hime to stand, turn around in easily and walk around in. Our crates are actually large enough to accomodate two of the Yorkies, but each has his own. We have one very large crate just for mother and pups. She feels secure in knowing that no one will get to her pups.

Crates can be purchased from either Pet Catalogues, Pet Stores or from the Internet. We prefer to purchase ours at our local Wal-Mart. We get the same quality crate at a much lower price. Unless you prefer to pamper your pet, those exotic crates are just for cosmetic appearances. They all work the same.

Learn more about this author, John S Willard Jr.
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