Yorkshire Terriers are one of 10 most popular dog breeds in the USA. Many people have these cute and lovely creatures as pets. If you have decided to get one or you have already brought one Yorkie to your home, you might be asking yourself how to make your home perfect for a Yorkie.
Yorkies are great family dogs, they like to live inside and to be involved in everyday life of their human friends.
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How To Prepare Your Home For A Yorkie?
Dog-proofing your home means making your home a safe and healthy environment for a dog, in your case for a Yorkie.
The most important is to know that Yorkies like to chew, sniff, to crawl under things. In one word -they are explorers! You cannot do anything about it, but to make your home safe enough for the little explorers.
Pay special attention to:
- Chemicals and poisons: cleaning supplies, personal hygiene items, medicine, ointments, laundry detergents, bleach, car-care products ( oils, antifreeze, windshield washer fluids, yard chemicals such as fertilizers, and weed killers, etc. Keep them in a safe place, out of Yorky’s reach. Chemicals are very poisonous for dogs and even a small drop of antifreeze or some cleaning product may seriously harm or even kill your pet in a short time.
- Electrical danger: remove electrical cables and cords from the ground as your dog may try to chew on them. Hide them behind a sofa or another piece of furniture or use hooks and ties to keep them off the floors. Wrap cords and cables to protect them from your Yorkie’s small but sharp teeth. Keep power stirps, chargers, adapters in the cable management box.
- Indoor plants: many common indoor plants are poisonous to dogs. For example, Philodendron is low maintenance plant but if your Yorkie starts to chew on its leaves, he can end up with bad mouth irritation and swelling. The juice and gel found in Aloe Vera leaves are very beneficial for skin treatments but if Yorkie grabs a leaf and starts to chew it, may ingest the toxin which can cause diarrhea and vomiting.
There is a great article about this topic, which indoor plants (link to Rover blog) are not good for dogs and what are alternatives.
- Yard dangers: look for any holes, gaps, damaged, broken, or wobbly things ( fence, piles, bricks, etc). Swimming pools are a real hazard for Yorkies. These small dogs may swim for some time if they fall in but cannot escape from the pool. If you don’t save your tiny friend on time, he will drown. Ponds are also very dangerous for dogs, not only because of drowning but because the algae that may be found there can be toxic for dogs.
Yorkie will gladly chew on your new shoes. He will also be happy to taste your expensive purse but also to nibble your kid’s favorite toy.
How to prevent all that? Well, it seems that the presence of a dog in your home will make you tidy. Keep your clothes in the closet, kid’s toys in a toy box, shoes also in the closet or on some shelf.
Don’t leave food on the table, forget about fruit bowls. Remember to put away tiny things such as paper clips, jewelry, coins… if swollen may cause great harm to your Yorkie.
Are Yorkies Good House Dogs?
Yorkies are great house dogs. They like being around you, like being involved in the everyday life of their human friends.
You can easily house train Yorkie (more easily than some other breeds) and the great thing about this breed is that these dogs are willing to please.
If socialized at an early stage, Yorkies can live with other pets too, including other dogs and cats.
Yorkies get along well with kids since they are very playful dogs. Be careful though if you have very young children as they cannot handle small dogs properly and may accidentally hurt your pet.
The back or front yard is just a big plus for Yorkie, just be aware of all dangers that might be hiding there.
Are Yorkies Good Apartment Dogs?
Yorkies can perfectly live in apartments. Make sure he gets enough exercise on daily basis ( around 30 min) and he will be just fine.
Yorkies are small dogs so therefore perfect for apartments but can also be very noisy dogs so make sure your pet gets through good training and socialization in order to reduce barking tendencies. His barking may bring your trouble with the neighbors.
The advantage of having a small dog and living in the apartment building is that you can easily pick him up and take him down the stairs.
Just be careful not to carry your small dog all the time. Many people do that. They let their small dogs run only in the park but the distance between the park and the apartment the small dog spends in his owner’s arms.
The message you are sending to your dog by doing this is that the outer world is too dangerous so it’s not even safe to walk. These dogs easily become anxious and nervous.
Actually, Yorkies won’t mind living in smaller spaces such as apartments if they are surrounded by people and care. They need a lot of attention and love so If you are willing to offer them enough of your time, they will be happy to live either in a small apartment or a big house.
Can Yorkies Live Outside?
No, they should live inside with you. Since they are very energetic and playful dogs some people think that they can live outdoors but this is not the best idea.
It’s a truth that Yorkies like to spend time outside, they like to run and play, catch some sun but over the night, these small and fragile creatures will feel much more protected inside in your company.
Yorkies don’t have undercoats which should protect them from the cold weather. That’s why they are very sensitive to lower temperatures and shouldn’t spend a good deal of time outside during winter.
Even if you live in an area with warm winters, the air temperature is not the only problem for Yorkie living outside.
This breed likes to chase other animals, Yorkies like to show off, they are full of energy but don’t have resources to defend themselves if needed. So if they get into trouble and you are not around, it can end badly.
Bottom line is that Yorkies are indoor dogs. Although they have a lot of energy, they like to play outside (remember that they need someone to play with), during the night, they need a safe, warm, and cozy place where they won’t be alone.
Can Yorkies Live in Big Cities?
Yes, Yorkies can perfectly adapt to life in a big city. Although they might be scared of heavy traffic, they do have some characteristics that make them good candidates for living in densely populated urban areas.
What should a dog that lives in the city be like? Although there are a certain number of large and medium breeds that can happily live in big cities, small dog breeds are considered a better choice. Yorkies are small dogs.
Since living in the city means that you will be meeting a lot of people every day, the dog should have a friendly temperament.
If your dog is overly protective or reactive living in the city could be rather challenging for him but for you too. Even though Yorkies can be pretty spunky ( it has something to do with genetics ), they are cheerful and friendly dogs.
Training has greater importance for dogs living in the city. If your pet is successfully obedience trained as well as house-trained, life in the urban areas is much more bearable.
Yorkies can be easily trained in their early days. Later on, as they become more stubborn, the training process is more difficult.
Quiet dogs are a better option for living in the city. If you get a noisy one, you can have a lot of trouble with the neighbors.
Yorkies do have a great tendency to bark a lot but if properly trained and socialized at their young age, this potentially bad characteristic can be minimized.
Remember that Yorkies are good watchdogs. They don’t see anything bad in ‘informing’ you that someone is passing by your door.
Can Yorkie Be Left Home Alone?
I know that it’s necessary to leave a dog home alone for a couple of hours every day, especially if you have to go to work, school and there is nobody who stays in your home while you are away.
Bear in mind that adult Yorkies ( 1 year and a half or older) can be left alone maximum of 4-6 hours in a row. Yorkie puppies ( less than 18 months of age)shouldn’t be left home alone for more than 2-3 hours.
Also, remember that Yorkies require much attention and care, they appreciate being with you, as they are very social creatures. The same as other similar breeds, they can become bored and depressed if left alone for quite some time every day.
So if you live alone and work in the office for almost a whole day, then Yorkie is not the best option for a pet.
Conclusion
So how should the perfect home for Yorkie look like? First, you should be in there. If you are a dog oriented person who is willing to dedicate some of your own time to a pet, then your home is almost a perfect place for a Yorkie.
Of course, you need to dog-proof your house, remove all things that could hurt your pet.
You should take a corner of your home and make a perfect oasis for your Yorkie, put some cozy dog bed, make he feels like at home.
Don’t let your little friend live outside although his energy and playfulness may indicate that he is more than happy to spend time outdoors. Yorkie needs an outdoor exercise but a warm and safe place to spend a night.
