Can Yorkies Be Left Alone: 9 Ways To Help Them Stay Alone
Since Yorkies are known to be clingy to their owners’ people always ask can Yorkies be left alone and for how long before it becomes a problem!
Yorkies are so clingy to their owners that leaving them alone for long can trigger separation anxiety, however, there are ways to train them to stay alone.
Let me answer your question then I will outline ways to train Yorkies to stay alone, I will also highlight so risks of leaving them alone.
Keep reading…
Can Yorkies Be Left Alone
Yorkies may be left alone for up to five hours, but because they were developed to be human companions, they are prone to separation anxiety and want human companionship, so keeping them alone for an extended period is never a smart idea.
Yorkies are not a good breed for you if you have a 9 to 5 job that will keep you away all day.
However, if you can get home after every 4 hours then you can keep a Yorkie if not so don’t get one.
Bear in mind that Yorkies should not be left alone for more than two to three hours if they are under the age of eight months.
How to train a Yorkie to stay alone
Here are some common methods for teaching your Yorkie to remain at home while you are away:
1. Early crate training
Crate training is crucial if you know you won’t be able to care for your Yorkie all of the time, or if you shouldn’t get a Yorkie in the first place.
Crate training trains your Yorkie to respect boundaries and recognize when he requires alone.
If your Yorkie hasn’t been crate trained, he’ll have a hard time adjusting to being alone.
Teach your Yorkie to see the box as a safe haven and a calm place to relax while you’re gone.
Make sure your Yorkie has a place to pee, whether it’s in his box or somewhere close.
2. Construct a clear window view of outside
Provide a clean window view of the outside world to keep your Yorkie occupied while you are away.
To watch what’s going on outside, teach your Yorkie to sit or lie down near a clear window.
Make sure your Yorkie can see out the window at the birds or a fast-moving road.
Make sure your Yorkie has been thoroughly socialized with a range of objects that he can see via a clear window to prevent unnecessary barking.
3. Teach your Yorkie to watch movies
Leaving the television on gives both human background noise and something to look at for most Yorkies.
Make sure your Yorkie has lots of interesting and exciting toys while you’re gone.
If your Yorkie is still a puppy, give him or her a Kong filled with treats and peanut butter.
Because leaving a Kong can assist with separation anxiety, your Yorkie will be more anxious about receiving the peanut butter than with you leaving.
While interactive electronic toys will keep your Yorkie busy while you’re gone, you’ll need to teach him not to throw them away.
4. Provide a calming and safe spot
Even the most well-socialized Yorkie will refuse to let other humans or pets into their homes or beds because they want to be alone.
Provide a reference point where the atmosphere is peaceful and pleasant to help your Yorkie deal with being alone.
Ensure that your Yorkie has everything he requires at the reference site, such as a chew toy or calming music, so that he can quickly know it as a safe location.
You can take your Yorkie to the area on occasion, but you should never force him out of his safe location; instead, let him come out on his own terms.
5. Train your Yorkie to use the treats dispenser
This is a fantastic way to keep your Yorkie engaged while you’re away; Yorkies enjoy treats and food, which you can use to keep them entertained.
Keep in mind that providing your Yorkie too many treats might jeopardize his or her health.
As a result, moderation is required; the dispenser may be set to give your Yorkie prizes over a certain amount of time.
Start the reward dispenser training at home so that when you leave your Yorkie to sit, the treats will fall.
He’ll be occupied for a while if he gets one gift at a time. You may try out a few different combos with your Yorkie to determine which one works best for you.
6. Get a second companion pet
Most Yorkies suffer from separation anxiety since they were bred to be human companions and rely heavily on human interaction.
If you aren’t always available, adopting a companion pet as soon as possible is one of the finest, if not the best, strategies to help your Yorkie cope with separation anxiety.
If you have a companion animal, your Yorkie will be less likely to suffer from separation anxiety.
Get a companion pet for your Yorkie to avoid separation anxiety. Your Yorkie will always have someone to play with if you get another dog.
Make sure you spray your Yorkie to avoid having puppies you can’t care for.
7.Exercise your Yorkie before leaving
Take your Yorkie for a five-minute stroll or play fetch with him before leaving the house to burn off some of his pent-up energy.
This stroll will allow your Yorkie to relieve himself while also providing you and your Yorkie with some quality time before you go.
It’s crucial to play with your Yorkie before you leave for the most of the time so that some of its energy is used.
When Yorkies get tired of playing, they take a sleep, which might help you pass the time while you’re away.
8. Provide more engaging and interactive toys
If you obtain a new Yorkie puppy, try to get as many play toys as possible so that the puppy has a favorite toy.
Remove the other toys once the Yorkies puppy has chosen their choice.
When you’re busy, put the Yorkie in his cage or living place, introduce the toys, and go about your business.
Take the Yorkie outside when you’ve finished and play with it.
This teaches your Yorkie to entertain himself with his toys while you are not there.
9. Talk to your friend to help
You may always seek the help of family members or friends to look after your Yorkie while you’re away.
This idea is another way to break up the day and limit the amount of time your Yorkie spends alone in a row.
Make a request to spend time with your Yorkie with someone you can trust.
Because of the companionship and the toilet break, your Yorkie will be content.
How long can Yorkies be left alone?
Yorkies are prone to separation anxiety and love having their owners around, therefore, Yorkies can be left alone for around 4 hours at a time and should be kept busy during this period.
You can’t just leave your Yorkie alone with giving them a job to do to keep them occupied.
Can Yorkies be left alone during the day?
Yes, Yorkies can be left alone during the day for at least 5 hours provided you crate train them and keep them occupied while you are away. Therefore, they should not be left alone during the day without any form of engagement.
Risks of leaving Yorkies alone for long
Leaving a Yorkie alone at home for an extended period of time can lead to a variety of problems, including:
1. Risk of frequent Potty accidents
Leaving your Yorkie alone at home for an extended amount of time may add to his frequent house catastrophes.
When you leave your Yorkie at home for an extended period of time, he or she is nearly guaranteed to make a mistake out of frustration or anxiety, which may both be prevented.
If you leave your Yorkie alone for an extended period of time, he may pee and defecate in unexpected locations.
2. Developing growling behavior
Yorkies communicate by snarling and barking since they can’t tell you if they’re terrified or depressed from being alone for too long using words.
Growling is a common method for your Yorkie to convey stress or fear in an unknown environment.
Don’t overlook your joyful Yorkie if he starts snarling or barking more than usual; figure out what’s wrong and repair it as soon as possible.
3. Development of destructive behavior
Yorkies of all ages chew, but their owners have total control over what and why they chew.
Chewing for Yorkies may relieve stress, boredom, and mild anxiety, but it comes at the expense of your possessions, which is frequently the result of being left alone.
Keep an eye on your Yorkie’s stress level, and if they begin chewing on things that aren’t meant to be chewed, provide them with chew toys.
4. Risk of separation anxiety
Yorkies have a lot of separation anxiety since they were bred to be companion dogs rather than guard dogs.
If your Yorkie is left alone for lengthy periods of time with little stimulation, separation anxiety may worsen.
Separation anxiety manifests itself as biting, nipping, crying, chewing, barking, hostility, and peeing in unusual places.
5. Risk of increased barking behavior
Boredom barking is one of the drawbacks of having your Yorkie at home for an extended amount of time.
Barking and biting are two types of Yorkie aggressiveness, both of which are motivated by frustration.
Some Yorkies may take some time to adjust to being alone. This is particularly true if it is their first time being alone for an extended period.
It might be aggravating for them to be unsure of how to handle this new situation.
If they don’t have anything better to do with their time, they may start barking incessantly, causing their neighbors to become irritated.
