There’s a reason why people spend hundreds of dollars just to train their Yorkshire terrier to sleep in his bed. Dog trainers have become highly sought-after professionals that can make your life much easier.
But it’s safe to say that not every person has the money to train their Yorkshire terrier to do that. More so, plenty of people relish the challenge and tackle it head-on.
So if don’t like spending hundreds of dollars on a dog trainer, here is how to train your Yorkshire terrier to sleep in his bed.
Step 1: Show Him the Bed
Most dog owners introduce their pups to their bedding from a very early age. That’s because you’ll have a much easier time training them to sleep in their bed from an earlier age. Yorkshire terriers have specific sleeping habits, which we’ll get into at a later point, so that means also paying attention to this very important aspect.
If your Yorkie is a pup, then it might be smart to get them a bigger bed just in case they outgrow it. Also, every dog is different and some might prefer a raised bed.
Step 2: Pick the Right Spot
You might be wondering if this step is actually important. Well, contrary to popular belief, it is very important for you to pick the right spot where your Yorkshire terrier will sleep.
Dogs are inherently attached to their owners. Their loyalty is so unwavering that they’ll want to spend as much time as possible with you.
This creates an inherent problem. What happens if your dog wants to sleep with you? Considering that we’re training them to sleep on their own in their own bed, it would be quite counterproductive to place it in your room.
This is an obvious mistake a lot of people do. Dogs can get quite filthy and plenty of them don’t enjoy the prospect of bath time. So it’s important that you place their bed somewhere that’s not your bedroom. It would be wise to pick the living room as your dog will also be keeping an eye on the house while you and the rest of the family are snoozing.
But the most important thing is to pick a spot that will be permanent. If you pick a spot only to place the sofa there in a couple of months, it will work against your efforts to train your terrier.
Step 3: Command Bedtime
An essential part of training is to use commands to signify specific actions. For example, you might have a command for sitting, when to eat, running, going out for a walk, etc.
You should also use a command to signify bedtime. This is essential when it comes to training a Yorkshire terrier to use its own bed. But it’s even more important that you also find a bed that they’ll love. If you’re having difficulties finding the best beds for a Yorkie, then make sure to visit https://www.yorkieclothing.com/bedding.
Step 4: Practicing
Once you’ve established your go-to command for bedtime, it’s important that you continue the momentum and keep practicing. This is one of the hardest things you’ll have to do, especially if you’re dealing with a stubborn Yorkie.
But even if they’re not listening to your command or are actively flipping you off, there are ways to do it. If your Yorkie refuses to go to bed even after you’ve given command, walk him into his bed.
Our dogs sometimes have a hard time understanding us, and that’s completely acceptable as we don’t talk the same language. But there is one universal language that every species on this planet understands. And that language is food.
If your Yorkie has a hard time understanding, then one way to make it clearer is to give them a treat once they successfully finish the task of going to bed.
Step 5: You’re Almost Done
Now that we’ve got all that out of the way, the next few days are going to be trial and error for you and your Yorkshire terrier. Your dog might or might not fully understand in a few days, so you’ll need to invest more time into training them.
But after a week or so, it will have no problem going to its own bed.
Yorkshire Terrier’s Sleeping Habits
It’s important that we touch on the many sleeping habits that Yorkies experience to give you a better understanding of what to expect. So let’s go ahead and do that.
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Crying
Yorkies cry a lot. It’s quite common for owners to be kept awake for several nights in a row due to the devastating cry of a Yorkie. From howling to high pitch whining, it can be a nightmare to deal with. Yorkshire terriers cry at night due to separation anxiety. This is a common disorder in every dog breed, but some dogs make a bigger fuss out of it than others. Since your Yorkie is your best friend, being separated from you at night is very painful for them.
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Where Do They Love Sleeping?
The right answer is your bed. But since we cannot allow that, there are other spots that Yorkshire terriers prefer. What they’ll satisfy with the most is a warm corner. Since they’re quite small dogs, they’ll also have no trouble sleeping under low-lying furniture or try to get under your blanket. But since we’re teaching him to use his own bed, we should make it as comfortable as possible. That means putting the bed somewhere warm.
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How Long Do They Sleep?
Pups sleep more than adult dogs. This is true for every species on this planet. Puppy Yorkies sleep anywhere between 16 and 22 hours on average a day. Adult Yorkies sleep much less, up to 18 hours and a minimum of 13 hours.
That makes them quite the snoozers. And while they do take plenty of naps during the day, they just can’t wait to snuggle on top, under, or next to you.
