Are Yorkies Big Chewers?

Many dogs like to chew on different items around the home. They may find that it is a good way to entertain themselves or it helps them when they feel scared and anxious. If you have a Yorkie in your home, you may wonder whether this breed is prone to chewing around the home as well.

Yorkies can be big chewers. When they are anxious, bored, or getting teeth in, they may be enticed to chew on different items around the home. Providing the Yorkie with direction and keeping them away from the valuable items you do not want destroyed can help. Spending time with the Yorkie and providing suitable toys is a good option as well.

Let’s take a closer look at whether Yorkies are a breed that likes to chew, why you should stop the Yorkie from chewing on items around the home, and some of the simple steps that you can take to stop the Yorkie from chewing through items in your home.

Are Yorkies Big Chewers?

Yorkies can be big chewers. This does depend on the specific dog and what they enjoy doing, but many dogs like to chew to some extent. Yorkie owners will need to watch their Yorkie to see if they are chewing through items and come up with a course of action in case the Yorkie does start to chew frequently.

There are different reasons why your Yorkie may choose to chew on things. Sometimes the Yorkie  is getting their big teeth in and it feels good to chew on something while that happens. When this is the case, providing the Yorkie with something nice to chew on that you approve of, such as a dog treat or another toy designed for this, is a good solution to stop the destruction around the home.

Other times, your Yorkie may only chew when they are anxious about something or there is some situation that makes them nervous. Spending time with your Yorkie and petting them and reassuring them is one of the best ways to get the chewing to stop if this is the main cause of the issue.

Often a Yorkie will chew because they are bored. If you notice that the chewing happens when you leave the Yorkie alone at home for longer periods of time, then this is the most likely culprit. Keeping your Yorkie active when you are home and providing them with lots of toys to play with when you are not home is one of the best ways to deal with this. When the Yorkie is not bored, they are less likely to cause problems with chewing.

Why Should I Stop My Yorkie from Chewing?

It is natural for the Yorkie to want to chew on things, especially when they are a puppy. This is something that pet owner should not allow. It can hurt their teeth when they chew on something that is not allowed and will destroy items around your home. While there are many reasons why your Yorkie may choose to chew on items around the home, it is better to get them to stop right away before the problem gets worse.

How to Stop a Yorkie from Chewing?

If your Yorkie does have a problem with chewing on things around the home, there are a few things that you can consider doing to curb the behavior and get them to stop without having everything ruined. Keep in mind that punishing the Yorkie and yelling at them will not help the situation; it just makes the puppy aggressive. To make sure that your Yorkie does not chew frequently on everything, consider these basic tips:

It is best to stop the Yorkie from chewing on anything that they want around the home. Giving them approved toys for chewing is acceptable. This will help the Yorkie to get out those urges for chewing and can keep all of the items in your home safe and protected.

Use Behavior Adjustment

There is likely a reason why your puppy is chewing on things so give them something that they are allowed to chew on. When they try to chew on your furniture or on some of your favorite pairs of shoes, have a specific toy that they are allowed to chew on again. Then you can redirect the Yorkies attention so they will chew on the item that you want instead.

After the Yorkie listens to you and starts chewing on the approved object rather than on the item you do not want them to chew on, you should show praise and commend the Yorkie on being good. This helps the Yorkie to associate the good reaction to them chewing on their favorite item. If you are consistent with this, your Yorkie will stop chewing on the furniture or on shoes or anything else and will only chew on the item you approve of.

Keep the Puppy Busy

It is common for the Yorkie and other dogs to start chewing when they get bored. If you leave them home alone often for work and allow them to have free roam of the home, they may get bored and look for something to do. This is also a way for the Yorkie to let out some of that energy. You need to do something to help keep the Yorkie busy and prevent them from getting bored in the first place.

A good thing to consider is to take the Yorkie for a walk before you have to go to work or leave them alone. A long walk will wear them out and they may take a nap when you leave. This takes up some of the time you are gone and leaves less room for boredom. Playing with the puppy and doing other activities to keep them busy can help.

In addition to a good walk for the Yorkie when you are trying to keep them busy, consider leaving lots of toys out for them when you plan to leave. This gives them some options to choose from so they are not left to their own devices. Having them stay in a single area of the home can prevent chewing too.

Crate Training

If your Yorkie likes to chew on a lot of things, it may be time to bring in some crate training. When you are not at home all day with the Yorkie, a create can help to keep the behavior of chewing down to a minimum. This crate is basically a home for the dog. It will limit the amount of access the Yorkie will have to the rest of the home.

It does take some time for the Yorkie to get trained on how to use a crate and how all of this works. But when you are done, the Yorkie will consider this their safe spot and are less likely to cause issues or wander around the house and chew on things. When the training is done, you will find that the Yorkie will enjoy staying in the crate when you are gone.

Aversion Sprays

This is a method that will only work when you are at home. If you are at home and notice that your Yorkie tends to chew on certain objects, like carpets, rags, and couches, then you can use an aversion spray to help with this. Bitter apple is one of the best because it provides a little irritant to the Yorkie to get them to stop and stay away from the object they want to chew on, without harming them.

You may have to use the aversion spray a few times to get it to work. Add a No behind it to help your Yorkie learn that you do not like the chewing and the Yorkie is not allowed to do that any longer. With consistency and sticking with this, you will find that the aversion spray will leave a bad taste and smell in the mouth of the dog and they will stay away from chewing on objects as well.

It is possible that your Yorkie will chew on almost everything around the home. While all chewing is bad, it is important to remember to never let them have access to chewing on your toes and fingers. This is never a tolerable thing to allow and could result in some bigger problems down the road. As soon as your Yorkie starts to do this, it is time to discipline them or look for professional help if the Yorkie will not stop.

Helping Your Yorkie Stop Chewing

There are different reasons why a Yorkie may decide to start chewing on everything around them. Some do it because they are bored and are looking for something to entertain them. Others will do it because they are worried or because their teeth are growing in. Understanding what is causing this issue and providing better solutions and proper training can help protect the items in your home while giving your Yorkie the relief they need.