Chewing is another of the many instinctive actions a Yorkshire terrier can get caught up in. For many Yorkies, chewing begins as a puppy, when teething and excess energy are channeled into chewing everything in sight. This is not abnormal, and while it is important to teach a Yorkie otherwise from an early age, you should also take precautions and make your home puppy-proof to avoid unnecessary damage.
However, as your Yorkshire terrier ages, chewing can go beyond youthful indiscretion and enter the territory of a serious behavior problem, one that must be addressed with specific actions and careful training.
Why do Yorkshire Terriers chew?
Chewing occurs for a number of reasons, but you need to know that it will happen no matter what you do. Your goal should be to direct it to the proper means and to minimize it where it can cause destruction. Even then, some Yorkshire terriers may be psychologically programmed to chew more than others. That’s when you will need to make adjustments to your environment to narrow down what they have access to.
Retraining a Yorkie’s chewing instinct
First, know that most Yorkies learn their chewing behaviors as puppies. When their teeth come in, they look for anything in sight to chew on. Homeowners who give them old socks, shoes, or toys from the house basically tell them that those items are okay. If your grown Yorkie is constantly raiding your closet for old shoes or t-shirts, try to remember if you did it when he was young.
Even if you didn’t give your puppy household items to chew on, you will need to retrain them to understand that those items are not okay to chew on. Simply yelling at your Yorkie will almost never have a positive impact. They are doing something natural and until you show them that their belongings are not okay to chew, the behavior will not stop.
For starters, you may consider cage training your Yorkshire terrier. By removing your Yorkie from an environment as large as your home, you can control what they do when you are not at home. To that end, when you’re home, make sure you have a chewing substitute to hand over when you start chewing on a shoe, cushion, or anything else in your home that you gravitate to. A rawhide is usually a good substitute if you like leather, fabric, or suede. However, some Yorkies are biased towards rawhide, so you may want to take them to the pet store and ask them to pick a chew toy from the shelves there.
Chew deterrents
If your Yorkshire terrier continually finds new things to chew around your home, there are other proactive ways to train a Yorkie to stop chewing. For starters, most pet stores sell sprays that are unpleasant for all dogs when they chew. Bitter apple spray works for many dogs, including Yorkies, as does cayenne pepper spray. Make sure you get something organic and not loaded with chemicals. It must be human and taste bad. You don’t want it to cause physical pain.
This type of deterrent is especially helpful for a Yorkshire terrier who has a habit of chewing on rugs or cushions and clothing. Also, you should teach your Yorkie to “quit.” This common command forces the Yorkie to stop what it is doing immediately, as you take control of the item. It is an alpha leadership command that is very important to your little friend when you take him out of the house. The last thing you want is your Yorkie with a homemade bone or dead animal in its mouth that won’t drop it. The “leave it” command can be taught with treats or a clicker, and lots of patience.
Possible health concerns
One thing to keep in mind when your Yorkshire terrier chews chronically is that there are certain health conditions that lead him to chew on things like plastic or rubber, or to swallow items whole instead of palatable foods. This isn’t just your Yorkie performance. This is a problem that should be addressed by your vet, as it can lead to intestinal poisoning or blockage.
If your Yorkshire terrier eats a coin or rubber band once, it may be considered an accident. If it occurs repeatedly and cannot be stopped with sprays or training, consult a veterinarian to find out what options you have.
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