Why is my Yorkie barking at Night? [Howling, Whining] plus SOLUTION

Is your Yorkie barking at night, or seemingly barking at nothing when you are trying to get some sleep? You’re not alone as there are several reasons he or she might be doing this.

Let’s go over the causes of Yorkie Terrier barking at night, and how to stop it.

Why is my Yorkie barking at Night?

Your Yorkie dog or puppy is barking at night because he hears things that you do not. You should consider giving it some exercise in the evening to reduce his stress level and make him sleep more soundly.

Why is my Yorkie howling at Night?

Your Yorkshire Terrier is howling at night because another dog is nearby and your dog is communicating with it.

Other Reasons Why a Puppy Barks at Night

Brand-new puppies cry for the first couple of weeks. That is because they miss their former home.

Dogs that are not housebroken will not alert owners during normal hours to bathroom needs but will prefer to do so late at night.

My Yorkie Barks at Night in a Crate, Why?

Personally, I am of the opinion that a case is only needed when traveling on an airplane or when you need to crate an ill dog before taking him to the vet. Other than that, I see no reason why you would crate your Yorkie puppy or dog.

Crating a Yorkie at night only cases crying and barking. Small crates are super confining and result in your puppy getting overwhelmed by feelings of claustrophobia, ‘trapped’ and afraid. It increases stress and certainly does not lend to sleeping peacefully. There are other, more appropriate methods.

• Insecurity – It takes time for a new pup to get used to his environment enough to feel safe and secure. If you haven’t provided him enough tools to feel safe, he or she will best handle the overwhelming situation with crying or whining.

• To gain attention – Once your puppy understands that crying, barking, or whining at night leads you to coming to the rescue, no matter the original cause, he or she will continue with it.

ALSO SEE: My Yorkie doesn’t Bark. Should I be Concerned?

How to Stop a Yorkie Puppy from Barking, Crying and/or Whining at Night

Now that you understand why your Yorkie is barking at night, let’s also check steps you can take to stop barking or whining all night.

• Create the right setup.

This remains the no.1 thing to do whenever you get a dog.

The best setup for a new puppy (or a Yorkie of any age, really) is to:

Have an indoor portable canine playpen. 

There are several reasons why:

• For easy moving from place to place
• Neatness; All of your puppy’s essentials are in one easy-to-reach area
• It becomes the perfect ‘den.’ It is bigger and has more room than a crate while still offering a sense of protection. Dogs with anxiety issues or that haven’t settled in a new home do best when in a designated area.
• The perfect playpen keeps your Yorkie confined to one area to limit house-training accidents and destructive chewing.

Within the playpen, have a bed. 

A right sized bed also increases the feeling of security in your dog. It offers warm, comfortable cushioning from the floor (on which cold and vibrations can be “too-much” for a pup).

A quality bolster bed will help offer the feeling of having a safe den.

• Offer the right tools.

Have your Yorkie started barking at night? Chances are, its needs are not being met. That is where toys come in place.

Each toy should be carefully chosen to meet a certain need.

For attention seeking and boredom – Until your Yorkie has learned to follow his human’s daily schedule and can follow that, he may keep waking up and get instantaneous boredom.

Wouldn’t it be nice if he could keep himself occupied for some time before needing your attention? Toys that squeak or make noises work very well in situations like these.

For hunger and/or water needs – Ensure your pup has easy access to fresh, cool water. Small toy breeds like Yorkshire Terriers generally need to eat small amounts quite frequently. If they do not, their blood sugar levels will quickly drop (hypoglycemia).

I try to leave a small amount of food in a properly sized-bowl.

For older pups, treat-release toys work best. However, for younger dogs, it may be hard to figure out these types of toys so just leave food in its bowl.

For comfort – Being alone at night, even if a pup is in the same room with his humans, can be scary. A pup is used to hearing heartbeats and feeling the warmth of his mother and siblings.

To combat separation anxiety, you can offer companion toys that emit a soothing heartbeat and can also emit comforting warmth (optional).

3) Assess temperature. 

Access the temperature to see if your house is as comfortable as it needs to be.

4) Know when to go to your pup and when to use all of your will-power to refrain. 

We’re all guilty of running to our crying puppies at night, thinking that it was an important step in housebreaking.

I’m not saying that it is not, but that is not the case about 75% of the time.

If Your Yorkie urinated and has a bowel movement prior before placing him in his sport for the night, at the very most, he may need to pee. If you do believe that there is a valid reason for taking him out for this, by all means, do so. However, take care to make it clear that this is a serious time and not one for play.

Middle-of-the-night bathrooms trips should be short and to the point, with the pup being rewarded for doing the deed, but then placed right back in his spot afterward.

5) Teaching a puppy to self-soothe is an important step.

With his set up complete, you can rest assured you do not need to respond to each bark, cry, or whine at night. It may seem unfair to ignore a pup. But, if you have him in pen, on a cozy bed, in a warm room, with toys to keep him busy, food and water, pee pads, and a companion toy, you can feel good that he has all he requires.

How Long It Takes Teach a Puppy to Stop Barking or Crying at Night

It depends on you. The more you go to a barking puppy, the more he will continue to bark. You are basically telling him – Hey if you want to get my attention, bark, cry or whine more. Trust me, they learn that pretty quickly.

If you follow the advice and recommendations given here, barking, crying and whining often ends after a 2-week period.

Bear in mind, that you’ll probably lose some sleep over this period, it is all worth it in the end since the alternative is barking at night, essentially without end.