This is a specific conversation about Crate training — making it work — ask about yours and get one honest answer for your exact situation.
inparticular.ai
A 13-year-old Yorkie with dementia-like night wandering is a situation where a crate stops being about training and becomes about keeping them safe and settled. The goal here isn't behaviour change — it's giving them a contained, familiar space that reduces confusion and prevents nighttime accidents or falls. Tell me a bit more: is she already used to a crate at all, or would this be completely new to her? And how severe is the wandering — occasional laps around the room, or genuinely distressed and disoriented?
She's never been in a crate in her life. The wandering is pretty bad — she'll pace for an hour or two in the night, sometimes bumping into furniture, and she seems confused rather than distressed. The vet has confirmed it's canine cognitive dysfunction. We just want her to be safe and not hurt herself.
inparticular.ai
That's a really important distinction — confused but not distressed. That actually makes crate introduction more manageable with a dog her age, because you're not fighting anxiety, just unfamiliarity. For a Yorkie, you need something small enough to feel den-like and secure, but easy for you to access quickly if she needs you in the night. What's her current sleeping spot — does she sleep in your bedroom, or somewhere else in the house?
She sleeps in our bedroom, on a dog bed next to mine. I'd want the crate in the same spot so she's still near me.
inparticular.ai
Perfect — keeping her close is exactly right. Familiar scent and hearing you breathe will help her settle. For this situation, I'd recommend the MidWest Homes for Pets iCrate in the 24-inch size. It's the right dimensions for a Yorkie — snug enough to feel secure without being cramped — and it has a divider panel, though you won't need that here. The double-door design is genuinely useful: you can open it from the side rather than the front, which is much easier when it's sitting beside a bed. The folding metal construction means it's solid but not heavy. Line it with her current dog bed or something with your scent on it, and leave the door open for a few days before you start closing it at night. At her age you're not rushing anything — the aim is just gentle association. One thing to add: pop a small non-slip mat under it if your floor is hard, so the whole unit doesn't shift if she leans against the sides.
That sounds sensible. Should I cover it to make it more den-like, or would that stress her out if she can't see out?
inparticular.ai
Cover three sides and leave the side facing your bed open. That gives her the enclosed, den-like feel that tends to calm dogs with CCD — less visual stimulation means less to be confused by — while still letting her see you if she wakes disoriented. A fitted crate cover works neatly, or even a lightweight blanket draped over the top and back. Just make sure airflow isn't restricted, especially as older small dogs can be sensitive to heat. If she has a favourite blanket or something that smells strongly of you, tuck it in with her from the first night.
Really helpful, thank you. One last thing — she sometimes needs to go out in the night still. Is it cruel to crate her if I can't guarantee she won't need the toilet?
inparticular.ai
Not cruel at all, as long as you're responsive. The approach that works well is treating it like you would a puppy — take her out for a late toilet break just before you close the crate, and if she makes any noise in the night, assume she needs to go rather than ignoring it. With CCD, some dogs actually settle better once contained because the wandering itself was partly a response to disorientation in open space. The crate gives her edges to orient against. You might find the night waking reduces rather than increases once she's used to it. Just keep the lead and her harness somewhere you can grab them in the dark without fuss.
