The Top 3 Reasons Why Your Yorkie Runs Away

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Did your Yorkie just try to slip around you to get out the door as you left your house? Or maybe you just spent all day tracking down your runaway Yorkie? Either way, understanding why your Yorkie would run away can help you prevent it in the future.

Why Do Yorkies Run Away?

Here are the top 3 reasons why Yorkies run away:

1. To follow their people.

Yorkies love being with their people, so they may run out the door to follow a member of their family.

2. They were spooked and panicked.

A Yorkie who was abused or not properly socialized may be easily scared. It can take significant time spent training to socialize a dog who was not properly socialized as a puppy. If something scares a skittish dog, he or she will likely run away in a panic to a place where they feel safe.

3. Something caught their attention.

If a Yorkie sees something that he or she is really interested in, such as smelly food in their reach, another dog, a child, a favorite person, a favorite toy, or if they like chasing something such as squirrels or cars, depending upon their instincts and upon how well trained he or she is, they may choose to ignore you to run after their subject of interest.

What To Do If Your Yorkie Runs Away

If your Yorkie ran away, here is what you should do to begin the process of bringing him or her home:

Pound the pavement.

Go in the direction your Yorkie went as long as you have him or her within your sight. If you lose sight of your pup, your knowledge of their preferences will come in handy. In your Yorkie’s mind, being loose could be like “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”, depending on what they have access to.

Consider places in the area that they may attempt to visit. Be armed with a leash and very high value treats such as hot dogs, sardines, Vienna sausages, etc; anything really smelly that your Yorkie never gets that would tempt him or her to come to you.

If your dog sees you but won’t come for the treat, try running (slowly while still keeping your dog in sight) in the opposite direction. Dogs often see it as a game of chase and will chase you. But if you chase your dog, they will probably run away because, again, they see it as a game of chase.

I tried this once with one of my dogs and it worked. I started laughing like I was having a a great time and ran the other way. He did start chasing me and I let him “catch” me.

Call your county animal control office or animal shelter.

Notify the shelter or animal control office that your dog is missing, and leave your information in case your dog is brought into the shelter.

Talk to your neighbors and local businesses.

Knock on doors, send messages, etc, to anyone in the area where your Yorkie escaped that knows you or your dog. Ask if they have seen your dog, and if they have not, to keep an eye out for him or her.

Call any veterinary or other dog related businesses in the area as well, even if they are not near where your Yorkie escaped. If someone finds your Yorkie and the animal shelter is not open, they may call a local canine business for help if they are not dog people, or are unable to bring the Yorkie home with them for whatever reason.

Post on social media.

Post a recent photo of your dog, the area they escaped in, and your phone number. Use caution here! Sadly, there are scammers who will contact you claiming to have your dog when they actually do not. To reduce the number of potential scammers, post only in local groups such as neighborhood groups or county groups. Some areas have social media pages specifically for lost pets in the area.

Act quickly.

Yorkies are prey animal size, so catching your dog quickly is imperative to getting him or her home safely. Ideally, you want to catch your dog before nightfall, as more predators are active then, and it increases the risk of his or her being hit by a car.

How To Keep Yorkies From Running Away

The best thing you can do is make efforts to prevent your Yorkie from running away in the first place and prepare to be united quickly in the event that it does happen. To do this, you will want to:

Invest in a microchip and name tag.

Ensure that your Yorkie wears a collar with a tag listing your phone number at all times. This way if your dog does run away and is found by someone, they can call you. Only remove the collar when he or she is crated to prevent strangulation, as tags or collars may get stuck in a crate and your dog will pull away in a panic.

Your Yorkie should also be microchipped as collars can be lost, or in the event that your Yorkie is stolen, the microchip company may have strategies to help reunite you and your pup.

Be vigilant.

Observe your Yorkie’s habits and preferences; does he or she like to be outdoors? Is he or she attracted to doors? Does he or she follow you like a shadow? Will he or she chase squirrels? etc.

Based on your Yorkie’s preferences, know when you need to pay extra attention to secure your Yorkie, such as ensuring you have a good grip on the leash when a squirrel runs by.

When leaving your home, ensure that the door is shut securely behind you; some doors will not shut securely if even a tiny bit of wind is present, which could blow the door back open, giving your Yorkie the opportunity to escape.

Invest in training.

Dog training can be expensive and time-consuming, but having a well-trained dog is priceless. Focus on recall training, which means having your dog come when called.

A good trainer will run you through recall with no distractions to start, then gradually increase the distractions, to ensure that your dog follows the command even when you are not their sole focus.

Secure the entry and exit points of your home.

A dog as petite as a Yorkie can easily sneak around you at the door. To reduce the risk of your Yorkie escaping, install baby gates at any entry or exit point of your residence.

Create a secure outdoor area.

If you have a yard, install a sturdy fence. If you are residing in an apartment, choose a ground-level unit that has a small deck and/or fenced yard whenever possible. If you are unable to have a fenced area, only take your Yorkie outside on a leash.

Conclusion

Despite doing your best to be a vigilant pet parent, sometimes life happens and your Yorkie has the opportunity to choose to listen or run toward something interesting. By working on training, being vigilant, and ensuring that your Yorkie wears proper identification, you can prevent your Yorkie from going missing, or becoming reunited more quickly.