5 Yorkie Puppy Training Tips

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One of the most charming toy breeds in the world is the Yorkshire Terrier. These small dogs have huge personalities, which is why they’re so popular. Owners love them for so many reasons, from their affectionate behavior and terrier energy to the fearless character of much larger dogs. These things make Yorkies unique and very attractive to owners across the globe.

Naturally, we want to provide everything we can for our dogs. We want to provide care, love, stability, and company to our dogs. One of the things you will also have to provide is training, especially in the puppy stage of your Yorkie’s life. That’s why World Dog Finder made a helpful list of Yorkie puppy training tips that will help you deal with them in the most sensitive part of their lives.

Yorkie puppy training tips

Just like any other dog, the Yorkie needs training and socialization. Training should start from the moment the puppy enters your home and continue well into adulthood. The Yorkie puppy training is the most important because it will lay the groundwork for its future behavior and demeanor. Here are the 5 Yorkie puppy training tips all Yorkie owners should know;

1. Build associations

The first thing you should start with is building associations in your dog’s mind. You should say “Yes” every time your dog does something you want them to do and “No” every time they do something bad. That way, your Yorkie puppy will start associating one word with wanted behavior and the other with the unwanted.

You should also include rewards after every “Yes” you say to your dog. For example, if you want to teach your dog to sit, you should say yes at the exact moment their little butt touches the floor. The dog will know exactly what they had done right. The same effect can be achieved with the clicker. You can read more about clicker training here - Intro to clicker training.

2. Crate introduction

Puppies can be pretty messy when they first arrive at your home. They will go number 1 and 2 all over the place, and it is up to you to teach them where potty should be done. One of the things that can really help with that is a crate. Not only will a crate speed up the potty training, but it will also provide your dog with a safe and restricted space.

Crates are very useful. You can safely contain and restrain your Yorkie’s movement if you’re not there to watch over them. It will also provide them with a place to cool off and calm down. That is quite often with puppies since they can be pretty hyperactive when they’re awake.

3. Stopping the bad behavior

Puppies are curious and playful, which means they will often exhibit behaviors you want to discourage. One of the most common things Yorkie puppies do is bite. We don’t mean that in a mean way, like the puppy wants to bite the owner as hard as it can. However, fingers and toes are pretty interesting to puppies, so they will try to play with them and bite them. You have to discourage that behavior.

The best way to discourage that type of behavior is by negative reinforcement. Of course, we don’t mean you have to hurt your dog. In fact, you should never hit or use fear as a training method because that can backfire. Instead, use a firm “No” and disengage. For example, if you are playing with your puppy and it bites you too hard, say “No” and stop playing. After they cool off, you can engage in playing with it again. You can repeat the same thing for all types of unwanted behaviors.

4. Potty training

Potty training should start as soon as your puppy arrives. As we already mentioned, a crate can help you because the puppy will be reluctant to soil the place where it sleeps. As soon as the puppy wakes up, take it out for a walk. Take them for a potty break after meals and playtime. Establish a schedule and make sure you stick to it. Every time the puppy does its business outside, praise and reward them with treats.

One of the things you will need is patience. Yorkies can be difficult to housebreak, so you might have to stick to these training methods for quite some time. Don’t get discouraged if a puppy seems to make progress but then has a slight setback and goes inside your home. Stick to the schedule, and your puppy will learn where to go number 1 and 2, in no time.

5. Obedience and socialization

You can start introducing your Yorkie puppy to different situations, people, dogs, noises, surfaces, and smells. Yorkies are terriers, and they might try to chase dogs that are a lot larger than they are. You need to teach your dog how to properly behave in all situations. You can read some helpful socialization tips here - Puppy socialization tips and tricks.

The second part of number 5. Yorkie puppy training is basic obedience. Commands like “Stay,” “Sit,” or “Down” can be lifesavers, so you need to start teaching them as soon as possible. If your puppy can follow basic commands, they will most likely be well-behaved in the future.

World Dog Finder team