Yorkshire terriers can be quite uncooperative when you’re trying to teach them. My Yorkie does not listen and can become quite recalcitrant when I am working with her. I formerly owned a Yorkie and had the same issue. On this occasion I’ve been taught more about Yorkshire terriers and dogs in general and I would like to share what I’ve learnt. Here are seven pointers on how to train your Yorkshire terrier.
1. Work with your dog each day. Yorkers have a short memory and attention span, similar to that of a little kid. If you skip a day of training she will forget what she has already learned.
2. Use treats as a reward when your Yorkie does what you are attempting to teach her to do. That way she will know what is predicted of her and be motivated to delight you.
3. Speak in a firm tone when reprimanding her. She will know by the tone of your voice that she has done something that is not sufficient.
4. Allow for masses of playtime between training sessions. Your Yorkie will learn faster if she is permitted to stretch her legs and play between sessions.
5. Train your Yorkie when it is just the 2 of you. Others or animals are way too much of a distraction. Allow her to concentrate on you and your voice.
6. Teach only one command at a time. Wait till she has mastered a command utterly before beginning to show her a newer one.
7. Use the same precise wording for each command you teach. If you want your Yorkie to sit, then only use the word sit. If you assert sit down or anything else she is going to become confused and not know what to do. Think back to when you were attempting to learn a new language. One word can change the meaning of a sentence and you will have difficulty figuring out what’s the right way to say something. It’s the same for your Yorkie. She’s going to try to work out what you want, so make it simple with one word or a short phrase.
If you follow these 7 tips your Yorkie will learn as many commands as you need to teach her. If you need to discover more about the right way to train your Yorkie or other tiny breed dogs it is a brilliant idea to ask others for help.
Go to my Advanced Dog Training blog get a lot more articles on TRAINING YOUR LABRADOR RETRIEVER.