Yorkie Puppy Training Tips

Three Important Training Tips

Training Yorkie puppies really does not have to be a difficult time in your life, or in the life of your dog.

By following a few simple tips and strategies, the process can be pleasant and rewarding for all involved.

The major issue in training Yorkie puppies is to make sure that they are at the correct age to be able to understand and internalize the training.

When looking for puppies for sale be sure to only consider ones that are at least 8 weeks old, ensuring they are old enough to leave the litter and start some basic training.

Toy breeds such as these can tend to be highly strung and prone to barking. It is important to start training as early as possible and to be consistent in training as well as in rewarding and socializing them to prevent problem behaviors like barking from getting started.

The following three tips are essential and important in training a Yorkie puppy, no matter what age or level of training he or she currently has. The more closely you incorporate these tips in your daily training, the better the puppies will respond.

Subscribe now to our Free Yorkshire Terrier Newsletter report.

1. Make Training Your Yorkie Puppy Fun

Make sure that you are in a positive and enthusiastic mood when you begin training sessions. If you are tired, stressed or unhappy this will be communicated to any dog, but in particular to Yorkie puppies that are very sensitive to tone of voice. Take time to praise your puppy when he or she does something correctly, even if it is just a small command and correct response.

Small healthy treats and lots of verbal praise, pats and hugs make all puppies feel positive about training sessions. Try to have a play session at the end of each training session when the session has gone well - this will help the puppy focus on the training.

A reliable breeder can recommend a good, high quality training treat or you may also consider small pieces of boiled chicken cooked beef.

In addition, always exercise your puppies before the training session starts, especially if they have been enclosed or left alone prior to the training. This allows their excess energy to be burned off and gives the puppy the opportunity to focus. If you don’t exercise them before training, they may be focused on running around and having fun rather than on the business of learning.

Most puppies enjoy learning, being praised, and spending time with their owners. They will look forward to these training times if they are done in a positive atmosphere where the puppy feels successful.

2. Make Training Natural

Remember that Yorkie puppies are not full grown, nor do they have complete control of their body functions. Take the puppy outside multiple times per day, and positively reward it when it urinates or defecates outside. This process can also work when the puppy sits on its own or comes to you. Catch them being good and reward swiftly.

Often the best options for training puppies come throughout the day and in regular interactions. Watch what the puppy does naturally and start using a word command paired with the puppy's daily behavior. For example, when they are going into the crate for a nap, simply say "Crate, Princess" and soon the puppy will associate the word crate with its area.

3. Keep Training Consistent

This is one of the most critical tips for puppies. It is very hard for the puppy to understand expectations if they change from day to day or between people in the house. Make sure that everyone is using the same commands with the puppy. For example if one person is using sit and another is using down to get the puppy to sit on its bottom, the puppy will be confused.

This gets even more confusing if, when the puppy jumps up, he is told to get down. Keep commands simple and consistent for puppies of all ages.

In addition to the command language, it is also important to keep the expectations the same between people in the home. If, for example, the children let the puppy sleep on the bed but the adults insist the puppy stays off the furniture, it will take much longer to teach it the correct behaviour.

Talk to other family members about the commands and expectations for the puppy. Taking it to a puppy obedience class is highly recommended as this will provide both socialization as well as consistency in both training language as well as cues and how the family members are working with the puppy.

I will be back with some more tips soon.

All the best.

For more Yorkie information, you are invited to subscribe to our popular FREE Yorkshire Terrier newsletter report here.