We know that small breed dogs are truly genuine and that their diminutive structure often harbors a great personality that mixes perfectly and fairly with sweetness, affection and intelligence.
This is the case of the Yorkshire terrier, a breed originating in Great Britain, which, far from being conceived as a hunting breed to control certain pests, was conceived to be pampered and pampered, which has led to multiple prejudices towards dogs of this breed, which often lack adequate education.
Do you have a Yorkie or are you thinking of fostering one? Then you should know that training is of great importance for this dog. In this article on our site we offer you various tips for raising a Yorkshire.
The temperament of the yorkshire terrier
Some varieties of Yorkshire do not weigh even 1 kilo in their adult age, but despite this they are always characterized by having a marked and genuine temperament, of which we can highlight the following features:
- He is a dog full of energy that he manifests by jumping, barking, constantly shaking himself…, etc. The owner must help channel this energy productively to avoid having a hysterical and anxious dog.
- His nature is neither submissive nor obedient, as he possesses a strong territorial instinct.
- This is a truly intelligent dog with an excellent memory, so it can learn quickly.
- He is sweet and affectionate, he is even considered the prototype of a lapdog, however, he is also very demanding with his owner, needing his contact and presence on a very continuous basis.
- His extraordinary auditory system makes him one of the best watchdogs, as is the case with many small breeds
- he is a home and family dog, so much so that he clearly perceives any change in routine, despite this it must be recognized that he is not a patient dog with children
- The yorkshire needs toys as he loves to play and his nature is very cheerful
- he Gets along well with other pets, as long as guidelines for coexistence are established
- His character can be easily balanced, however, for this he needs daily walks
As we see her temperament is very marked, as well as adorable, but this requires us to know how to educate a Yorkshire correctly.
The Yorkshire is a dog, not a little boy
One of the main problems we find when talking about the training of the yorkshire terrier is precisely their sweetness, affection and truly adorable expression, that together with its tiny size, make this dog an ideal pet to pamper and pamper.
Many of the behavioral problems of this breed are due to the attitude of the owners, who treat their pets as if they were small children, when they are dogs that we harm on numerous occasions by wanting to humanize them.
In order to discipline a Yorkshire terrier and stand firm in the face of his adorable expression, we must be clear about the following:
- He is a capricious dog, so to educate him it is necessary not to consent him.
- We shouldn't pamper him too much, he needs affection, but not as much as a baby might.
- We must not give in to him when he simply asks for our affection, but we must give him when he deserves it.
Due to the characteristics of the Yorkshire, meeting these premises may be difficult, but it is absolutely necessary.
Positive reinforcement
All dogs need to learn through positive reinforcement, which we could summarize as follows: don't scold for mistakes and reward for successes.
Positive reinforcement consists of rewarding our dog with caresses, affectionate words or canine treats (or all of these stimuli in parallel) when he has executed an order appropriately.
Conversely, to train a yorkshire, you shouldn't hit him (obviously) and you shouldn't yell at him, as this will place him in a state of stress and anxiety that will not allow good learning.
What is of great importance is that you show yourself as an owner who is not willing to give in, who is capable of dominating the situation and who is going to maintain his position. For example, if you want your pet not to get on the sofa, do not let him perform this action under any circumstances, if one day you allow him to exceed that limit, it is very likely that he will do it again even if you do not consent.
Remember, with a Yorkshire it is of great importance to clearly mark the limits and not give in once they have been established.
Walking the yorkshire
To start your pet on his daily walks, it is important that you gradually get him used to it, in this way you will be able to fully enjoy the walks, since you will educate the Yorkshire.
First you must get him used to using the collar, putting it on from the early stages so that he can feel comfortable with it, and only when he has got used to noticing the collar, we will proceed to put on the leash and take him out for a walk.
Let the dog move freely on the leash to experience the sensation, then teach the basic "come" command.
To avoid unwanted pulling during the walk, it is important that you teach him to walk beside you, so you should keep his head close to your leg.
Avoid dangerous ingestions
It is very important to train your Yorkshire to avoid any accidental ingestion that could be harmful to him, since they are very active and energetic, that in their eagerness to discover their environment can damage many objects, or what is worse, damage themselves.
To do this you must work with edible treats, which you will leave on the ground to teach him the order "leave it", in this way the dog will learn to keep a distance from the possible objects that it could find.
Never stop working with your Yorkshire
We believe that the education of the yorkshire is a process that only takes place during the puppy stage, but you should be reinforcing their behavior as well during the adult stage, in order to maintain the balance of his temperament.
The Yorkshire is a very familiar dog, so if you are willing to welcome one of them we recommend that you inform yourself as much as possible about separation anxiety, and finally we complement all the information that We have provided you with various dog training tricks.
