How to Train a Yorkshire Terrier

Yorkies are known for their big, hyperactive personalities and incorrigible ways, but they can be controlled, specially if you find the time to do so while your yorkie is still young. Just follow these 7 important tips for potty training.

1. Find a place where you want your yorkie to do his necessities and stick to it. Be sure that this place is not where he sleeps, given that yorkies do not like to do their necessities where they sleep, and they will not change this rule unless they are stuck in that place. (e.g. locked in a room)

2. Use helpers. If the place you chose is inside your house, there are several techniques you can use to attract your dog to that place to do his potty. For example, there are training pads, odorless sprays and others that can help. (Note: Some sprays are NOT odorless and in fact, smell very bad. Smell the spray before you but it). Just look in your closest pet shop for them and put them in the place you already picked for them to do their potty.

3.If the place you chose is not inside your house, but rather outside your house, you can time-train your puppy to do his necessities at a certain time during the day. This means, that you would have to take him out at least two times a day. Try to stick to the same time everyday and that way no accidents will happen when your puppy is trained.

4.Give him treats. While training him remember to give him treats when he does it right. If you catch him doing it in the right place, give him a treat instantly and say" Good Girl" or "Good Boy".

5. Reprimand him. Many people won't agree to do this, but when he does it in the wrong place, menace him with a shopper or thin magazine while talking louder than usual and saying "No bad Boy" or "Bad girl" and then show him the right place. Do not hit him, remember is just a puppy and most yorkies will get aggressive towards the shopper or your hand, because they do have an authoritative personality, specially males. If your dog did it in the wrong place when you weren't around, make him smell it while you are scolding him so he won't be confused as to why you're reprimanding him about.

6. Use Re-inforcement. Even after your yorkie is already trained, once in a while give him a treat when he "goes" in the right place.

7. Last but not least, Be Consistent. Stick to the training at all times.Your dog will notice when you let him do the wrong thing, and this will not only cause confusion for your dog, it will also interrupt his training and trying to start over will be more difficult and he will only respect his training while you are consistent.

Even though yorkies tend to be stubborn and hard headed, they are smart dogs who are willing to learn while you are willing to teach them and are consistent on it, specially because this means more time with you.