Free Puppy Training Tips
Puppy training can and will be an enjoyable experience.
Housetraining Yorkshire Terriers can be especially enjoyable because they are energetic and very excitable, so any interaction with them is usually a lot of fun.
‘By teaching your Yorkie the simple rules in a non-violent and playful way it will be a firm reminder to everyone of what a great dog owner you are!’
However you must be fully aware that the early stages of puppy training will need the utmost patience, plenty of understanding and a high level of consistency in order to make the training a success.
Yorkshire Terriers will be most content when pleasing you. They love the praise and attention and will do practically anything you ask as long as they understand. Housetraining Yorkshire Terriers is a lot like trying to teach a baby its first words, in that, at first you probably won’t get a result, but after a few more goes and a bit of patience….. it’s done!
Right then, first off, remember that rewarding good behaviour is vital. I cannot stress this enough. Rewarding bad behaviour is not acceptable because then your dog will repeat whatever it is they did. Using the idea of ‘rewarding’ your dog with either treats or more play time is without a shadow of a doubt the most effective and enjoyable way of training them.
Once again the comparison with human babies has to be used as dogs will try many things. When they are told off for doing naughty things they will not do them again. But when they are not told off they will.
It is very easy for the progress you make through the ‘rewarding’ process to waver once you begin allowing your dog to repeat its mistakes. Stop your dog when you see it doing things that you don’t want it to do and when it sees that it upsets you it will learn not to do them anymore.
The term ‘rewards’ is quite open in puppy training. When training yorkshire terriers especially, you must find out what your dog enjoys the most.
For a large number of dogs ‘food’ is the most desireable reward, but for others things such as, social contact, verbal praise and even physical praise is just as good. It is very common, and quite delightful, when your dog lies on its back and almost begs to be rubbed on its belly. Many dogs really enjoy this and for them it is a great reward.
Dog Crates are becoming a very popular tool in the housetraining process. Dog crates give your dog a place to relax in, a place of their own. It must never be used as a punishing tool. Making your dog go into the crate because it has misbehaved is not a good idea because it might begin to associate its time in the crate as punishment time.
Dog crates should be used as a means of ‘getting away’.
Your dog will find its crate very comfortable when it has a bed and some chews to play with. Make sure that the crate is a good size as big dogs will be uncomfortable. However Yorkshire Terriers only need small ones, or at least ones that they can move around in a bit, but not ones that they can run around in!
Finally, remember that training Yorkshire Terriers can be a lot of fun for the both of you. Be patient! Reward your Yorkie when it deserves to be rewarded and not when it has misbehaved. Dog Crates are a great idea. Buy one that suits the size of your dog and use it as a relaxing place for your dog, not as a sin bin!
Puppy training, when done properly will give you and your Yorkie great satisfaction so start early and keep to the rules of housetraining Yorkshire Terriers.
Further Training Resources:
6 Simple Rules for Training Yorkshire Terriers
Find out about leash training Yorkies
If you need a complete yorkshire terrier training guide, why not check out the e-book we have written specifically with yorkshire terriers in mind!
I like that you provided some tips on how to housetrain your Yorkie puppy such as investing in a dog crate. It’s recommended to look for one that has enough room for your puppy to feel comfortable when he sleeps. It’s also not recommended to associate it with some sort of punishment when your puppy does something wrong. I’ll make sure to keep this in mind especially now that I’m actually thinking of buying my daughter a puppy for her 5th birthday. I’ll make sure to shop around in our local pet shop if they have Yorkie puppies for sale. Thanks for sharing this information, though.