Are Yorkies difficult

Yorkshire Terrier Training: Why They Can Be Difficult to Train

Sharing is caring!

Get a Load of This! Training Your Yorkie Can Be a Rollercoaster Ride!

So, youve got yourself a Yorkshire terrier or a Yorkie, as we like to call em. Arent they just the cutest little fluffballs ever?

But, whoa, hold your horses. Training these little fellas can be a bit of a struggle. Dont fret, though. Were here to make it easier for you. Well decode the mystery behind the spirited Yorkies and help you navigate their training with a dash of humor and a truckload of patience.

Heres the deal Yorkies are small but boy, are they spunky! They love doing their own thing, which can throw a wrench into your training routine.

Besides, they arent fans of the cold or damp, which can dampen their training spirit. But hold on, dont forget Yorkies are really smart. A bit of patience and youll have them twirling on their tiny toes.

Ready for a fun-filled ride into the world of Yorkie training? Buckle up, cause here we go!

Free Yorkie Newsletter

Signup for our weekly newsletter with tips, dog facts and more,and get a free printable pet planner!

Thank you!

Check your email!

Getting the Hang of Yorkies

Character and Mood Swings

Oh, Yorkies. Small in size but with a heart full of courage! Theyre lively, loving, and sometimes, little divas. And their moods? Anything from shy and bashful to bold and bossy. Crack the code of your Yorkies character, and youre one step closer to training them like a pro.

Yorkies Rebel Yell

One hiccup in training your Yorkie is their do-it-my-way attitude. They might not always be up for following commands, since pleasing you isnt their full-time job. Dont lose heart though, make the training fun, and your Yorkie is sure to hop on board.

Fears and Dares

Our tiny warriors are known for their bravery, and they wont back down from protecting whats theirs. Training can get a bit tricky here, as Yorkies may be a little apprehensive about changing their ways or meeting new people.

Now, dont get fooled by their courage. Yorkies can also be scaredy-cats, making training a bit of a challenge. But hey, some positive reinforcement can work wonders to soothe their fears.

What about Health, huh?

Remember, Yorkies might sometimes have health issues like low blood sugar or knee problems, which can affect their training. Keep these in mind while training and do consult your vet if needed.

Decoding Yorkie Training Challenges

The Potty Drama

House training your Yorkie can feel like a bit of a soap opera. Their independent streak and tiny size can lead to a few oops moments. But worry not! Being consistent can get them trained. Read more about housetraining here.

The Social Butterfly

Yorkies can be a bit too feisty for their own good, thanks to their small dog syndrome. Dont worry, its nothing that early socialization cant fix. Show them the world, introduce them to your buddies and their pets, and voila, your Yorkie will be the life of the party!

Yes, Master! Not So Much

Yorkies youre not the boss of me attitude can make obedience training a tough nut to crack. But hey, dont give up. Keep it fun, stay patient and persistent, and youll get there.

Consistency is Key

Want your Yorkie to behave? Stay consistent! This goes for everything from house training to socialization. Speak in the same voice and use the same commands, and your Yorkie will soon get the hang of it.

Making Training a Piece of Cake

Treats, Praise, and Love

Positive reinforcement can work like a charm. Give your Yorkie a treat, a word of praise, or a nice belly rub when they behave, and theyll be more than willing to learn new things.

Leash Drama?

Having trouble with leash training? Weve got a trick up our sleeve. Start by walking your Yorkie on a table or bench with a leash. This could help them get used to walking alongside you without causing any discomfort. And always keep their safety in mind!

If they freak out over having to wear a harness, keep one on them for a few hours or so while they are in the house so they get used to it. And give them a treat every time you put the harness on so they associate putting on a harness with good things.

A Routine to Keep Things Smooth

Set a routine for everything feeding, potty breaks, walks, and training sessions.

Uh-oh, Accidents!

Accidents will happen. Its part of the process. If your Yorkie has an accident, clean it up immediately and guide them to the yard instead. Stick to your guns with positive reinforcement, and remember, scolding can do more harm than good.

Tackling Yorkie-Specific Training Challenges

Yorkies can get easily distracted and can be pretty chatty. Plus, that small dog syndrome can make them a bit too feisty. But with a bit of patience and the right techniques, you can get them to focus, reduce their barking, and mellow down their attitude.

Dont forget about their separation anxiety. If theyre a bit too attached to you, crate training and toys can help them feel secure when youre away. And teaching them to come when called? Its essential and can be done with a bit of practice.

Final Thoughts

So, there you have it! Training your Yorkie might feel like a wild rollercoaster ride, but with patience, consistency, and positive vibes, youll soon have a well-behaved furry buddy.

Please be sure to sign up with a dog trainer if you are having a hard time with training.

Remember, every Yorkie is unique. What works for one might not work for another. So, keep your cool and enjoy the ride!

Frequently Asked Questions

Well, Yorkies are known for their independent and strong-willed natures. They love doing their own thing, and sometimes, they just dont feel like listening. Thats why training requires patience, consistency, and lots of love. Remember, make it fun for them!

Excessive barking can be a bit annoying. A good way to tackle this is by teaching your Yorkie the quiet command. Reward them for obeying and ignore them when theyre being too noisy. This helps them understand that being quiet earns them treats and praise, while barking doesnt.

Consistency is key with Yorkies. If youre not consistent with your commands and your routine, your Yorkie might get confused and seem like theyre forgetting their training. Make sure to use the same commands and stick to a regular schedule for best results.

Separation anxiety is common in Yorkies. They form strong bonds with their owners and can feel anxious when left alone. Crate training can help them feel secure when youre not around. You can also leave toys or treats to keep them busy when youre not there.

Teaching recall is an important part of training. Start in a controlled environment and call your Yorkie to you. When they come, reward them with a treat or praise. Gradually increase the distance and add distractions as they get better.

Cathy Bendzunas

Dog Blogger, Former Dog Groomer

I have adored Yorkies for well over 50 years. As a young adult, I began to show and breed them. Now, I just write about them and have several in my little pack of small dogs.

I have had dogs all my life and have trained as a dog groomer. I also have been a kennel worker, worked in a pet hotel through PetSmart, and still am a pet sitter.

Check out my bio for more information about me.

Post Views: 140

Are Yorkies Hard to Housebreak? Easy Potty Training Guide

Affiliate Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase after clicking on these links I will be compensated at no extra cost to you. However, I never recommend anything I dont love or wouldnt use myself!

Yorkies are excellent dogs, particularly for anyone living in a smaller home. However, when bringing any new dog home, you need to be prepared to house train them.

Yorkies are notoriously hard to housebreak. They are territorial, have small bladders, and often experience separation anxiety. All of these factors can make house training more challenging. However, with proper technique and patience, they can be housebroken with relative ease.

Dont let the breeds potty training reputation discourage you. With the right techniques, you should have no real issues. In this article, you will learn the best potty training techniques to make the process as simple as possible.

The Difficulties of Housebreaking a Yorkie

While Yorkies are infamously difficult to potty train, no dog is untrainable. No matter the breed, every dog requires plenty of patience, practice, and perseverance to be successfully housebroken. In my opinion, Yorkies are definitely worth the trouble.

Small Dog, Small Bladder

Yorkies are part of the toy dog variety. Their smaller size means they also have a smaller bladder. This means they will need more frequent trips to the restroom than larger breeds.

The positive side to this is that if your Yorkie does have an accident, its much easier to take care of than larger breeds!

You should be aware, however, Yorkshire Terriers are fairly prone to experiencing separation anxiety. Dogs with separation anxiety may struggle to hold their pee when left alone.

Although, this was not the case in my experience. Once my female Yorkie had mastered training, she very rarely went to the toilet inside the house, even if I was out at work all day.

Small Dog Syndrome

While a small dog has a small bladder, the same does not apply to its larger-than-life attitude. Like other small dogs, Yorkies tend to be rather sassy and can be quite territorial. This can make training a little more difficult in some cases.

A fellow Yorkie owner explained that their seven-year-old male Yorkie still occasionally goes inside the house. However, this negative behavior only occurred when the Yorkie was left alone for too long, was upset with his owners, or was agitated by large groups of people.

This is an example of territorial marking which can be more common among male Yorkies but can also occur with females.

How Long Does It Take To Potty Train a Yorkie?

It takes less than 4 months to potty train a Yorkie. However, for Yorkies that have received intensive training, it can be much sooner. Its worth noting that Yorkies from a pet store are more likely to struggle with potty training compared to those from a breeder.

Yorkies that have begun training at the recommended age can be expected to be fully housebroken by the age of 6 or 7 months.

Yorkie puppies older than seven months that still struggle with potty training should visit the veterinarian or a dog trainer. Some dogs may urinate frequently due to a medical condition.

When Should You Start to Potty Train a Yorkie?

Potty training in Yorkies should begin by 12 to 16 weeks of age. At this time Yorkies should have the faculties to hold their waste for 2 hour periods. Additionally, they should have had the necessary vaccinations to start going outside if this is where you intend to train them.

If you are adopting a puppy its best to start potty training your Yorkie as soon as you bring them home.

Introducing younger Yorkie puppies to the concept of using a designated area via the use of puppy pads or newspapers, can help speed up the process later on. Just dont expect to see any solid results before around 12 weeks.

How to Potty Train a Yorkie? 9 Tips and Techniques

Now that you know more about the difficulties and timescale for potty training a Yorkie, here are 8 useful tips that will simplify and speed up the process.

1. Schedule Potty Breaks

Avoiding incidents means not waiting for your puppy to signal they need to use the bathroom.Untrained Yorkies are extremely unlikely to let you know when its time to go!

For this reason, you need to schedule specific times to take them outside to go potty. Set up reminders on your phone at least once every two hours, to begin with.

Overnight while your Yorkie is sleeping they should be okay to hold it a bit longer but you will likely have to let them out at least once or twice, to begin with.

Also, make sure totake your puppy immediately after waking up and right before going to bed. The frequent repetition will teach your puppy that all bathroom activities should take place outside.

Over time, you can extend the time between pee breaks. A fully grown adult can wait up to 6 or 8 hours. Possibly even longer, although this is not recommended, especially not regularly.

2. Establish a Feeding Routine

If your Yorkie gets fed at regular intervals every day, they are more likely to want the bathroom at regular intervals also. Therefore, scheduled feeding times make their potty habits more predictable and easier to monitor.

Additionally, when your Yorkie fills up its little belly, it will likely have the urge to go to the bathroom shortly after, making this is the perfect time to take them.

Ideally, you should integrate toilet breaks into their schedule around 20 mins after feeding times.

3. Pick a Potty Spot and Use a Leash

Its no secret that puppies love to investigate and play. Often, the interaction with their owners and going outside will signal to them that its playtime.

Therefore, putting them on a leash and taking them to the same spot each time you want them to go to the toilet will help avoid any confusion.

4. Use a Specific Verbal Command

Pick a specific command such as wee-wee or go potty to use whenever you want your puppy to eliminate waste.

To begin with, you should repeat the command even while they are already mid-flow to help them make the connection between their actions and your words.

Eventually, with enough repetition, they will learn to understand your requests.

5. Reward Them Appropriately

As with any type of training, rewards and praise are absolutely paramount in getting your dog to behave the way that you want it to.

Be sure to continue using your chosen voice commands and then reward them with a treat while you shower them with praise whenever they do a good job.

Your puppy will soon learn to associate a successful elimination of waste with the subsequent treats and praise, so they will want to repeat their actions in the future.

6. Supervise Constantly and Try to Pre-Empt Accidents

Potty training a new puppy is a full-time job, ideally, they should be watched 24/7. Understandably, this is not feasible for most owners. Nonetheless, you need to keep an extremely close eye as much as is reasonably possible.

Whenever you see them readying up to go to the toilet or even if they are already mid-potty, firmly but calmly say no. Remove them from the situation as quickly as possible, taking them to their designated potty spot.

Do not get angry and do not try to correct your dog by rubbing their nose in it! This will teach them nothing, other than to fear you and to hide away from you when its time to go.

Stay calm and if they manage to finish up in the correct area then you should reward them as usual.

7. Clean Up Thoroughly After Mishaps

If and when mistakes happen, be sure to clean the area thoroughly.

Dogs typically have a strong desire to use areas that already smell like urine or feces. Even the slightest residue can be picked up by a Yorkies keen sense of smell and will encourage them to repeat the offense in the same spot.

Your may find that using a stain and odor remover such as this one on Amazon can help with this.

8. Reduce Liquid Intake Before Bed Time

If your puppy has troubles at nighttime then you can try removing their water bowl around 2 hours before turning in for the night. Make sure that they have had a drink beforehand though as you dont want them to be thirsty.

This will give them a much better chance at lasting the night and will reduce the risk of them developing bad habits while you are not around.

Just be sure to return the water first thing in the morning and that they get plenty of water throughout the day.

9. Use a Crate When You Are Not Around

No matter which trainer you speak to, they will likely recommend crate training. Its a great tool for many reasons. Aside from helping to reduce anxiety, especially for dogs who have just been rehomed, crate training can also help with potty training. Particularly at nighttime or times when you have to leave your puppy alone.

Why is this technique so effective? Dogs try to keep their sleeping spaces clean. When they are not able to leave their sleeping area, they must hold their bladder. Not only does this prevent them from peeing throughout the house, but it helps strengthen their bladder muscles.

Find the Perfect Crate

Find your puppy a crate large enough so they can just stand up and turn around in it. The crate shouldnt be too big or it wont be as effective in reducing anxiety, or for potty training.

If your puppy is still growing, you could consider using a divider panel to temporarily adjust the size of the crate. This fully equipped crate on Amazon includes a divider panel and is perfect for the average-sized Yorkie.

Crate training tips

Your Yorkie will likely cry for the first few nights in their crate but this is normal. Puppies are used to sleeping with their mom and their siblings. Spending the night in an unfamiliar place without them will be tough. As heartbreaking as it might be though, they will soon adjust so stick with it.

I would strongly recommend using an old blanket or towel inside their crate until they are fully potty trained. Even though a crate will reduce the chances of your pup fowling in the first place, accidents can and probably will still happen.

A blanket or towel is much easier to wash. Its also more easily replaceable than a fitted bed. Often these beds will be obstructed by divider panels while your puppy is growing anyway.

Do not leave your puppy in the crate for too long and do not use the crate as a form of punishment. Bear in mind the crate should be a place of safety and comfort. Always encourage or entice them into the crate with treats rather than forcing them in.