Yorkies are very eager to please their owners. They especially love to receive praise and attention!
They are easy to train however require consistency or they will quickly learn bad habits. They have natural intelligence which allows them to figure out ways to get around following commands if not consistently trained.
It is important to socialize your Yorkie as early as possible, to prevent them from becoming anxious in new places. Socialization also helps your Yorkie understand that not all strangers or other animals are dangerous.
Yorkies benefit from crate training (for housetraining) as it gives them a safe place to go that is similar to a den. This is a good idea if you have lots of visitors and the Yorkie is upset or requires a bit of relaxation.
It is also an excellent way to travel with your Yorkie, as they become accustomed to the crate while in the car, train or airplane. It gives them a real sense of security and is not a cruel way to carry your dog at all!
Here are some tips that you might want to consider when training your Yorkie:
- Work with your dog every day. Yorkies have a short memory and attention span, similar to that of a small child. If you skip a day of training she will forget what she has already learned.
- Use treats as a reward when your Yorkie does what you are trying to teach her to do. That way she will know what is expected of her and be motivated to please you.
- Speak in a firm tone when reprimanding her. She will know by the tone of your voice that she has done something that is not acceptable.
- Allow for lots of playtime between training sessions. Your Yorkie will learn faster if she is allowed to stretch her legs and play in between sessions.
- Train your Yorkie when it is just the two of you. Other people or animals are too much of a distraction. Allow her to focus on you and your voice.
- Teach only one command at a time. Wait until she has mastered a command completely before beginning to teach her a new one.
- Use the same exact wording for each command you teach. If you want your Yorkie to sit, then only use the word sit. If you say sit down or anything else she will become confused and not know what to do. Think back to when you were trying to learn a new language. One word can change the meaning of a sentence and you may have difficulty figuring out what is the correct way to say something. It is the same for your Yorkie. She will try to figure out what you want, so keep it simple with one word or a short phrase.
Sources: http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Connie_Ragen_Green ; http://www.myyorkiesecrets.com/