When looking for a small cute, and fluffy dog to have as your pet, you might come across some very interesting and beautiful canines, and you may want them all! However, Yorkies have caught your eye because of how loving and loyal they are to their owners. Not to mention, this breed is tiny, so that is a significant plus if you are looking for a smaller breed! But the question we have today is, are Yorkies easy to train?
Many other dog breeds, such as the Beagle, Bulldog, and Chow chow, are hard to train, but Yorkshire Terriers are not too challenging to train except for going to the bathroom. Learning new tricks is a breeze when it comes to Yorkies. Still, because of how small their bladders are, it can be difficult to potty train. However, you can guarantee most of the training done will be done with ease and does not require a lot of patience on your end!
Today we will be learning the length of time it will take to potty train your animal and the basics of training your puppy to sit, stay, come, and lay. It is essential to teach them when they are young, but that does not mean you cannot teach an old dog new tricks, either! So, let’s dive in and get started.
How Long Does It Take To House Train a Yorkie?
When house training your pup, something to keep in mind is the length it is going to take. Just as if you were potty training a toddler (if you have one, that is), it will require an immense amount of work, patience, and dedication on your end to training your animal fully.
That being said, you can expect to see house training progress by the first week or so, but the process itself will take anywhere between 4 to 8 months due to how small their bladders are and how well they can or cannot hold it all in. Although this seems like a long time, the dedication required will guarantee success that they will not have any accidents, period.
What To Know Before Training My Yorkie
First and foremost, you should know there should be set ground rules before training your Yorkshire. If you are all over the place with training, with one day being all about it, then the next, not wanting to do much, they will misbehave due to not knowing how to act.
That being said, here are quite a few things to keep in mind:
- Be diligent and consistent in the beginning, so your dog knows you mean business.
- Use the same commands. Please do not change it midway through, for this will confuse them all the more.
- Have short training sessions and be repetitive during those times.
- Positive reinforcement. This can be done with a treat, praise, or both.
One other thing to keep in mind before training your Yorkie is to set realistic expectations. You cannot merely think that a puppy of 2 months will be able to hold their pee for longer than 2 hours because their bladders aren’t that big yet. Remember to keep constant supervision over them instead of maintaining the pup alone. If they are by themselves, they will not learn anything.
Potty Training Your Yorkie
Initially, when you get your little dog, especially being a puppy, the first thing you will want to do is potty train them. Of course, if you get a Yorkie as they are older, odds are, they are already potty trained, but since it is more often than not best to get them as a puppy, then this is going to help you initially in the long run.
Something else is that, if you want them to hold their pee in for longer hours as they get older, then take them outside after more prolonged periods, such as at three months, wait for 3 hours or four months, wait for 4 hours, etc. You get the picture. This is essential if you need to work or go certain places for the majority of the day. Alternatively, you can take them wherever you are going if you can.
1. Choose The Bathroom Area
Making sure you pick a specific spot for your Yorkie to go potty is essential. Keep the weather changes in mind as you do so, for the place they pee during the summer may not be ideal in the winter. Always make sure they have access to their potty spot to ensure they go.
Some dog owners even go so far as to place a pee pad inside, which is fine during the potty training process, but after the initial training, it is not recommended, for they can get urine all over the floor.
2. Constantly Supervise & Keep Your Dog Contained
Keep a watchful eye on your pup as they are learning to be potty trained. You can even provide a space they cannot go, such as in the kitchen with a playpen or gate up. This would be ideal, especially if you have carpet. The last thing we need is to
3. Praise Your Yorkie After They Go
Always reward them with praise first, then a treat to show that this behavior is a good thing.
4. Create Rules
Take your Yorkie to the bathroom every day at the same time, and bring them to their potty area before a walk. You will also want to be patient, as it may take some time for their bladder muscles to relax before initially going, and always make sure you take them often enough.
Teaching Your Dog New Tricks
Training your Yorkshire Terrier is not just about potty training, but it can mean teaching them different tricks such as sitting, learning to come, laying down, and staying put.
These are just the basics of what your dog should learn, but if you wish to teach them different tricks, they can be accommodated. But for right now, we are just only going over these four. It is essential to use positive reinforcement during this time.
Training To Sit
Initially, you will want to offer them as few distractions as possible, so if you were doing it in a busy part of your home, they would not learn anything. Have a treat available, and let your Yorkie know that you have one.
Allow them to sniff it before you say “sit.” When you say the word, move the treat over their heads. In return, they will then automatically sit. You are then going to praise them for this and give them the treat. Please repeat this step until they finally get it.
Training To Lay Down
After they sit, move along to lying down, hold the treat to their nose, and move it down to the floor towards you. Make sure to say “lay” or “down” when saying this. It will look as if you are making an L-shaped form as you move the treat away from him or her. Once Their bellies touch the floor, make sure you immediately reward them with a treat. Again, repeat the step as needed.
Training To Come
Training your Yorkie to come is going to be a breeze because they always want to be near you. All you have to do is get down on your knees or low to the ground and say “come here” or whatever motion you do that shows them to come to you.
Training To Stay Put
By putting your dog in the sit or lay position, you are then going to say “stay” with your hand up like a stop sign. You are then going to walk a few feet in front of you. If they get out of the position, you put them in, stop and then try again. As time goes on, you are going to eventually leave the room and have them stay until you tell them to “come” again.
Final Thought
Overall, Yorkshires are straightforward to train. They may be difficult in a few areas, such as potty training due to how tiny their bladders are or keeping them put, but overall they are intelligent creatures who want to learn every day, just like us as humans. You can always train them to do many other things, but these are just the basics.
