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Have you got problems with your Yorkie puppy training?

It won’t surprise me at all because Yorkshire Terriers can be stubborn and strong-willed at times.

Fortunately, I’ve got some Yorkie training secrets up my sleeve just for you.

Read on to check them out!

Related: How to get a Yorkie to stop biting

7 Yorkie Puppy Training Tricks

Yorkshire Terriers might be small in size, but they have a big personality and don’t back off a challenge.

So, they are not the easiest dogs to train or housebreak.

While Yorkies make up for these difficulties with their sweet disposition, an untrained Yorkie can be a nightmare around the house.

So, let’s see seven Yorkie training tricks to help you keep this little devil in check.

Must-read: Training treats for Yorkie puppies

#1 Use Positive Reinforcement and Clicker Training

Positive reinforcement is one of the easiest ways to train any dog, including Yorkies.

This training strategy is based on the principle that a dog is likely to repeat a behavior if he gets immediately rewarded for it.

Thanks to positive reinforcement, you build a connection in your Yorkie’s mind between the command word, the action, and the reward.

Clicker training, on the other hand, allows you to mark the behavior you want to encourage.

For example, when your Yorkie sits, you press the clicker and reward your pooch.

As such, the Yorkie learns to associate the click with rewards, and it makes it easy for the Yorkie to identify what actions bring the tasty food.

That’s handy if you don’t have much success in luring your Yorkie into position.

Related: Yorkie potty training regression

#2 Start Training Early

Yorkies are not so easy to train because they have a mind of their own and a strong-willed spirit.

So, one of the best Yorkie training tricks is to start training and housebreaking as soon as possible.

The younger the dog, the more receptive they are going to be to what you’re teaching them.

In addition to this, early training ensures that the Yorkie won’t pick any unappropriated behavior. It also allows you to encourage and reward “good behavior.”

My advice is to start with a basic command like “Come,” or “Sit,” and work on it until your Yorkie masters it.

Keep in mind that it might take time because, as I said, Yorkies are not the most obedient dogs.

Related: can you train a Yorkie to use a litter box?

#3 Don’t Allow Self-Rewarding Bad Behavior

When you’re training a Yorkie, you want not only to encourage good behavior but also correct the bad one.

Unfortunately, sometimes it’s not enough to ignore the naughty actions or say a firm “NO!” to let your dog know that they’re “bad.”

A Yorkie who is chewing on your shoes feels good about it. That’s called self-rewarding behavior.

Your dog is not going to stop if you ignore them, because she is getting something out of it.

In these cases, you should aim to distract your Yorkie from what they are doing without paying too much attention to their actions.

For example, walk into the room and toss a toy on the ground without acknowledging your pooch.

When your pooch stops chewing to check out what’s on the floor, you pick him up and remove him from the situation.

Related: how to train a yorkie not to bark

#4 Learn How to Potty Train Your Yorkie

A lot of owners ask about how to potty train a Yorkie after several weeks of no success.

Let me tell you that how long it takes to potty train a Yorkie puppy depends a lot on how much effort you put into the task.

A small dog like the Yorkie can’t hold their bladder very long and needs to do their business quite a lot.

So, you should take your Yorkie to the designed potty spot as much as possible during the first few weeks, usually every 20-30 minutes.

Once they do their business, you should make a big deal out of it and reward them with tasty treats.

If you fail to get your Yorkie out after eating, right after waking up or before bed, they are going to make a mess.

The more times your Yorkie has accidents in the house, the less likely are they to hold their bladders and bowels.

So, watch your Yorkie for any signs that they are about to urinate/defecate and take them outside immediately.

If you catch your Yorkie in the act, say “NO!” and get the dog to their potty spot.

#5 Think About Crate Training

Yorkies are notoriously challenging to housebreak, so a lot of owners end up wondering how to potty train a stubborn Yorkie.

One solution that works in almost all difficult cases is Yorkie puppy crate training.

By nature, dogs don’t urinate/defecate in their dens. When you introduce the crate in the right way, a Yorkie will consider it a safe place and will do their best to keep it clean.

Use this instinct to teach your Yorkie to hold their bladders.

However, you should do it carefully and avoid leaving the puppy too long in the crate. Otherwise, the Yorkie will get comfortable soiling the crate, and all your efforts will be for nothing.

It’s difficult to say at what age Yorkies are potty trained. Some might be housebroken by the time they are 10 months old, while others might take 18 months and more.

You just have to hang in there and be consistent in your potty and crate training.

#6 Potty Training Your Yorkie in an Apartment Is Possible

Since Yorkies are small dogs, they a popular dog breed for apartment dwellers. So, if you want to know a Yorkie training trick for how to train a Yorkie in an apartment, I’ve got one for you.

All you need are puppy pads and a lot of patience and free.

Instead of taking your Yorkie outside to do their business, you’re going to bring them to the puppy pads and praise and reward them for a job well done.

I’ll be honest. A lot of dog professional trainers consider that potty training a puppy inside will slow down the housebreaking process. That’s because sooner or later you Yorkie will have to know how to go outside.

But potty training inside might be a necessity in cold weather when your Yorkie has to stay away from the harsh elements.

In these cases, you’ll have to make sure that your Yorkie puppy doesn’t have a secret place to do their business and clean any incidents thoroughly to remove the smell.

#7 Nip Your Yorkie’s Biting

While it’s normal for puppies to nib you from time, without intervention, your Yorkie’s biting might get out of control.

So, let me reveal you a trick about training a Yorkie puppy not to bite. Ignore your Yorkie. It sounds mean, but it’s one of the techniques that work the best.

Whenever your Yorkie bites, you should leave the room and not pay attention to your pooch for 5-10 minutes.

In this way, you’re teaching your Yorkie that biting means no fun, so they will stop doing after a while.

If your Yorkie puppy is teething, biting is a natural way for them to relieve teeth pain.

During these weeks, you should provide chew toys for your pooch. Some owners freeze the toys to help with the discomfort of the emerging teeth.

Yorkies might not be as easy to train as you would like, but they make up for it with their cute looks and outgoing personality.

Since you have a challenging task before you, here is a Yorkie puppy training video that will come in handy during obedience training. Enjoy!

What do you think about these 7 tips on Yorkie puppy training? How did you train your Yorkie? Share your experience with us in the comments.

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