[yorkipower]

Hello:

First I just want to clarify – when you say you have heard that Yorkies are hard to train, you mean housebreak or teach to do things? I am guessing you mean the former. The short answer to that question is: generally, yes they are but there’s a lot of reasons why which have as much to do with the dog as the people who own them

First, I disagree with the post above about using dominance theory to train a dog to be housebroken. Yes, dominance theory works. People slapped their kids for hundreds of years to get them to behave, and yes, for fear of being hit with a paddle in school or pulled in the back of the ears by pappy, the kids generally stayed in line. But what were they really learning? The same school of thought was applied in dog obedience since, at least WWI. There are plenty of “OTCH” dogs out there who were taught to retrieve a dumbbell with an ear pinch or a slap against the head (perhaps, there are many in the works today as well). With agility, however, we learned that the most successful and motivated dogs were the ones taught to think for themselves and to see learning as a positive experience. Training dogs has gone in the same direction training children went in the 70’s – towards using positive techniques and away from dominating and scaring the subject into compliance.

I’ve heard the arguments about dogs being wolves and how wolves have a social hierarchy. But if you read up on wolf pack behavior and what animal behaviorists say in this regard, you will quickly learn that a) wolf pack relationships are actually dynamic – changing from instance to instance. The old “alpha” paradigm is very inaccurate. B) the dominant wolf does not force its subordinates to assume subordinate position (on its back for example), this is what the subordinate does to show his deference (licking the dominants mouth, crouching, or in extreme “mercy” situations, rolling on its back to expose its stomach). C) most importantly, Jean Donaldson compares the analogy of dogs in captivity to wild wolf packs as akin to studying human behavior by going to a refugee camp.;

I think “training” and “disciplining” are two totally different things and you have to be very careful which you are doing and why (especially if you are doing either in a state of anger because your new carpet is wet). (I put up another post just yesterday, in response to a person who suggested using dominance theory to prevent aggression. Turns out the dog who was showing “aggressive tendencies” was 11 weeks old. At three months, a dog is just a baby and it would be highly unlikely that he would be showing sexual dominance behavior.. Without seeing what the dog is doing and what is reacting to – I would be very WARY of punishing a dog with a dominance theory tactic (ear pinching, back rolls, scruffing, etc.). If you aren’t absolutely certain what you are punishing and punishing the behavior at the moment it occurs, you could easily wind up sending mixed signals. With this form of behavior modification ,there’s little room for you to make a mistake! If a dog is confused as to why he is being punished and the person is not consistent in the application of that punishment, you can wind up with a scared, confused or frightened dog. A frightened dog is more likely to bite than a “dominant one.” When left with no other defenses, a dog will choose to bite.
Like I said, Yorkies tend to be hard to housebreak, as are most of the dogs in the Toy group. I do not think this is because they are hard headed or stubborn or vindictive. Come on – people are those things, dog’s aren’t. I am doubtful my dog is sitting there on the coach saying to himself “hmm. . . yesterday she took my greenie away. I think I’ll go pee on the coach to get back at her.”

No, something else is going on:
1) Most of the toy group consists of very small dogs, with small bladders and high metabolisms. This means they have to eat and pee often. ‘
2) Add to the small stomachs, small bodies and thin coats – they loose heat easily and many do not like to go out side. Some will have accidents inside, on rainy days to avoid going out into that “cold.” Compounded to this problem, many people advocate teaching small dogs to use wee-wee pads instead. However, here’s the problem with wee-wee pads. Dogs don’t generalize well, If you move that wee wee pad all over the house instead of keeping it in a specific room, or if the dog misses the pad and hits the floor, you’ve got a) a newly marked area where the dog will likely return because of the scent and b) a confused dog who doesn’t know which room in the house is OK and which isn’t.
3) If you look at the people who tend to buy small dogs, they tent to fall into some general categories add to housebreaking blues; apartment dwellers who think a small dog will fit more comfortably with the home; first time dog owners who might be intimidated in getting a bigger dog or who think a smaller dog will be easier to train and handle; families with children who, likewise, think a small dog will be less intimidating for their children; people who work long hours and don’t think they have the time or opportunity to give a large dog the exercise it needs; much to my personal chagrin, there’s a more recent category – people who find small dogs fashionable or cute and impulse buy. I am not saying all people fall into one of these categories but there are certainly a good number who fall into at least one. Without the proper research and know how- they can find themselves unable to train their dogs properly
4) Related to #2, People underestimate small dogs. Little dogs are capable of following commands, following a routine and are very cleaver. But there’s this small dog paradigm that people fall into. This is especially true for those who buy small dogs as their “babies.” We all have heard of those yappy little dogs, who beg at the table, destroy the sofa cushions and pee all over the house. But would the dog know to beg at the table if food was never forthcoming from those actions?
5) Despite what people may think to the contrary, most small dogs are not easier to train or handle than bigger dogs and can be even more difficult. Again, this is not because there is some sort of “Evil” streak in the Chihuahua next door. It’s simply this, the Chihuahua, the Pug, the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, The Maltese, and our dear Yorkies, have spent generations sitting on people’s laps and making their livings as being the object of some ladie’s adoration. The expression “putting on the dog” comes from the fact that if you were wealthy enough to have a painting commissioned in your honor, the painter would often have you seated with a toy dog on your lap to indicate your social status (that you could afford to have a “frivolous” dog). Labs, Shepherds, Collies are working dogs. They were selected for their ability to work with people and follow directions. This is a matter of instinct and genetic makeup. That doesn’t mean little dogs can’t learn. Papillion’s, were strictly the lap dogs of the nobleman . Yet, Papillion are among the top obedience and agility dogs out there! It just takes a bit more patience and understanding to get them to work because they don’t have “working drive” the way a maniac Border collie will go all day until it collapses.
6) Now, as far as YORKIEs are concerned, there’s an added issue. They are terriers. So some of the logic about housebreaking, for instance the dogs don’t like to soil where they sleep, doesn’t always work with them. I have one dog who loves to roll in his poo! I had another who no matter how small I made her crate, would still poop in it. It just didn’t’ matter to them. Plus, as far as training goes, terriers were solitary hunters/workers. That means, again, instinctively they are independent (notice I did not say stubborn, just independent). They think for themselves. Clicker training works great with terriers because it gives them options and they can choose for themselves, which to take.

Got to go now but I hope this has answered your questions