[yorkietalkjilly]

Many toy dogs do just have a predisposition toward moving away or stepping back anytime anyone moves toward them and will rarely come to us and stay by our feet when we call without specific training. On the other hand, some are like my late little Jilly would turn herself around backward so I could pick her up properly when I approached her or she came near to my feet! But she spent the first 2 1/2 months of her life riding in her breeder's large, deep apron pocket as she was a fragile runt who had to be watched constantly for various problems so she loved being picked up and carried around and was imprinted with being carried by a human very early. Some toys are like that but I find more of them I've owned, fostered or trained move away than offer themselves to be picked up.

Toys dogs are so often picked up - so much more often than larger dogs - and that immediately inhibits their freedom, of which toy dogs have little compared to larger ones, and what's worse to them, they are often carried off to get a bath, nailclipping, brushing, toothbrushing or something or other they prefer not to happen to them. Bigger dogs get to walk beside or behind us and accompany us to wherever we are going to bathe or groom them, even if they are slow to do it, but the little ones are often just whisked up and off.

If you just hate the habit of stepping back(I don't mind it, as all I have to say is, "Stop" and the dog will stop), you can work to train him to approach you and then train him to "stay" in place anytime he approaches close to you or your feet. It will likely take about 6 months if you work at it fairly regularly to overcome the natural tendency to step back but most good trainers can train instinctive behavior out of most dogs if they are determined to do it and make a game out of it, having the dog "win" when he stays put by plying him with instant treats offered immediately - not 8 seconds later - but immediately when he's stayed in place for a count to 20, accompanied by happy smiles and a wiggle of their head or body. Not too much praising or celebrations at first - the dog will immediately back off to celebrate so the first three months or so or more - treats and smiles, maybe a quiet "good dog". The praise and celebrations can come when the dog is standing solid over and over and not about to move because he wants the treats and you happy.

The thing is, given the dog's nature, if it's kind of timid or anxious, it will keep moving back out of sheet habit more than he stays put for a good long while and most will lose heart in the training. But, you can do it with a dog if you work really hard to make the dog understand that "winning" at staying put before you is more rewarding in the long run with loads of instant, luscious treats and praise and happiness than the temporary relief of moving away - at which time you say "uh oh" and turn away from him in obvious disappointment, no treats. Eventually, the dog gets the message: Stay put - get treats, mommy is smiling, praising me, happy, I'm happy. Move - get an "uh oh", no treats and she's unhappy, ignores me for a long time. Hmmm.....maybe it's better to "stay put! He'll begin to work hard to do that - he'll still fail for a while but he'll try harder and harder. Then it becomes second nature.

You can use a leash the first day or so you begin training but often the moment you take the leash off after starting this training, they are right back at zero and stepping back again so just sticking with the repetition and positive reinforcement eventually will begin to associate staying put with happiness and good things and he will want to do it for the oxytocin his brain begins to flood with anytime he gets it right. It will take patience and persistence but you have the rest of the dog's life to live with them so what is six months in the long run?

What also can work is teaching the dog that "come" means treat and the dog is to come and stand there until you give the treat, however long that takes. When he is used to standing before you to get his treat, it shouldn't be a stretch to then teach him to "Stay".