Impossible to train my one yearold Yorkie
 

Pippin is in possible to train. House breaking and getting him to go potty outside was easy, and it only took a couple of months after I brought him home. I didn't need to teach him to sit he just started doing it on his own one day and put the word 'sit' with the action whenever I said it. I tried teaching him other things like 'lay down' and 'shake' or even speak but he won't do them it's like he doesn't have the attention span for it. He's a year old now and I was wondering if anyone has any good tips for teaching a dog basic commands. He still doesn't really know come or stay. We don't have a fenced in yard and sometimes when we're outside he comes out and he's not wearing his leash and he takes off and I'd love it if he'd come back when I call him.

-Kelly and Pippin

It ok really. We all get told that they are all grown up at one and all will fall into place.
Yeah No.... one they are all grown up in the body.
Two they kinda got the world figured out socially.
It not till three that that brain kicks in and they slow down and calm down.. he got all his life to learn even after that.

I worked come in another post so am not going to repeat that.
down... he most lay down at some point in the day so reward that to start.
You can make a bridge with you leg and lure him under your leg and as his elbow hit the ground you can say down and treat him.
Repeat and lower leg , no pushing so he got to touch his belly to the ground... treat and say down.

Same with speak catch him as he barks or if he gets excited over something say speak them and reward. And remember to teach the off button quiet as well.

Shake a paw... Humm now I did this a long time ago with my dog.. on the floor treat in hand and close hand so dog can not get it. he is going to nudge it with nose if he reaches with the paw open hand and give treat say paw at the same time.

Hope that helps

JL

Thanks, I'll have to give all of that a try. He only really barks when there is someone at the door, but lately he's started this thing where if you walk by someone he'll start barking, or if you go to touch someone he'll freak out. I don't know if thats natural for not but just lately he's been doing it and telling him 'quiet' doesn't usually work.

-Kelly

Mine has started doing the barking thing as we pass other people or other dogs behaving crazy. He got neutered one week ago.

Kelly not sure where in alberta you are but if your in the Calgary area give Sit Happens a call and get him into a puppy class.

Sounds to me he needs more soical skills

JL

Pippin was neutered when he was 6 months old, but he recently started this barking thing, however he knows it's bad so he doesn't do it as much anymore.

I live in Fort McMurray, and I've called around to some of the places here and their so booked up that I didn't bother trying to get him in. He's actually a really social dog. His groomer has a dog thats twice his size but he loves him, he loves going to the vet cause he meets other dogs, he's been around my friends dogs as well as my cousin's dogs. He likes to act bigger then what he really is.

-Kelly

my year-old pupster is the same way. he's a terror =/

We couldn't teach Nikko "lay down" for the life of us until somebody here (I'm sorry I can't remember who now) told us about this method! It really actually worked!!! Within just about a week of practicing "lay down" with luring him under my low leg bridge, he started doing it on his own with no leg bridge!

Lauren & Nikko

OMG this so reminded me of Burke. He learned sit, stay, off and potty training ( as an adult) pretty quickly. It always confused me why i could never get him to lay down even with a trainer!
Then last year after playing with my well trained cat ( who does do down) I asked Burke (at age 10) though his pases, and somehow he learned lay down! I guess that doesnt help you, but I thought you would get a kick out of that.

Lay down
 

I have a pug and a yorkie. I have also had 2 other pugs in the past and have taught them all the same way on how to lay down. Pugs are known to be stubborn but this works. I have taken them all to obedience classes and I was taught this way. Have your yorkie on a leash and you tell them to lay down, or down what ever word works for you and at the same time put your hand out flat and have it in a downward motion. They won't of course laydown so you put your foot on the leash and say lay down. Each time they won't you put your foot up closer on the leash toward the collar until there head is close to the ground. They are pretty stubborn so their head may be down but body up. Your yorkie will get tired eventually and lay down. When he does, praise him and say good down but do not touch him for he will want to bounce back up. Then have him sit and praise him for good down. Walk him on the leash again and then do the same thing all over again. Eventually, when he knows you are the boss and if he doesn't lay down when you command it, you will once again step on the leash and get closer to the collar until he is complete down, he will start doing it automatically. This does not hurt the dog at all and forces them to lay down. All my pugs and my year old yorkie will go down with my hand command and staying down. They also need to know that in this position, they are not allowed to get up until you tell them. If my dogs start running away, I say down and do the hand movement and they will stop in their tracks and lay down.:)

Most likely it was me or someone that read it from somthing I posted.

JL

Well, if it was you, I GREATLY appreciate the advice. It's worked so well... and it's so cute to watch him! He doesn't just lay down slowly or gently - he's so excited to do the right thing and get a treat, he literally slaps his tummy down on the floor in his haste. :-)

Lauren & Nikko