Did you hire a trainer, take your yorkie to classes, or train yourself?

[SirTeddykins]

I hired a trainer who was a moron so I re-trained myself.


I can't recommend any specific books but the ASPCA, RSPCA and various website have helped and also just getting to know my dog. Time and patience are both virtues!

[107barney]

We attended obedience classes after basic puppy manners classes. I found learning from someone in person to be very helpful.

[KazzyK810]

Originally Posted by LadyGemma

Thank you all so much for responding. May I ask what method you used- out of a book, website, common sense, experience, etc? Thanks, and Moxie thanks you too (or she will, once she learns her manners!)

Common sense, and prior parenting experience.

I would advise that you choose the words you will use to train, ahead of time, and be consistent with them. Sit, stay, down, here....all went well. But we have a few goofs.

Before I'd decided on "leave it", ZoE tried to get into something nasty as a very young 7-8 week old puppy, and I yelled out "yucky!" And she backed away. A month latter and I shattered a glass dish on my kitchen floor and no amount of telling her to stay away did any good, so remembering how she backed away at the last incident, I yelled out "yucky!" It worked again, and now we are stuck with it.

The first time after getting ZoE, that my daughter came home from college, and was in the driveway unpacking her car, I said "where's Lauren?" And ZoE ran to the window to look out at the driveway. Well, it turns out ZoE interpreted it To mean, someone's here to visit us. Because now, four years on, even if Lauren is standing in the room with Zo and you say "where's Lauren?", she goes running to the window over looking the driveway to see who's here to visit us. lol.

So, choose your training words wisely!

[capt_noonie]

Originally Posted by LadyGemma

Any great books to recommend in particular?

I would read anything specifically for yorkies. I lent out my book and never got it back so I can't remember the exact title or author. Go to your local book store (if they still exist!) and browse.

[YorkieTherapy]

Positive reinforcement using treats, toys or clicker is the method used by most of us here. Look up classical conditioning dog training when you research books.

Originally Posted by capt_noonie

This is true. Many people don't know when they are reinforcing bad behavior. Training is first for the human to know how to interact with the dog. That said, I trained myself. I read a lot of books. But bc I'm a cheapskate.

Yep, I've made plenty of mistakes and 90% of Guinness' unwanted behaviors can be trace back to what I was doing. To remedy/help my dogs through their challenges the only thing that worked for me was to look myself in the mirror, turn that finger around and implement the good advice that I was given.

[AnimalCharmer]

I took Sammie to a class and I did a lot of research on the internet. Most of the questions I had I answered them on the internet. However, I did enjoy the class because it helped me train with other dogs as a distraction. I also enjoyed the socialization aspect of the classes.

[gemy]

A combination of both now. Training myself and also using a competitive obedience trainer.


When the pups are young, it is very good to get an experienced eye on both them and you, plus the socialization aspect in all its varieties, then I take a break, train myself, and go back if and when we hit a rough patch, or just for my trainer to review our progress.


Dara is overdue for a re-check with the trainer!

[motinot]

I have had great results with Teddi....sit, stay, shake hands, off, leave it....But 'come' is proving to be very difficult..she will come to me when i call her, but only if she wants to...is it a Yorkie thing?...My poodle cross Charley comes to me as soon as i call him, no matter what is going on....

[AnimalCharmer]

I'm experiencing the same troubles with Sammie and come. When I trained him on the come command he was interested. Currently though he comes when he wants. So we are currently retraining on the come command. I'm mixing the training in with the stay command. We started training inside the house and I'm trying to perfect the command in my backyard. For treats I use chopped chicken chunks.

[Lovetodream88]

Originally Posted by motinot

I have had great results with Teddi....sit, stay, shake hands, off, leave it....But 'come' is proving to be very difficult..she will come to me when i call her, but only if she wants to...is it a Yorkie thing?...My poodle cross Charley comes to me as soon as i call him, no matter what is going on....

I think it is a female yorkie thing. My girl is very smart and very well trained but there is the occasional I don't feel like coming times.

[matese]

All my passed girls I trained myself. Cody my 3 y/o adopted boy I took to obedience training for his dog aggression issues. Never had an aggressive dog.

[anneclaire]

A book that was recomended to me by one of the mommys was Yorkies for Dummies.
I may have that backwards,LOL I got it on Amazon,

[YorkieTherapy]

Originally Posted by gemy

A combination of both now. Training myself and also using a competitive obedience trainer.


When the pups are young, it is very good to get an experienced eye on both them and you, plus the socialization aspect in all its varieties, then I take a break, train myself, and go back if and when we hit a rough patch, or just for my trainer to review our progress.


Dara is overdue for a re-check with the trainer!

I love, love, love watching you work with your dogs! I think they are amazing!

[LadyGemma]

I'm ordering Yorkies For Dummies, thank you! In the meanwhile, Moxie and I have a session with a highly praised and rec'd dog behaviorist/ trainer that specializes in small dogs. I'm new to small dogs so even if it's mostly for me to learn, that's fine. They use clicker training I believe. Moxie really needs help with house training, going in her crate at night, and expressing her friendly desire to meet new dogs and people in a non aggressive way (she howls, barks, and whines, even though she is excited, not angry). As well as barking indoors and socializing better w/ other dogs (the family I saved her from never let her outside). I'm going to do this session and then see if I can take it from there, we need another one, or we should do classes. This company also runs a small dog playgroup so hopefully, this will be good for us both in the long run, even though I bet Moxie will have some sass about having to follow new rules.

[JadeD]

I highly recommend a training class if you have never trained a dog before. They will help you see what you are doing wrong and teach you how to train. That being said... I took one dog of mine many years ago through 3 levels of training and she did great. Another dog I had I took through 2 levels. The English Setter I currently have went through basic training. Having been through all those classes has been great because I have a good understanding now of how to train a dog.

I just adopted a 9 year old Yorkie and he is a great dog. He is social and well behaved. I am getting a half Yorkie puppy though in a few months. They are due to be born next week and then I will have about a 3 month wait until they are ready to leave.

I do plan to take the puppy to basic obedience class, even though I know how to train. I think it will be good for the dog to go to a class. If she does really well I may put her/him in another class just for the fun of it for them. I can really do the training though and plan to teach the puppy lots of fun tricks along with obedience training.