Top Yorkie Training Issues - Poll

[yorkipower]

I've noticed some "repeating" patterns on this board concerning training questions. Thought it would be helpful for people considering buying a Yorkie to see what sorts of things they are likely to deal with (we all love Yorkies but there are some down sides too!). So here's a poll!

[browniesmom622]

yorkies love to bark !!

[bld2751]

I'm going with housebreaking, but that's only because my guy is 4 months. He's actually doing quite well. But whenever you get a puppy I think housebreaking is one of the main training issues in the beginning.

Also nipping is a problem because again he's still quite young. When we put another toy in his mouth instead, he usually plays with it, but only for a little while. So it's a constant over and over thing until he calms down.

[browniesmom622]

i never had any pronblems with house training my brownie was trained the day i got him he just rather go outside kayko 8 months yesterday and and hes completely trained too i guess it depends on the dog iwith nipping i did switch the hand for a toy it worked for me too

[bettyeanne]

Seperation Anxiety ... and I feel that this is my fault, not Toto's!! I love having her with me 24/7 but there are those rare times that I simply cannot take her with me. It's upsetting for her and for me!

[orinskye]

i'de have to say housebreaking as well...... it is going better (and cmon hes only 15 weeks) but still, ive never had a more difficult time housebreaking a dog before...... separation anxiety USED to be an issue as well, but thanks to the useful advice of people here my boy is now CURED ..... he also gets a bit nippy when playing (but again, i think this has more to do with training my FIANCE not play that way and teach him its not ok)..... barking isnt an issue yet, and i hope to god that he stays quite, for sanity's sake......

[gidgetsmom]

Potty training is certainly the most challenging for me. In Ohio its cold right now and breaking a puppy is hard to do. I take her out and she refuses to go. I bring her in and she piddles on the floor. Bad puppy! My older yorkie has problems at night. Perhaps I should be using a crate for them but I feel so bad doing that. I thought of a belly band but I've not seen one or spoke to anyone that has used them. I have my own office so I take them with me from time to time. I'm sure she'll get it sooner or later, as for Max at 4 yrs I'm not sure what to do.

[orinskye]

crates arent a bad thing at all....... toby hated his crate, but now he LOVES it....... it acts as a real safe place for them that is "theirs"

[ldenise]

Guish.. With having 2 different ages and personalities, i guess i have all of the problems listed (except the potty training issues), with one or the other. Life certainly was not the same after we brought home the first one. We made major changes. It was like bringing home a new baby. Having any pet has got a down side. You learn to deal with those down sides. The love and happiness that these 2 have given us is all worth it to me. I can feel that they love me just as much as I love them. (nothing spoken yet but still listening). I truely don't know what I would do without them.

[Hamoth]

Seperation anxiety. Chewy can't stand being even in another room from the people. When my wife and I are in different rooms he runs back and forth between them. When one of us is gone he whines and moans and grunts and destroys things right in front of the other person.

Hates the crate, and we lost that battle and he now sleeps in bed with us as a little jittery foot warmer.

When we leave him by himself (tried crate and pen), he will thrash and cry and yelp as if physically hurt. It's really distressing. You can hear it all the way to the car, and when we arrive at home and get out of the car, it's often still going on. I know my dog, and I'm pretty sure that he thinks that we simply forgot him and he gets deeply emotionally wounded by this.

We have ahd some progress. Today we went to a resutrant. I mentioned to my wife that I had read somethign that contradicted all our earlier readings (crate in the bedroom never move it) and left him in his crate in the LVING ROOM instead of the bedroom. I never heard a single cry. Perhaps there's the lesson?

Still, he's terribly clingy and not for want of attention. We have never stranded him in his crate, and during his puppy-hood we would sleep with our hand dangling in the crate to reassure him. He never stopped crying at night after 3 weeks he somehow got out and into the bed and we had our first night's sleep in a long time. Since then, we let him sleep in our bed.

He doesn't mind the crate wehn traveling, so long as we are there. He even goes in voluntarily. But if he hears the keys jingle and we aren't near the crate, usually the shaking and crying starts.

Potty training went VERY smoothly. He had the basics in a week or so, and had it down by 7 months age. We NEVER scolded him for going inside, we ALWAYS cleaned up the messes using a commercial pet-odor remover, being careful to leave no trace. We also followedthe directions for out-door potty training that were listed in the "puppies for dummies" book. We went by the letter and it worked really well for our Yorkie, you might give it a try...Here's a summary of the method:

First recognize the signs, and keep a mental timer, always wonder "hmmm, does Chewy need to go?"

If I saw him walking in circles, suddenly aport playing, sniff the ground as if tracking something but not going a really specific direction, and walking "that walk", then I knew. When I wasn't sure, I took him out anyway.

Have a phrase for regular out-door visits for that purpose. We chose "Pee-break!". Get excited, it's FUN to go on a pee break! Yay!

We always make him sit on the mat in front of the door (using a treat until he gets used to the ritual) while we clip to his harness. This gets him in obedience mode. I notice he's different when in "working mode" than when in "love me" mode, or "play" mode. Then, we use the short leash and bruskly walked him to a specific out door location that we used every time. If he sees rain or feels like being a pain, he'll try to stop and make me drag him. To avoid this I pull the leash to my hip, and give it almost no slack and pull UP. This leaves him almost suspended by the leash and harness, but not really and not painfully. I'm sure msot of you know all this, but just for the new yorkie owners DO NOT FORCE ANYTHING WITH A COLLAR ON A YORKIE. NEVER tug a yorkie by the neck, you migh kill your dog.

Anyway, the tight leash pull-up should make him scramble his feet to keep up with you, kinda air-walking and mostly supported by back paws. Don't overdo this, but I found it a critical part of the process. A Yorkie will likely see rain or smell something odd or just feel like going inside where it's warm...gotta be firm. Usually the tight and up leash trick gets him back to obeying and walking along with me. In 20 seconds, I have brought him to his place.

At this point, be all-business, completely serious.
"Chewy, watch me" To get hte eye contact...
"Go Potty!" Happy voice.

Look away from him and wait.

Don't make eye-contact until he begins. Don't let him pull me elsewhere or anything. The leash is fixed to my hip (by my thumb) like a training lead. He's not going anywhere and not getting one ounce of attention until he does what I need him to do. Since he's a puppy, and he hasn't gone in a while or didn't last time I took him out, ect, I KNOW he's got to go. So I wait.

Once he "assumes the position" I begin prasing:
"Goooood Potty Chewy, Good boy! Good potty!"

When finished I give him a treat and let him lead me about the yard if he wants, or go back inside at a leisurely pace. His understanding becomes "business first" and fun thereafter.

Chewy took to this system VERY quickly. In the total time I've had him (~3 months) there have been something near 30 total accidents. 1 in the last 30 days.

[snoody2004]

My pebbles loves to bark whever shes aggressive and playing!

[Passionfruition]

I voted for the first 3: Housebreaking, Barking and Separation Anxiety....

....but just in case anyone is worried about these "issues" — Sully has mastered all three. Well, I am not sure about separation anxiety...but I am sure about mine. I have bad separation anxiety when I have to be away from him, haha.

But, no worries!

[Mystify79]

I voted for the first three. But these aren't issues that just happen with Yorkies. My Maltese barks like crazy, it's been my biggest issue with him. He also has some major seperation anxiety.. that's actually one of the top reasons why I got another dog was that he could have a companion to keep him company when and if I go back to work full time. As for the housebreaking, Pixie (the Yorkie) seems to be a lot more stubborn about it than my Malt was. She has to have a clean pee pad and on carpet. She will walk right off a dirty pee pad to pee on the carpet. But I think that she'll pick it up eventually if I'm consistent with her. Housebreaking is a huge issue with small dogs, not just Yorkies. As for barking, I'm really working on that because right now Pixie doesn't bark but I don't want her to learn it from Tuffy. Hopefully since they are together seperation anxiety won't be an issue anymore.

[yorkipower]

This is an old post I put up a few months ago. I "knew" what the results would be but I'm glad they are here. I remember that I kept seeing posts regarding housebreaking issues but knew that people would think that this was just people with a particular problem and not a trend. Glad you all contributed to this poll. People looking to buy a Yorkie need to go into it with their eyes wide open. Sadely, I have seen far too many Yorkies given up to rescue for housebreaking problems. I think you all have done a very good thing by posting your "Bad" experiences. We all love Yorkies and are lives would not be the same without them, but it aint a bowel of cherries and people need to know that! Thanks to you all!

[Harbinger]

Good post Hamoth. I guess I'm lucky or it's the daycare but Sheila is really no problem at all at over 6 months. She does pull a bit on her leash and has an almost insatiable stick habbit but other than that it's all good.