Yorkshire Terriers are best known for their eye-appealing cuteness and small size. They’re fun-loving and friendly but just like other dogs, they don’t automatically know how to react when meeting new people unless you train them.
Some Yorkies are naturally shy and others are more social. But in either case, basic training is important so make sure you have a well-adjusted, confident, and happy dog. Let’s discuss the best tips on how to train a Yorkshire Terrier with new people.
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How to Train a Yorkshire Terrier With New People – Best Tips
Training your dog will allow it to stay composed during interactions with new people. Not only will it give your pup the feeling of security and safety in himself and the environment but it’ll also increase your dog’s happiness.
You’ll be confident to take your Yorkie out for a walk because you’ll know that your pup won’t bark at people or cars passing by. Use the following tips to train your Yorkshire Terrier so that you can easily visit your loved ones and explore more places with your pet.
Introduce Slowly
When training your dog to new people, a slow introduction is key. If someone who isn’t familiar with your dog is coming over to your place, keep your dog on a leash.
Once your guests reach your home, greet them first and make sure they acknowledge you before your pup. Let your Yorkie sniff the guests gently once they’ve sat down. Your dog will start feeling comfortable after a few sniffs.
Another great approach for slow introduction is to confine your dog to a separate area until your guests have sat down comfortably. In either case, you need to make sure that you provide your dog with enough space it needs to make the first move.
Yorkies have a curious personality and when they’ll see you talking to someone in a friendly manner, they’ll likely approach them thinking that this type of contact is acceptable.
Ask a New Person to Offer Treat
Dogs appreciate it when someone gives them a treat. So you can ask the new person to feed your Yorkie a treat . They should not make direct eye contact during this process as it can startle the dog. If your dog is feeling nervous, ask the new person to drop the dog food on the ground instead of holding it out.
If you’re Yorkie finds the treats offered by a new person desirable, it’ll try to approach them but it can take some time. Never rush this process and let your dog proceed at its own pace. Otherwise, you’ll worsen your Yorkie’s feelings of shyness or fear.
Ensure Continual Exposure
Many owners avoid interactions that trigger their Yorkie to behave negatively, jump up, or bark excessively. While it keeps the dog from being stressed out, your pet will continue to react inappropriately every time it meets new people.
When a dog meets someone or sees something often, it becomes “normal” for your pup and eventually, your pup will stop reacting. That’s why continual exposure is important that allows the Yorkie to understand that there is no danger in meeting a certain person.
Take Small Yet Gradual Steps
If you want your Yorkshire Terrier to become familiar with a new person, do it in small and gradual steps.
- Let your dog interact with a new person for just five to 10 minutes for the first time.
- If your Yorkie shows positive signs, double the duration of interaction for the next meeting. This way, your pup will start behaving normally with the new person within a couple of weeks.
Keep in mind that each dog has its own breaking point, so you’ll need to prepare yourself for some pauses. You might also need to step back if your pup shows any signs of having enough. Take a break or decrease the duration of the meeting for a couple of days to make your dog feel better.
Reward Good and Ignore Bad Behavior
It’s one of the most effective training tips that come in handy regardless of your training purpose. It works remarkably well to control your Yorkie if it gets nervous while meeting new people or starts barking at them.
When you reward good behavior and ignore unwanted acts, your dog begins to understand your expectations and starts acting accordingly.
Having the instinct to soothe, protect, and cuddle your little Yorkie is understandable when it acts nervous, shy, or fearful. However, doing so will send a signal to your dog that it’s correct in assuming there’s danger while there is none.
That’s why it’s important to maintain a calm demeanor in such a situation even though it’ll be against your instinct. Keep in mind that your Yorkie will look to you for signs, especially in situations that are new for your pet.
Giving off a casual vibe while meeting new people will make your pet understand that nothing is wrong and it’ll learn to pick up on that with time.
Expose Your Yorkie to as Many Elements as Possible
It’s the most important part of training, especially for young Yorkies, but it’ll still be applicable if you have a fully grown dog. The main purpose of this step is to help your pup get used to different types of situations.
Take your Yorkie to different areas such as pet supply stores and crowded outdoor markets where it can see different people and animals. This way your little furry friend will also be able to hear people talking and laughing. Expanding your pup’s world as much as possible will help it stay composed while meeting new people.
Final Words
Training a Yorkshire Terrier with new people doesn’t have to be a difficult task. Use the tips mentioned in this guide to make the process easy and fun for your dog. Be enthusiastic whenever your Yorkie does something right and ignore its mistakes.
Be patient throughout the process and your Yorkshire Terrier will adapt to everything it has the capacity to handle.
