Training Yorkies Not to Bark
The thing about small dogs, especially Yorkies, is that they have a tendency to bark excessively. Most dogs are going to bark, because this is in their nature. The problem is when the barking becomes too excessive. Fortunately much like any other habit your dog has, this is one that you can train them to reduce their barking to a more acceptable amount. Before you can even get into how to train your Yorkie not to bark, you should learn a little bit about why they bark. This can help you choose the most effective training method for your dog. Not every dog is the same, so you may need to try a few different methods before you notice one that will work.
Why Yorkies Bark?
The first thing that you need to figure out is why your Yorkie is barking. There are many factors that can contribute to your dog’s barking, including their nature. Dogs are always going to bark because that is something that makes them dogs. However, there is a big difference between what is considered normal barking and what is obsessive barking. You are never going to completely get rid of their instinct to bark but you can get drastically reduce the amount of barking that your Yorkie does.
Yorkies typically have different types of barks. When you learn to decode these barks, you can understand why they are barking. One type of bark is the low-tone bark. This is the Yorkie alerting you of a perceived threat, such as a sudden loud noise or unfamiliar sounds. A high-pitched bark is their way of trying to get your attention. Maybe they want to go outside to play or go to the bathroom. Maybe they just want to be close to you. A growl in a low tone is a warning to others who may have entered into their territory. They will howl to interact with other dogs. A yelp indicates that your dog has been hurt. Whining is a way for your Yorkie to tell you that they are in either emotional or physical distress.
How to Stop Yorkies from Barking?
Knowing how to translate your dog’s barking is important because it will let you know if you should be discouraging their bark. Dogs are made to alert you if there is something wrong, so if they are you should let them do this within reason. If a dog is just being territorial, this is behavior that should be discouraged before problems occur down the line. This includes a step-by-step approach to each of these methods. You may need to try a few different methods to effectively train your Yorkie not to bark.
Avoid Rewards
There are numerous ways as to how you can stop a dog from excessively barking. You should stop rewarding your Yorkie for their bark. Dogs tend to do things that offer them a reward, and barking is no exception to this. This is how you take this approach.
- A person walks by your house or is walking by your house and your dog starts barking inside of your house.
- Shut the curtain on them.
- If that doesn’t work, remove the dog from the window.
- If you are outside, immediately take your dog inside.
Ignore Your Dog
Ignoring your dog is an effective way to train your dog to stop barking. One of the reasons why this is so effective is because any type of attention is rewarding to dogs, so by ignoring their barking they will not longer get any reward for their behavior.
- As soon as the dog starts barking, ignore them.
- Wait it out. Eventually they will stop.
- Don’t give in. Giving in, even an hour later, causes them to test you by barking even longer next time.
- Give them a treat when they stop barking. Even if it’s only to take a breath.
- Repeat offering treats every time they are quiet.
Teach the Yorkie the “Quiet” Command
As a dog owner, you already understand the importance of teaching your dog commands like “sit” or “leave it”. “Quiet” can be another very important command. Here is how you teach your dog the “quiet” command.
- Teach your dog to “speak”, which means to bark on command.
- Say “speak” and cause the dog to bark.
- After a few barks, reward your dog with a treat.
- Continue this process until the dog barks when you say “Speak”.
- Say “Speak”.
- After your dog starts barking, say “Quiet”.
- Offer a treat when they stop barking.
- Continue this until they consistently stop barking on command.
Distraction
Distraction can be an effective way to get your dog to stop barking. The problem is that this can be a temporary solution. Ultimately you will need to train your dog through one of the aforementioned methods to stop barking.
- When dog starts barking, find a way to distract them.
- Try throwing their favorite toy to get their attention.
- Call them over and offer a belly rub for listening.
Tired Your Dog Out
You may have heard that a tired baby is a happy baby. The same applies to a dog. Yorkies are very high-energy dogs, which will make them more prone to excessive barking. Sometimes training your dog not to bark is just as simple as making sure that they are too tired to. A dog that gets a sufficient amount of exercise will be less likely to bark out of boredom or because they are frustrated. You should also be sure to keep toys on hand that will occupy your dog to tire them out as well. Having a wide variety of toys in the home will occupy your dog. Playing with toys can relieve any frustration or stress your Yorkie may be suffering from.
Examine Your Environment
The environment that the Yorkie lives in can also contribute to their barking tendencies. If the environment is calmer and has a consistent routine to it, the Yorkie will be less likely to bark excessively. When the environment is chaotic and unpredictable, this can cause a dog to be very anxious which will lead to issues with them barking too much.
What Not to Do When Training Your Yorkie Not to Bark
When you are training your Yorkie not to bark the most important thing for you to remember is to keep your cool. Dogs have a natural instinct to bark, so you need to have a little patience with them. Dogs that are barking are just doing what comes naturally to them. If you start yelling at them or displaying other negative behaviors to them while they are barking, this can be very confusing to the dog. This could potentially cause the dog to become aggressive. To effectively train your dog not to bark, you need to maintain a positive and patient demeanor.
Avoid Extreme Measures
It is also advisable to avoid any extreme measures for this process. Shock collars are inhumane and often will cause more harm than good. Yorkies can figure out a way around these things, which makes them even less effective. Punishments are never really effective for training your dog to do anything. Positive reinforcement is proven to be far more effective during the training process than negative reinforcement. These negative punishments include physically hitting your dog in response to their barking. This also can teach them to be more aggressive.
Another option that should be avoided is de-barking surgery. This is a very extreme measure that doesn’t do anything to stop the dog from their barking behavior, it merely just quiets it. There are always risks when you put a dog under anesthesia, which is exactly why this should be avoided for an unnecessary procedure.
Solve the Mystery of Your Yorkie’s Barking
If you are looking towards extreme measures to stop your Yorkie from barking obsessively, there may be some issues that you need to help your dog with. They may have some fears or anxiety that you need to resolve to help them through this issue. Some dogs need a little extra help to break them of their excessive barking habit. If this is a problem that you are struggling with, turning to your veterinarian or a behaviorist can be essential tools in helping solve this issue. They may offer you additional advice and resources that can be highly effective in training your dog not to bark.
Conclusion
Yorkies have a tendency to be loud and obnoxious barkers. There are things that you can do that will help you train your Yorkie to bark less but it is important to remember that dogs have an instinct for barking. You will never take this entirely away but you can train them so that they only bark when it is absolutely necessary or only bark a few times to get their message across. Both you and your dog will need to have effective training to curb this behavior so that you can get back to enjoying your energetic ball of fluff. Be patient and work with your dog to bark in an appropriate manner.