No one will argue that yorkies are a breed of dog with character, stubbornness, jealousy and incredible ability to control their owners. And worst of all, most mistakes in their upbringing are made precisely because of love. We’ve prepared an article for you with the 5 most common mistakes that turn a yorkie from a sweet puppy into a domestic terrorist – and how to fix it?

1. “He’s a little kid, let him do what he wants.”

Yorkie owners often think that because of his size, they don’t have to raise the dog at all. “What’s he going to do? He’s so small!” – is a fatal mistake. This approach leads to the classic “small dog syndrome”: barking at everything, aggression to large dogs, caprices at mealtimes and tantrums every time the owner leaves. The yorkie has big ambitions, and if you don’t set the rules, it’s going to be tough on everyone.

What to do: rules should be in place from day one. Don’t allow things you won’t like in a month. And size has nothing to do with it.

2. Ignoring socialization

Many people keep their yorkie at home as a “hand toy” and hardly ever take him for walks. And when they do, they wonder: “Why does he lunge at all dogs and afraid of children?” Because socialization has not taken place. Yorkie is still a dog, he needs sounds, smells, other animals, people, situations. Otherwise – insecurity, aggression or hysteria.

What to do: from an early age, familiarize your Yorkie with everything new. Slowly, positively, but regularly. Socialization is the key to a stable psyche.

3. Confusion in commands and actions

“You can’t!”, “Stop!”, “Ew!”, “Get out of here!” – all in the same context. Owners often change commands, yell, speak emotionally, but not at all understandable for the dog. As a result, the yorkie stops reacting at all. Or even worse, he reacts as it suits him: selectively.

The right way: clear, short commands. One action, one word. Do not confuse the dog with your own emotionality. And the main thing is that a prohibition must always be a prohibition, not “today you can’t, but tomorrow you can, because you’re in a good mood”.

4. Reinforcement of undesirable behavior

Yorkie barks to be picked up – you pick him up. Yorkie whines at the bowl – You pour. Yorkie growls when he wants to stay on the couch – You leave him. Congratulations: You have raised a dog who knows that all it takes is a push and the owner will obey.

What to do: don’t reinforce negative behavior. If your yorkie gets things done in an ugly way, ignore it. Work through commands, routine and rewards, not emotions and pity.

5. Lack of routine and consistency

“Today we walk at 8, tomorrow we walk at 12, and the day after tomorrow we don’t walk at all.” Without a schedule, without clear rules, without a structured day – the yorkie develops anxiety and begins to manifest it through hyperactivity, barking, biting, marking. Small dogs are very sensitive to change, especially smart dogs like yorkies.

What to do: make a routine – and stick to it. Walks, feeding, playtime and nap time. The more stable the rhythm, the calmer the dog.

Conclusion

Yorkies are a mirror of their owners. If you give weakness – it instantly turns into a problem. But if you set clear boundaries from day one, add love, games and routine – you will get the best companion. Small, smart, confident and very well-mannered.