Many people love Yorkshire Terriers but prefer to have another breed, as it's often said that Yorkies are very loud dogs who bark all day long. While it's true that Yorkshire Terriers are excitable dogs with a tendency to express their emotions by barking, it doesn't mean that their image is accurate.
Yorkshire Terriers are famous for being small dogs with a big voice, but that isn't always true. As always, a dog's habits depend on their upbringing and training from a young age. If you adopt an adult Yorkie, it will depend on how you get them used to their new environment.
If your Yorkshire Terrier is a chronic barker who howls every time anyone goes near them or every time they hear a sound, stay with us at AnimalWised. We'll explore the possible causes and solutions to your question: Why does my Yorkshire Terrier bark so much?
Why do Yorkshire Terriers bark so much?
Yorkshire Terriers are intelligent, adorable and tender dogs, but some of them spend the whole time barking. However, there are many cases of Yorkshire Terriers who are quiet and gentle; their reputation of being extremely noisy doesn't necessarily reflect an absolute truth.
All Yorkshire Terriers bark every once in a while; in fact, barking is how dogs express themselves. Dogs were historically bred to make noise in order to warn of an unknown object or person entering their territory, or when something catches their attention; dogs used to be guardian and hunters, and so these traits were passed down.
Just as humans speak to communicate, Yorkshire Terriers bark. However, their bark is particularly high-pitched, loud and attention-grabbing. Yorkies are very sensitive and easily carried away by their emotions. When Yorkies are happy, they will want to bark. When they are annoyed, bored or want to get someone's attention, they will also want to bark.
Getting a dog to bark less
You don't want to stop your Yorkshire Terrier from barking completely, as this is how dogs express themselves. However, there are ways to get them to bark less, or at least to reduce their noise.
Let us say first that your patience will be tested; your Yorkie will try to bark whenever it feels it has something to say. The key to balancing its mood and getting it to bark less lies in training it to not be so agitated and overexcited. Remember that some Yorkies may have nervous tendencies.
It is crucial for your dog's welfare to exercise and spend time with you and the rest of the family. Take your Yorkshire Terrier for walks and make sure that it can spend all the built-up energy it has. Yorkies are very active dogs who like to be moving around all the time; if they repress their energy, they bark more. Here you can check how often you should walk your dog.
Once of the reasons why your Yorkshire Terrier barks so much is that it's bored; going for walks can help, as will playing intelligence games at home.
Something extremely important but difficult to achieve is trying not to reinforce barking. If your Yorkie is constantly barking but you've already taken it out for a walk, and there are no obvious reasons for it to be barking, don't pay too much attention to it or feel guilty. Neither should you give your barking Yorkshire Terrier more food or rewards.
Just like a child, your dog has the power of manipulation through empathy and love. Give your Yorkie what it wants when it is calm, not when it is barking.
If you shout at the dog or get angry when it barks with the intention of getting it to stop you will achieve the opposite result; your Yorkie will bark more often, as it will be confused, scared and might even become more anxious. Talk to it quietly, maintaining authority but keeping calm.
Training a Yorkshire Terrier to be quiet
Train your Yorkshire Terrier as you would any other breed: Here you can learn the basic commands for dogs and how to teach them. Start with simple instructions such as "sit", "lie down" or "shake hands".
During your training sessions, try your best to make sure that your dog focuses all its attention on you, ensuring that it doesn't get distracted and excited by sounds and events in your surroundings. This will help you later on when you go to call it, as it will respond in the same way.
It's pointless to shout "Rover, stop barking!" from another room where you can't physically see the dog. Instead, you should approach your Yorkie, get its attention and try to correct the behavior face to face.
It's important to to act early and create a tight emotional bond with your Yorkshire Terrier so that it feels that it can express its emotions in other ways than barking. Your neighbors and your peace of mind will both benefit from this, and your Yorkie will be more emotionally stable.
Does that explain why does your Yorkshire Terrier bark so much? Do you have any other tips on training Yorkies? Tell us all in the comments section!
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