How to Teach Your Yorkie to Sit

Training your Yorkie to sit should be one of the first lessons in his young life. Once he knows his name, he is ready to learn to sit. This gives you one tool to control his behavior, to build his confidence and to strengthen the bond between you and your dog.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Dog treats

1. Take your Yorkie for a good long walk. Any training session will be more successful if your dog is tired.

2. Begin your training in a quiet room with few distractions and make sure you have a good supply of your Yorkie's favorite treats.

3. Say your dog's name clearly followed by the sit command: "Topsy, sit." If the dog sits, praise her and give her the treat. If not, which is more likely, take a small step toward the dog and raise the treat over her head. She will almost automatically sit when she looks up to see the treat.

4. Reward any successful sit with praise and a treat. Gradually decrease the number of treats you give your Yorkie when he obeys; instead, praise his behavior and offer treats only periodically.

5. Move your training into a noisier, more distracting environment. When your Yorkie is successfully sitting every time, add a few distractions to the training room or move your training session outside.

Tips & Warnings

• Train for brief periods every day. Consistency is the key to successful dog training and short periods are more enjoyable for you and your dog.

• Do not punish your Yorkie if he doesn't sit. Simply ignore any unwanted behavior and continue to reward the proper response with praise and treats.