Training doesn't require choke collars and corrections. In fact, in the safety of your home, you don't need a collar and leash at all. Positive training is very hands-off. It works best if you can practice in brief sessions several times a day. Try to practice each behavior five to ten times in each session, and do three to five sessions a day. Practice every day if possible.

Lure and Reward

This is the form of training most commonly used in beginning classes. It's very effective in teaching whole behaviors that the dog does often, such as sit, and it's easy for most people to understand and use. At its most basic level, you use a treat as a lure to get the behavior you want, and then give the treat as a reward. Eventually, you have to put the behavior on cue, so that it comes in response to a verbal or visual signal, and get rid of the lure. This part is sometimes neglected, but it shouldn't be. This chapter will walk you through the use of lure/reward training to teach sit, down, and come.

Clicker Training

Clicker training is also used in some beginner classes, but having to handle an additional item — the clicker — makes life difficult for some trainers. The clicker is simply a marker, a sound to mark a behavior that you like and want the dog to repeat. In place of the clicker, you can use a verbal marker such as “Yes.” The verbal cue lacks a few of the advantages of the clicker, but it can work perfectly well and is easier for some people to handle.

With the clicker, you can break a behavior into smaller pieces and build up to the complete behavior. This lets you train more complex things than sit and down. This chapter will take a brief look at using clicker training to teach your dog to walk nicely on leash or to heel.

Praise

Verbal praise should have a place in your training, too. Everyone likes being told when they're doing a good job, and dogs are no exception. You can use your voice and whole attitude to assist in training. When you need your Yorkie to calm down and focus, don't get excited and shout — that only adds to the energy level. Instead, speak in a low voice, drawing out your words. Be still, and speak quietly. When you want to get your Yorkie excited, use a higher, squeaky voice and short words in rapid succession. Move around and wiggle your body as if you were wagging a tail.

Don't reserve praise just for formal training sessions. Any time you see your dog doing something you approve of, offer a few words of praise. Dogs that only get attention from their humans when they're doing something bad — barking at the door, getting in the garbage, chewing on a rug — will quickly learn that the way to get their human's attention is to misbehave. You may think you're punishing your Yorkie by shouting at him, but if you ignore him the rest of the time, then shouting can actually be a reward. Negative attention is better than no attention at all, as far as the dog is concerned. So make a continuing effort to praise and reward good behavior whenever you see it happening.

Lures and Rewards

Most training uses food rewards because they're easy to carry and use, not to mention extremely effective with most dogs. Select treats that can be broken into very tiny pieces — low-fat cheese sticks, flat strips of jerky, or little pill-sized commercial liver treats. You can mix treats in with some of your dog's daily kibble and give out various pieces at random or save the higher-valued treats for more difficult behaviors.

You can also use toys as treats, if your Yorkie finds them rewarding. Play a quick game of fetch, or let your Yorkie “kill” a favorite squeaky toy. Drag a toy on a string for your dog to chase. Any game your dog enjoys will be viewed as a reward. The more rewards you have in your arsenal, the more you'll be able to vary your training and keep things interesting for your dog. So make an effort to find toys and/or games your Yorkie enjoys.