Quick disclaimer: I have never been able to get my Yorkie to stop barking. But by following the information below you will be able to at least decrease their barking.
Let me clarify, one of my Yorkies is a barker, the other is not. A lot of it is luck. Some have an undying desire to bark, while others do not. Obviously, if you’re here, yours has chosen the path of barking.
Things You Can Do to Get Your Yorkie to Stop Barking
- Make sure your Yorkie gets plenty of physical and mental exercise every day: A dog with a lot of daily stimulation is less likely to bark out of boredom or frustration. Walks, playing with your Yorkie and new toys are great ways to stimulate your dog daily.
- Reward them when they stop barking: Calmly tell them “quite” and reward them when they stop barking.
- Squirt them with a water bottle: This one is a little too mean (and messy) for my liking, but many people have success squirting their Yorkie with a water bottle.
- Redirect your Yorkie’s attention: Grab a toy, get it to do a trick or see if it wants to play. This gives your dog alternate ways to react other than barking.
- Make your Yorkie familiar with triggers: For instance, my Yorkie barks at my neighbors every time they go to the mailbox in our front yard. I asked my neighbor to come and greet Mila and Peaches. After getting to meet her a few times they get excited when the neighbor comes outside instead of angrily barking.
What NOT to Do to Train Your Yorkie to Stop Barking
Do not smack your Yorkie or use a shock collar. Smacking your Yorkie and will not be effective at anything except making them scared and skittish. And using a shock collar on such a small dog can hurt them and is dangerous.
My Yorkie Mila Barks a Lot – Here’s My Strategy
Honestly, there’s nothing I can do to stop Mila from barking. She is our protector and as my wife says, she is the “Boss Lady.” But I have learned to manage her barking.
First, I ignore her and hope it goes away. That rarely works. After that doesn’t work, I take her to whatever she is barking at. If she hears the mailman come she will bark for several minutes. I can shorten that by taking her and showing her that the mailman has already made his delivery and is gone.
Also, I feel like having some white noise playing at night helps mask some of the sounds that triggers her barking. I play nature sounds from a speaker, such as a nature scene with birds chirping and water in a stream.
With Yorkies, Barking is Part of the Deal
If you have ever been around Yorkies before you got one, you had to know their barking was going to be a part of the process. It’s annoying at times, but you’ll get through it. I promise.