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Well these are small dogs with big attitude.
If they are given an inch they will take a mile, well that can be said about my 'Murph'.
He is a 2-year-old Yorkshire Terrier, he came all the way form Limerick and like all Munster men he thinks big. We train in Agility, Fly Ball and Obedience. 'Not the best dog for Obedience' I hear you say. At the end of the day you have to live with your dog, so the more manners on him the better.
Living with a Yorkie can be challenge every day. Firstly you need to have to lots of patience to train them as they have a stubborn streak in them, 2 years on, and 'Murph' has my mother trained in, to open the fridge door and produce a piece of cheese before he will come into the kitchen. While he watchs her from the security of the stairs. With his head stuck out from the banisters.
He also thinks that if the kitchen door is open it’s an invention for him to pop upstairs or to another room in the house. If you get him in time and tell him 'No' in a firm voice he backs off, but will let you know he's not happy. If given ½ a chance at the door he will try and get his own way.
Yorkie's definitely need boundaries set, and you need to be consistent with your rules, they will become dominant over you if given a change.
The biggest problem we would have with 'Murph' is food aggression. It is only with food that he will find out on a walk or the cat’s food.
I have no problem giving or taking away his own food. But if he finds the cat food, he will become aggressive, with you. He will go for your toes and snarl and bark at you. It has taken a lot of work and time but Murph is getting better each day.
Just because they are small dogs they still need the same time and energy put into them as a big dog. They are a Terrier at the end day, Murph will go out with me for about an hour every day, and he loves playing with other dogs and is ball mad. He can keep on going for hours.
Also you have to put a lot of time into their coats, and I am not taking about show standerds, but just to keep them knot free.
At the end of the day he is a great dog, and can show just what the Yorkshire Terrier as breed can do, they are definitely not your lap dog.
by Sinead O'Donovan
 
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