In one single word—YES! Yorkies are perhaps one of the breeds that tend to yap and bark a lot. As a result, all the barking can become, at times, quite annoying for their owners. They will tend to bark both day and night and to be honest sometimes at nothing at all. Many feel that the small breeds love for their hoomans is where the problem may originally stem.
Why do Yorkies Bark So Much?
Many experts feel this is because of both the shape and positioning of their ears. Yorkies have super acute hearing, and they will hear sounds and disturbances that we never would. When they hear these noises, their territorial nature kicks in, and that is when they get vocal. One upside to the barking is that Yorkies make some of the best guard dogs out there.
Learn Their Vocalizations
If you want to self-train your Yorkie not to bark so much, or at all, you will need first to understand their different vocalizations. A specific trigger will cause each noise that your Yorkie makes. Whether that noise is growling, whining, or whimpering, each sound is unique to its cause.
To successfully control and manage your Yorkies barking, you need to know what is triggering it, and the best way to approach handling it. It only follows if you do not see the trigger, you will not see the solution.
Training Your Yorkie Not To Bark
Desensitization
The first choice might entail the attempt to desensitize your Yorkie to whatever is triggering the barking. Usually done by way of slowly easing your Yorkie into becoming accustomed to whatever it is that is causing them anxiety or alarm. Once they are made aware that there is nothing to be upset about, the barking should abate.
Bark Collars
If desensitizing doesn’t work, there is always the route of bark collars. However, in my opinion, this should only be used as a last resort and only under proper supervision. In some cases, the bark collar can cause negative consequences, in that the pain that your Yorkie associates with its use could make them more aggressive.
Exercise
Make sure to exercise your Yorkie sufficiently before bedtime as this can go a long way to keeping the barking down at night. When they hear strange sounds at night, they develop stress, and if tired and more relaxed, you both may be able to sleep more soundly.
Not Just The Ears
There is also the possibility that your Yorkie does not hear sounds, but is smelling scents. On average, dogs have 50X the number of olfactory sensors in their noses as we humans do, which allows for the processing of smells 40 times greater. If they are not necessarily hearing sounds that are triggering them to bark, the trigger maybe some sort of sensory stimulation.
Because the Yorkie thinks it is a “big dog in a small package,” it will tend to present with big dog traits—one of which is barking. This barking could be triggered for one of several reasons, whether through their sense of hearing or smell, but rest assured they will put in their two cents worth and make sure that their territory is protected.
