Train Routes

First and foremost, you must have a routine for your Terrier to follow daily. To be really successful in housetraining, you must have a schedule to take your terrier outside to potty and, over weeks to a few months, it becomes ingrained in their every day life.
Most people want to go to the bathroom right after they wake up. Your Yorkie is no different and this is where the routine begins. As soon as you are up in the morning, take him outside for his first potty trip of the day. He has been holding it all night, so go out quickly without any disruptions or distractions.
Make this potty trip a short one. Let your Yorkshire Terrier do its business and then come right back in for breakfast. Let him eat while you get ready for your day. By the time you are all dressed and have eaten your breakfast, it will be time to take your Yorkie out to potty again.
Hopefully your Yorkie’s food and water has settled enough so that he is ready to go back out and do it again. Your Yorkshire Terrier puppy will need potty breaks at mid-morning and mid-afternoon. If your job or school takes you away from the house during the day, then you will need a friend or family member to keep to the routine.
Your Yorkie will need to be taken out again as soon as you return home. Again, a schedule or routing needs to be followed consistently. It may be helpful to keep a chart with times of day for potty breaks. These can be adjusted gradually as you make note of your puppy’s natural elimination patterns.
Feed your Yorkie dinner at the same time every evening, early enough to have his food settled enough to have a successful potty break before going down for bed for the night. And in the morning, begin the whole routine again, keeping to the same schedule.
Potty trips should be kept short (ten to 15 minutes at the most) and low keyed, and do not let your Yorkie confuse these breaks with playtime. Give your Yorkshire Terrier plenty of praise and affection when he does his business. A small treat and verbal praise work good for this purpose, and will reinforce his good potty habits.
At one time, negative reinforcement was the rule. If your dog had an accident in the house, he was scolded and punished. This has proven to be less effective than positive reinforcement. Praising the good behavior works because your Yorkshire Terrier wants to be loved and to please you. If you are late getting home and find an accident, just go right to your normal routine.
After taking your Yorkie out on his potty break, you can clean up the mess without any fanfare. It is best if your puppy doesn’t even see you doing it. You both just let it pass and do better tomorrow.
Your Yorkshire Terrier is dependent on you for almost everything. One of the most important is a firm foundation of potty training, which is only possible by following a routine from the beginning, and will result in a happy Yorkie and a happy owner.

This first step in dog training is not going to be teaching your dog any practical skill at all. This excise is for your benefit to help you understand how classical conditioning works in the training of your dog. Do take into consideration that this exercise is not appropriate if your dog is a very young puppy unable to eat solid food, or limited to some special diet for health problems.

You will need between 15-20 doggie treats. These treats should most certainly be something your dog enjoys, e.g. kibble/dried dog food pellets, small chicken pieces, freeze dried liver. It is important that the tit-bits are small navy bean sized pieces. Meaty bones, chewy pig’s ears, or dental chews are not appropriate for this exercise. Remember the treats are for the dog! Do not eat these treats yourself, your dog will just think that’s silly.

This exercise must be performed in private between you are your dog in a place your dog is familiar with. Your dog will be off-leash so a secured fenced area is recommended. Ensure there are no distractions that might attract your dogs attention away from this classical training exercise. A fenced backyard or a large room are ideal for this exercise, but first scout the area for the usual distractions or escape routes.

Some dogs are sensible eaters so it is best to perform this exercise before a meal time. You may be quite in tune with your dogs eating habits, and know when he will be most responsive if it means something to taste.

.Begin by holding some of the treats, keeping the rest in your pocket or in a handy bag near your body. To attract your dogs attention show him the prize but be sure not to let him grab it just yet. When you have his undivided attention reward him with a click sound either from a clicker device (available at all good pet shops and even children’s party supplies). If you do not have access to a clicker, you may make a click sound by flicking your tongue over the roof of your mouth. Immediately with the sound of the click allow your dog to have one of the treats. If you prefer not to hand feed your dog, you may quickly drop it nearby, although hand feeding him the treat is preferred. Alternatively, if you are unable to create a click sound, you may use a short reward word, i.e. “OK”, be sure to keep the sound of the word short and positive. The reasoning here is to condition your dog to associate this sound with something rewarding.

. You should repeat this process until your dog’s anticipation is evident, his ears will prick or he will startle and stir a little. Continue with as many repetitions as are required to achieve the desired result. Typically, you will see a result up to six or seven times, some dogs will be cued in after the first couple, some will be quite blas? and may need much more. If after some extensive amount of time you don’t feel he is “getting it”, you may need to consider your approach, perhaps your click and treat are not close enough together for him to have made the association. The reward and the sound should be no more than a few short seconds apart.

. When the result of the exercise has been achieved stop giving him treats and stop clicking, in fact ignore him for a few moments. Generally, he will still be attentive but please resist the urge to return his attention until he looks away. Finally, once his head urn away give one more click, certainly you will have gained instant interest for him again, give him the final treat ad end the exercise on a positive note. Tell him he is a good boy and reward him with his meal.

By now it is apparent to you that you dog has learned to associate the click sound with reward. This process is known as classical conditioning and was developed by the Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov. This must be the first stage in training your canine friend. As your dog has learned that something good is on the way, this is the paver for teaching him other commands and communicating with him. By associating the click with reward, you can move on to simple commands such as “sit” and “come” with the correct response to the command rewarded with a click and treat.

You are correct in believing that your dog becomes conditioned to the click because he is hungry but it classical conditioning training to the clicker does not need to be performed only when your dog is hungry. It is a rare dog that does not have some preferred “sometimes” treat, this is a treat that you would not regularly feed your dog, particularly as part of a meal. You may try different high-value food treats such as cheese (not recommended for regular feeding), and even especially created “doggie chocs” (human chocolate is toxic to your dog and should not be readily fed to him especially in large quantities), most good pet shops will stock a variety of appropriate treats to help you find the one that works on your dog.

Dog Scootering is an activity which is rapidly gaining popularity across the UK – dogs love to run and what better way to allow them to; you may have seen somebody in your local neighbourhood whizzing past you on a scooter being pulled by their dog or dogs. It is a great way to exercise and bond with your pet and is suitable for almost any fit and healthy dog.

Dog Scootering is a sport where one or more dogs pull a human riding an unmotorised two wheeled scooter. The human can help the dog along by scooting and together can cover a much wider area than by walking in the same time frame. This is a great way to exercise for both you and your dog. The dog obviously gets exercise by pulling the scooter and running, but people also get exercise, as they have to assist the dog by pushing the scooter, and at times, getting off and running with the scooter, especially up hills! Most dogs take to scootering immediately and need little or no encouragement to run as fast as they can, whilst going out to new and exciting places. As a scootering team get more experienced and confident, you can visit new trails and travel further, and can lead to a stronger bond between owner and dog.

Almost any type of dogs can pull a scooter, from Huskies, to Great Danes, and Schnauzers to Spaniels. The smaller the dog, the more you will have to help out on hills and rough spots. All dogs, regardless of size, must be slowly worked into fitness, along with their owners. Don’t expect to run the Iditarod in your first month!

So how do you start scootering?

All you need to get started is yourself and your dog, a scooter, a harness and a gangline.

There are a variety of different types of scooter on the market currently, ranging from £150 to £400. Scooters are unmotorised and most have mountain bike type tyres, ranging from 16″ to 26″. The scooters have a large footplate to balance, stand upon and kick off from, and usually have a front and rear brake.

You may find some models only have a rear brake, and other models are now incorporating front shocks to absorb the bumps when riding over rough terrain. Most scooters allow the gangline to be connected around the head stock of the scooter, but there are some varieties of scooter which have introduced a “brushbow” attachment, which cover the front wheel. This protects the dogs from the wheel and also allows the gangline to be connected in a direct line to the rear of the harness.

An alternative sport similar to scootering is bikejoring. This is where a bike is used instead of a scooter, although some people view this as a more dangerous alternative, as it can be more difficult to dismount a bike in an emergency. Others feel more secure on a bike.

Scooters are easily transportable. They can fit inside a car (if you don’t mind the mud!), a car boot or can be carried on a bike rack attached to the back or top of a car.

There are two types of harnesses that are generally used for scootering; the X-Back Harness and the Shoulder Harness.

The X-Back Harness is the mainstay product of the majority of professional and recreational mushers. Most commonly seen on pictures of sled dogs around the globe, this harness is the traditional style of capturing a dogs pulling power. It is important the harness fits snugly but not tightly around the neck and extends along the back stopping just short of the tail. As well as sledding and dryland mushing, this harness can be used for skijoring, bikejoring, cani-cross and scootering. The Shoulder Harness; this style of harness connects around the shoulders of the dog with the hitching point just below the shoulder blades. This has the advantage of allowing all the power generated at the shoulders to be harnessed directly, which is particularly useful when the hitching point is not directly in line with the dogs topline, such as with scootering, skijoring and bikejoring. If the connection point is significantly higher than the dogs topline, then the use of an X Back harness can cause the dogs back legs to be lifted away from the ground slightly reducing the power. Some long distance mushers in the Iditarod have also cited shoulder harnesses put less stress on the lower back and hips of the dog. Finally, you will require a gangline which is the line that connects your dog to the scooter.

The gangline will usually consist of two sections; the first called a tug line and the second a bungee line. Alternatively, you can obtain a single longer line which incorporates a bungee within. It is important to use a bungee within the lines, as it will absorb any sharp impacts from the scooter away from the dog and make the experience far more enjoyable.

There are double tug lines that are available once you progress to running two dogs. Most double tug lines will come with a neckline, which clips to the collar of each dog, to keep them running alongside each other.

There is no need for any special attachments to connect the gangline to the scooter – the lines can wrap around the head stock of the scooter; alternatively, as previously mentioned, some scooters are manufactured with special connections points for dog scootering.

Besides the equipment stated above, there is plenty more items and supplies you may wish to take with you whilst out scootering:

Water and Dog Bowl – dogs will drink lots of water especially after exercise. Always make sure your dog has access to fresh clean drinking water before and after exercising.

Treats – you will want to reward your dog after a great time scootering!

Poo Bags – most places now request that you use poo bags after your dog. This is a good reason to encourage your dog to go to the toilet before starting your scootering session.

Protective Equipment – you may wish to wear a helmet, wrist guards, knee pads and or googles when scootering, depending on the speed of your dog and the type of surface you are scootering on.

Dog Booties – Booties protects dog paws from hot pavement, sharp gravel and stones. There is often an adjustment period for the dog’s paws, and they may get sore or cut initially if on a longer run, until they toughen up. The owner should ALWAYS carry booties along for cuts and abrasions, and to prevent infection.

Getting started for the first time

For your first run with your dog, choose a familiar route or trail. A good choice is to take the dog to a fun place he’s used to visiting, so he has a destination in mind, like the park. A recognised trail is better than an open field because a dog does not know the direction to take when facing an open field. A narrow trail is better than a wide one. If you can, bring a family member or friend on a bicycle, and ask them to ride in front of you.

The dog’s first lesson is that the scooter is FUN because he gets to RUN. Keep the run short for the first few trips. Stop well before the dog is tired. Stop while he still wants to go. The first run might be as short as a few minutes or a few miles. Remember that a dog that is out of shape and/or overweight will tire quickly and even can damage joints or pull muscles.

Most people starting out will have just one dog. As always start off slowly. Before you start off on the scooter, walk the dog a little so he has the opportunity to go to the toilet. This will reduce the possibility of your dog having to stop whilst running in harness. Put the dog into his harness and attach them to the scooter with the gangline. An assistant is useful to hold the scooter (one foot on the scooter pad, both brakes squeezed tight) whilst you hook up your dog.

Once you are rolling, keep your fingers on the brake levers, and use your brakes lightly as needed to keep the gangline tight at all times. Ride to the side, not directly behind your dog and have fun!

Watch your gangline carefully – you do not want to ride over it and get it stuck round your front wheel or the dog’s leg. Keeping the lines tight is your responsibility and can be done by using the scooter brakes lightly whenever the dog slows down. Do not let the scooter ride up next to the dog. The dog’s job is always to hold the line out tight in front of the scooter. Novice dogs may pull sideways sniffing and lifting their legs. They will suddenly stop to poo as running causes the bowels to move. When first training the dog, steer the scooter to one side of him so that if he stops suddenly, you will miss him if you can’t stop in time. Do not ride directly behind him.

If your dog gets confused, you or your helper can run beside him with a leash while the other rides the scooter. Keep encouraging him to pull. Heel trained dogs may be unsure that it’s okay to be out front and pulling. Once they catch on, most dogs really love the pulling and running aspects of scootering. Again start off with short distances and build up gradually. Another way to encourage your dog to run is by getting somebody (your assistant!) to cycle in front calling your dog on.

A very important part of the training is command training. Remember, you cannot easily reach your dog without stopping and getting off the scooter and it may be too late to sort the issues, so an obedient dog which listens to your commands is very important. It will also make the experience far more pleasurable if both of you know what you are doing and what is expected.

The basic commands are “Gee” for right turn, “Haw” for left turn, “Straight on” for straight on, “On by” for overtaking or passing a distraction. There are many other commands such as “Hike on” or “Get on” for speeding up, or “Steady” or “Easy” for slowing down. Many people use these commands or variants of these, but the main thing to remember is to be consistent. “Whoa” is essential to get down before hooking him up to the scooter. Having good brakes on the scooter is essential for stopping dogs as most dogs consider the command “whoa” as only a suggestion!

Teach your dog mushing commands even when out walking to get them used to them:

Some basic commands:

Gee = Go Right Haw = Go Left Straight On = Straight On Hike / Pull = Go Forward Whooa = Gentle Stop Trail = Stay on the trail On By = Go past (e.g. past a distraction) Easy = Go Slower

These are just examples. Use whatever commands you feel comfortable with; just keep them consistent.

The younger a dog is in terms of training, the easier it tends to be to train them. However when it comes to strenuous pulling exercises, it is advisable to let them finish growing and for their hips to have fused before undertaking any serious training or exercise. Many dogs start being trained from 6 months to work in harness, but will not pull any significant weight for any distance until they are at least a year old. It is recommended to get your dog checked over by your vet before starting to scooter.

When and where can I do this?

Depending on your dogs overall demeanor and your general control, this can be done on virtually any off road trail that is firm enough to cycle on. Generally pavements and roads are not advisable as the hard surface will put impact pressure on the dogs joints and the risk of incidents with traffic and pedestrians is high.

The best time of year and weather to scooter in will heavily depend on your dogs coat and temperature tolerance, while it is typically a winter activity for densely coated northern breeds, other dogs with thinner coats would be able to run at virtually any time of year as long as you avoid particularly warm days.

Dear Adam:
[Note to readers: These questions are follow ups from issues discussed in my book, "Secrets of a Professional Dog Trainer!" which you can read more about at: http://www.dogproblems.com/secretsbook.htm]
1. What age should I start using the prong collar?
[Adam replies] Generally speaking, at about four months of age… when you see the adult teeth begin to come in.
2. What should I be teaching, obedience wise, with 8 month puppy?
[Adam replies] At eight months of age, there really isn’t ANYTHING you can’t teach the dog, obedience-wise.
3. When you say pop, when teaching the down command, do you mean I should pop the prong collar? So for example if the dog gets up from down/stay position and walk away, you said to say NO, pop the leash, then say NO all the way back to manhole, then pop the leash again? Do you mean to pop the prong or to guide him into down/stay position?
[Adam replies] When I say “pop” I mean to tug on the leash. Make sure you’re starting and ending with slack. So, you say, “No!” then go to the dog and give a pop on the leash, then walk him back to the spot and reissue the “down” command… and then “pop” downward (or to the side) on the leash and put him back into the down position.
5. What’s the difference between obedience training and sport training (i.e. Schutzhund)? Why do they say you shouldn’t train your dog in obedience if you want him to be in Schutzhund? (I just want to know for my own knowledge)
[Adam replies] Schutzhund is a dog sport the incorporates an obedience routine, as well as a protection and tracking routine. The obedience exercises are mostly route exercises, and are not trained in a street-smart context. As for why you supposedly shouldn’t train your dog in obedience if you want him to be in Schutzhund… this is a myth. Some macho types will consistently over-correct their dog in the obedience phase… and this will kill drive. But anyone with even a shred of common sense will avoid this predicament.
6. What do you think of raw diets for dogs? Worth it??
[Adam replies] Not worth it. Feed the dog a high quality dog food and your dog will be fine.
7. What order should I teach the dog the commands? (first sit, then down then come?? How should I do it?)
[Adam replies] I like to teach the “Walk on a loose leash” exercise first, followed by the curb/street/boundary training, as this teaches the dog what a correction is (if he doesn’t know already). Then you can teach exercises in any order you wish. To be honest, the order of basic exercises is largely irrelevant. It DOES become relevant in later training, when you begin chaining behaviors together, such as “Go to the fridge, open door, retrieve beer, then close door.”
8. To teach the dog to not run out of the house, when I slam the door I’m afraid it is going slam on him too hard and hurt him. How do I go about doing it? Do I shut it softly or will he be fast enough to stop?
[Adam replies] You’re thinking too much. Just slam the door shut. Assuming it’s not a toy breed, it’s not going to kill him. If it is a toy breed, keep your hand on the door and guide it shut. The idea is that the door slams on the dog… not to injure the dog, but to be uncomfortable so that he waits and watches you for the “release” command before walking through. You are the alpha dog. You walk through first. It is your job to make sure it’s safe for him to leave the property, and he needs to look to you for the “It’s Okay” cue. If you don’t give the “A-okay” cue… then bad things could happen. Like the door suddenly slamming shut. Ever sit on a dirty chair and ruin a clean pair of slacks? Once it happens to you, you’ll always check first. It’s the same concept with the dog.
That’s all for now, folks!
Adam