I was shocked and frantically started searching for Why Are Yorkies So Mean? Now, you may ask why. So, here is what happened.
Recently, one of my friends adopted a Yorkshire terrier and I was super excited to visit her place. After all, I had heard so much about Yorkies being the cutest and tiniest breeds out there. However, what I saw there was definitely not what I had in mind.
To my surprise, I had to encounter an aggressive and barking Yorkie. I could not believe this. Despite looking so innocent and adorable, why are Yorkies so mean?
I bombarded my friend with multiple questions about the reasons behind the meanness and the solutions for it. Let’s look at what I found out.
Why Are Yorkies so Mean? Top 11 Reasons
How often does it happen that one imagines a Yorkie and instead of a cute tiny puppy, an aggressive and barking Yorkshire terrier comes to their mind? Almost never, right? Nonetheless, when it comes to mean behavior, Yorkies do exhibit it.
When your Yorkshire terrier is being mean, he will show aggression, or bite or excessively bark at everyone.
Below are the top 11 reasons why Yorkies are so mean:
1. Your Yorkie Might Be Teething
Yorkies begin to lose their teeth at the age of 4 months and this phase generally continues till 8 months. If your Yorkie is in its teething phase, be prepared to encounter some mean behavior!
In this phase, your puppy will try to chew on anything and everything. This is because he has to bear with itching and extreme discomfort.
All this discomfort leads to just one thing, your Yorkie displaying some really aggressive behavior!
Try giving some chew treat to your Yorkie. It might help the poor soul a bit.
Worried when your dear pet will stop teething? Have a quick read at our research here.
2. Your Yorkie Might Be Suffering From Some Underlying Disease
It is very much possible that your Yorkie has some underlying disease which is what’s leading him to exhibit aggressive behavior.
Make sure that your dog gets his share of regular checkups or else something small might turn into a bigger disease. This can have severe repercussions on your terrier.
3. Frustration Due to a Lack of Physical Exercises
Your pet friend might be frustrated due to the lack of physical activity or exercises. This can lead to a pent-up of energy in your Yorkie. And, in his attempt to release this energy, he shifts on to barking or biting, or showing aggression.
Along with aggression being bad for your Yorkie, lack of physical activity is also unfavorable. It might lead to adverse impacts on your four-legged friend such as laziness.
4. Lack of Attention
Have you recently been less attentive towards your dog? These tiny creatures demand attention and as a dog owner, it’s your responsibility to give it to them.
Make sure that your Yorkie feels loved and wanted. That is a basic need of all, isn’t it? Pets also crave attention and so, there is no harm in showering some love on your pet friend.
5. Your Yorkie Might Be in Pain
Does your Yorkie growl or bite when you touch him? Your Yorkie might have hurt himself while playing and maybe in excruciating pain.
Don’t be oblivious to it and always be gentle in all physical interactions with your terrier.
6. Your Yorkie Is Sensing Fear
Because of their small size, Yorkies are often scared of bigger dogs when they see them around.
So, if you are walking your little Yorkie and another bigger dog comes across, your terrier might start behaving aggressively. Fear can very well lead your Yorkie into nipping or biting as well.
As a thumb rule, you should never force your Yorkie to interact with other dogs if he doesn’t want to. This can lead to an aggressive Yorkie, and you certainly don’t want that!
7. Your Yorkie Is Feeling Lonely
Just think about it. Does your Yorkie stay home alone for too long? If your answer is yes, then understand that your pet friend has turned to biting and nipping as a way of attracting your attention.
It can either be in a playful manner or because of frustration. So, it is supremely advised that you give proper time and attention to your Yorkie, or else the feeling of loneliness will creep up in him and lead to aggressive behavioral patterns.
In worst cases, you Yorkie can also start suffering from separation anxiety.
8. Biting Is Your Yorkie’s Natural Behaviour
Biting and nipping come naturally to your Yorkie puppy because it’s normal behaviour. This is how they have fun and play with their siblings or other dogs. After all, they do not have internet as we do!
However, it is important to train your Yorkie when he is living with you. You should take action if the frequency of biting and nipping becomes excessive.
9. Barking Is Your Yorkie’s Natural Behaviour
Even though Yorkies are tiny furry creatures, this toy breed comes with a fair share of aggression. These small dogs bark and bite naturally.
The good thing? With proper training and commands, your Yorkie’s barking habit can be controlled. If your Yorkie is a rescue dog, there can be certain things that trigger him which lead him to show his discomfort by barking.
10. Your Yorkie Is Territorial in Nature
Being territorial is a trait that can be seen in almost all dogs. Typically, a Yorkshire terrier also tends to protect what he feels belongs to him.
So it might start barking when he sees you with some other dog or finds himself in any such scenario where he feels there is a threat on his territory. Cute little jealous breed, isn’t it
11. Your Yorkie Needs Socializing
Even though Yorkies are known as Lap Dogs, doesn’t mean you deprive them of socializing.
In fact, the Yorkshire terrier is an energetic dog breed and doesn’t like laying around the house throughout the day. Boredom and loneliness can cause your Yorkie to behave aggressively.
They would absolutely love it if you took them out to play with other dogs or maybe even humans. This re-energizes them and also helps in soothing their anxiety.
Why Is My Yorkie Being Mean Towards Children?
It is extremely exciting for small children to play with dogs, especially a small dog such as a Yorkshire terrier. Even dogs enjoy playing with children.
However, Yorkies do not belong to the category who have sweet temperaments. As mentioned above, a little aggression is inherent in them, and thus, whenever they are annoyed or sense a threat they can be mean towards children.
Both the child and the Yorkie need to have a sense of comfort while playing. If a child is constantly teasing the dog or is, intentionally or unintentionally, hurting him, the Yorkie might sense a threat and get defensive. It will start biting the kid or barking at him.
Long hours of playing can also get tiring or annoying for a puppy and it would certainly dislike it if the playing is rough.
So, if you want your Yorkie and kid to co-exist peacefully in your house, you should groom your pet to play with kids. The same goes for children. You should explain to them the proper ways of dealing with such small dogs and what games are or are not suitable to play with them.
Make sure that you don’t force them to play together if the child is a bit nasty or your Yorkie is aggressive or untrained.
Also, never, and I repeat, never leave your Yorkie and your kid alone!
Why Is My Yorkie Being Mean Towards Other Pets?
Yorkies are often referred to as an anti-social breed. They usually don’t gel well with other dogs. They are often inquisitive when they come across others of the same breed, but when it comes to pets from other breeds, they might just ignore them or display aggressive behaviour.
Your Yorkie might feel threatened by other pets for various reasons like he might feel that a dog or puppy is trying to invade his territory, or he might be jealous seeing you with some other pup!
Apart from this, you Yorkie might also have anxiety issues. This can cause him to be mean towards other pets.
However, it does not mean that your Yorkie baby cannot be nice to other pets. Of course, he can be great with them. But, all he needs is for you to teach them how to behave properly when he is with other pets.
A bit of training and socialization is all it will take and then you shall be good to go!
Read our extensive guide to train your Yorkie.
Top 5 Ways to Stop Your Yorkie From Being Mean
1. Train Him to Be Obedient
It is important that you train your Yorkie well. If this is not done, things can get out of control and can have a harmful impact on your Yorkie as well as your family members.
Make your Yorkie learn commands which you can use when you want your Yorkie to do something or stop it from doing something. Be consistent with the commands so that they soon get a hang of them and are alert when they hear any of those commands.
Fetching games can also be a good way to teach your puppy basic commands. It is always better to have obedient puppies rather than unruly ones.
2. Have a Nice Walk Daily
Yorkies like it when they live a life that is scheduled to some extent and they also require minimal exercises like walks. It is best to take your Yorkie for short walking sessions twice a day.
This way you can teach them how to walk properly beside you. Walking releases their energy and thus they don’t have any pent-up energy that they would otherwise take out by excessive barking or biting.
Walking also ensures that your dog gets a good sleep at night as it has had a good day with the proper amount of exercise.
3. Socialize More With Your Yorkie
Socialization is very essential if you want to inculcate good habits regarding how to behave around other dogs and humans in your tiny toy dog.
It is best to start socializing your dog in their developmental stage as it can be a bit tougher if they are grown-ups.
Try to make him interact with different people and dogs in as many different situations as you can. But also make sure that you never force him. Keep looking for signs of extreme discomfort.
It will be a good move to reward your puppy with treats when he behaves well or shows positive interaction with dogs of other breeds.
My dog loves this treat. Do give it a try for your little Yorkie.
4. Avoid the Situations That Can Cause Anxiety in Your Yorkie
Anxiety is as real a problem in dogs as it is in humans. It can be a major reason behind the aggressive or mean behaviour of your dog.
If your Yorkie stays alone at home for too long, it might miss you or certain situations might make him feel isolated which can then lead to separation anxiety.
Your Yorkshire terrier can develop this anxiety at any phase in his life. You should deal with it with patience.
You should always keep a keen eye on what makes your dog anxious and when he behaves strangely.
Try your best to avoid all such situations in the future.
5. Train Your Yorkie Not To Bite
It is important that you train your Yorkie not to bite excessively.
Your Yorkie might bite out of habit, and you should try and control this behavior. Teach your four-legged friend what is acceptable and what is not.
Make him learn commands like “off” when you want him to stop touching you. Pull back when it bites and use common words like “ouch” or “no” and he will soon come to understand their meanings or what they indicate.
However, if your Yorkie wasn’t biting, and has developed this habit suddenly, it can point to some underlying disease. It is advisable to consult a vet.
FAQs on Why Are Yorkies So Mean?
1. Do Yorkies Get Mad At Their Owners?
Yorkies do get mad at their owners. It can be because of low tolerance or frustration for reasons like leaving him alone for too long.
Lack of attention from their owners can also lead to Yorkie getting mad at them.
2. How Do You Discipline Your Yorkie?
You just need to give your terrier some training to discipline him. Consistency and discipline are important.
Check out this video for some easy tips.
3. Why Do Yorkies Ignore You?
Your Yorkie might be ignoring you because it is in pain, anxious about something, or annoyed at you. Always be on the lookout for such signs and make it a point to always be gentle with him.
Conclusion
In conclusion, now that you are aware of the several reasons for Why Are Yorkies So Mean, it is important to keep a close watch on your Yorkie.
Never let him feel unwanted or unloved. You should always give him your attention and time. And yes, never miss the walking session with your doggo!
It is important that you have your Yorkie checked up regularly to avoid any serious effects on his health.
