Top Ways Yorkies Show Their Dominance at Home

Yorkshire Terriers, affectionately known as Yorkies, may be small in size, but they often have a big personality to match. These spirited dogs have a reputation for asserting dominance over their households, showing their leadership through various behaviors that many owners might find both endearing and challenging. Understanding the ways in which your Yorkie shows that they are the “boss” of the house can help you better manage their behavior and ensure a healthy relationship between you and your pet. In this article, we will explore six key ways Yorkies display their dominance, providing examples and explanations along the way.

1. Controlling Their Space

One of the most common signs that a Yorkie is asserting dominance is their tendency to claim territory. Whether it’s the couch, the bed, or a specific room, Yorkies often develop strong attachments to areas of the house and may show possessive behaviors if they feel someone or something is encroaching on their space.

Example: Your Yorkie growls or refuses to move when someone tries to sit in “their” spot on the couch.
Challenge: This behavior can escalate if unchecked, leading to potential aggression.
Solution: Consistently reinforce boundaries by teaching your Yorkie that all spaces are shared and rewarding them for moving on command.

2. Demanding Attention on Their Terms

Yorkies are known for their intelligence and ability to manipulate situations to their advantage. One way they demonstrate this is by demanding attention at times that suit them, rather than when it’s convenient for you. Whether it’s barking, pawing, or jumping onto your lap, Yorkies often seek to control when and how they receive affection.

Example: Your Yorkie barks incessantly until you stop what you’re doing to play with them.
Challenge: Over time, this can reinforce the Yorkie’s belief that they are in control of the household’s attention and schedule.
Solution: Train your Yorkie to be patient by only responding to calm, non-demanding behavior and rewarding them for waiting politely.

3. Setting the Schedule

Despite their small stature, Yorkies are often quite assertive when it comes to maintaining control over the household schedule. From meal times to walks, they may bark or whine until their needs are met on their terms, rather than following the established routine.

Example: Your Yorkie barks at 5:00 a.m., demanding breakfast, even though their usual feeding time is 7:00 a.m.
Challenge: Allowing this behavior to continue can result in your dog dictating the household’s daily rhythm.
Solution: Gradually retrain your Yorkie by ignoring demands and sticking to the established schedule, rewarding them when they wait patiently.

4. Resource Guarding

Resource guarding is a classic sign of a dominant dog. Yorkies may guard food, toys, or other objects they deem valuable. This behavior can escalate if not addressed, leading to increased aggression over time.

Example: Your Yorkie growls or snaps if someone approaches them while they are eating or playing with a favorite toy.
Challenge: Resource guarding can make interactions with your Yorkie difficult, especially if they begin guarding areas of the house or furniture.
Solution: Implement positive reinforcement training to help your Yorkie understand that sharing resources leads to rewards.

5. Ignoring Commands

Another way Yorkies may assert dominance is by selectively ignoring commands. This can be especially frustrating for owners, as it can seem like the dog is being stubborn. However, this behavior is often rooted in the Yorkie’s desire to be in control of interactions.

Example: Your Yorkie refuses to come when called, even though they clearly hear you.
Challenge: This can lead to safety issues if your Yorkie ignores commands in dangerous situations, such as near traffic.
Solution: Reinforce command training with high-value rewards to ensure that your Yorkie understands that following directions benefits them.

6. Testing Boundaries with Other Pets

If you have other pets, you may notice your Yorkie attempting to assert their dominance over them as well. This can manifest in behaviors like guarding food bowls, toys, or sleeping areas, and may lead to conflicts with other animals in the household.

Example: Your Yorkie pushes another dog out of the way to get to their food or refuses to let another pet on the bed.
Challenge: Inter-animal aggression can lead to tension and even fights between pets, making the household environment stressful.
Solution: Supervise interactions between pets and use positive reinforcement to encourage sharing and peaceful coexistence.

Limitations and Future Research

While these six behaviors provide insight into how Yorkies assert their dominance, every dog is different. Some Yorkies may exhibit only a few of these behaviors, while others might show all of them. Additionally, there is limited research on how breed-specific tendencies, such as dominance, vary across individual dogs, and more studies are needed to understand the genetic and environmental factors at play.

Future research could also explore how early training and socialization impact dominance behaviors in Yorkies. As Yorkies continue to be a popular breed, understanding their unique needs and tendencies will help owners create harmonious homes where both pets and humans can thrive.

Visual Aid: Yorkie Dominance Behavior Table

Behavior	Example	Challenge	Solution
Controlling Space	Growling when someone tries to sit on the couch	Potential aggression	Enforce boundaries and reward moving on command
Demanding Attention	Barking until played with	Reinforces control of attention	Reward calm, non-demanding behavior
Setting the Schedule	Barking for early breakfast	Disrupts household routine	Stick to the schedule and reward patience
Resource Guarding	Growling over food or toys	Escalating aggression	Train sharing with positive reinforcement
Ignoring Commands	Refusing to come when called	Safety risks	Use high-value rewards for obedience
Testing Boundaries with Other Pets	Pushing other pets away from food	Inter-animal conflicts	Supervise and reinforce peaceful interactions

6 Ways Yorkies Show They’re Boss of the House