Dogs respond to the outdoors as a symbol of freedom and often make a dash for liberty, forgetting all their lessons. Only after your yorky learns to come to you consistently in the house, and has been taken methodically through every training step along the way is he ready to be taken outside.

Even then, your yorky’s first outside training experience should be in a semi-enclosed area such as a fenced-in garden or a dog run. There have to be enough restrictions to ensure that you can control him while teaching him to come back to you outdoors.

Before you can finally allow him off a leash in the park or on a beach, you must be absolutely sure of your yorky. Teach him thoroughly in an enclosed area first to avoid problems later.

The best way to proceed is exactly as you did when teaching a dog inside. Take a quick review by having him come from the end of a six-foot training leash. Then use a leash that has been extended with an attached cord. Once your yorky responds immediately, move on to the off-leash training procedures.

The most effective off-the-leash outdoor technique is throwing objects in front of him (not at him), which makes your yorky think you can reach out to get him anywhere.

It is perfect for reinforcement when he refuses to listen. If you use it to correct any regressive behavior, our yorky will learn that once outdoors, when you can call his security lies solely with you.

You can’t use a magazine or a slipper as your tool because you need something with more heft to reach your yorky at a greater distance.

You can use small chains, a choke chain, or even your house keys (with a bright ribbon attached to help you recover them from the grass). Just keep the size of your yorky in mind. The idea isn’t to frighten your yorky, but to let him know you can reach him wherever he is.

When you are outside and your yorky is running around, call him to come once. If he comes, praise him. If not, he is being disobedient because he knows the command. So take an object you chose as a training aid and try to throw it in front of him.

The object shouldn’t hurt him, but it must actually physically touch him. The moment after it does touch him, say “come” and give the beckoning signal.

Consistent refusal to obey requires that you go over him calmly give your yorky a firm tap, and walk back to your call spot as you would indoors – but this degree of disobedience generally means you have to go back a few steps and review the training.

Once this part of the outdoor training is complete and your yorky comes to you consistently, take him somewhere where there aren’t any really well-defined restrictions. Before you can do this, you have to be absolutely positive your yorky will return to you when called.

Even if your yorky responds so well to the command that he comes back every time, you should still subject him to throwing an object in front of him at least once while in an enclosed area.

This will remind him that you can reach him anywhere that he must come even when completely free, or there will be trouble.

Freedom to be outside without restrictions is reserved only for those dogs that really obey when called. It can come only after working with your yorky through all the preliminary stages.

Once out in the freedom of your local park, nearby countryside, or beach, you must vigorously reinforce your yorky’s training by using the off-leash throwing object in front of him. Even the best trained yorkys wander around, getting so involved in new sights and sounds that lose track of their owners.

Never allow your yorky to run off in a new area, but keep him in sight at all times so you can readily call or signal him to come back.

If he appears to be wandering off, call him back close by your side and keep him there. Don’t hesitate to throw your training aid in front of him if he doesn’t respond right away. And, if you use something like a chain or keys that rattle, just a shake of them should be enough of a reminder so you can call him and get him to come to you.

Many yorkys are perfect about coming when called except when there are other dogs around; then they just don’t seem to hear the command. Because your yorky is in the midst of a mass of other animals, you can’t throw an object in front of him.

Don’t let him get away with not coming because he’s involved in play and you don’t ant to interrupt his social life.