Activities For Smooth Torkies

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Activities For Smooth Torkies

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Introduction

If you were looking for a ball of energy to be roaming around your home looking adorable, then you will find a Smooth Torkie is all that and more. As a combination of a Smooth Fox Terrier and Yorkshire Terrier, they get high energy levels from both breeds and the cute, innocent face of the Yorkshire Terrier. Don’t let this adorable dog’s looks deceive you, however. They need consistent training, stimulation, and plenty of physical activity. They also need a home with well-behaved children or none at all. Feel like it’s impossible to provide your Smooth Torkie with all they need? Here are a few options.

Bark Training

Popular

0 Votes

Any Day

Free

Hard

5 min

Items needed

Treats

Activity description

Smooth Torkies can bark quite a lot, especially in a place with a lot of things going on. However, to avoid getting on the wrong side of your neighbors, it’s important to nip the yapping behavior in the bud before it gets too out of hand. If you don’t, your Smooth Torkie will grow up to bark at anything and everything! This all-weather activity also doesn’t take a lot of time, only consistency. It’s a challenge, and you will need to have plenty of treats on hand as well, but once you master bark training, you will have a quiet and well-behaved Smooth Torkie.

Step

Teach to bark

When you are trying to get your doggo to stop barking, it seems unusual to teach them how to do it on command, but to get them to be quiet, you need to get them to be loud. Ask your dog to “speak” then wait for your pooch to bark. Once they do, give them a treat which makes your dog stop. Keep repeating this process until, as soon as you use your trigger word, your dog begins to cry out on command.

Step

Teach quiet

The next trigger word your dog needs to learn is “quiet.” For this, your dog needs to know how to bark on command – otherwise, they can’t be quiet on demand either. Take your dog somewhere in the house with no distractions and tell them to yap by using your speak command. When they bark, show them the treat which will make them quiet. Use your trigger word, give them the treat, and praise them. Repeat throughout days or weeks until they are consistently quiet on cue.

Step

Test

Once you have been practicing to speak and be quiet for days (or even weeks), you can then put it to the test. Ask a friend to knock on your front door then tell your dog to be quiet. If they are, your training has been a success!

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Doggy Daycare

Popular

0 Votes

Any Day

Expensive

Easy

4 hr

Items needed

Leash

Toys

Activity description

If you work all day or want your dog to have as much early socialization as possible, then booking them into a dog care facility may be an excellent option for you and your furry friend. Smooth Torkies require as much early socialization as possible and can become grumpy and nervous around dogs if they don’t get it. Once you bring your Smooth Torkie home as a puppy, trial a few days a week in doggy care. It’s an all-weather activity, albeit an expensive one, and they get to benefit from four hours of play every day. What’s more, you can drop them off on your way to work and return to pick them up later. Get a leash, toy, and try out a new facility today.

Step

Visit

The meanest thing you can do is drop your dog off at a care facility without checking it out. Your pup may think you are abandoning them and never coming to get them! Instead of throwing them in the deep end, pay a visit to a facility (or more than one) to get a feel for what’s on offer. Do what you would do when enroling your children in kindergarten. Let them play, supervise, and ask questions.

Step

Set a routine

Routine is essential in any family, and your Smooth Torkie is no exception. Don’t take them to their doggy care facility at random. Instead, make sure it’s the same hours on the same day. Your dog isn’t silly – they will know when it’s time to play with their friends. Establish this routine early on, so they know what to expect daily.

Step

Play

Every time you drop your Smooth Torkie off at daycare, you can expect two things – them to benefit from dog interaction, and plenty of play to tire them out. After around four hours or your scheduled time of being at the facility, you can then bring them home to chill out, relax, and not cause any mischief!

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Fetch

Popular

0 Votes

Any Day

Cheap

Normal

20 min

Items needed

Ball

Treat

Activity description

For a Smooth Fox Terrier, a game of fetch will be first nature. However, with the inclusion of the Yorkshire Terrier, it might not be. Fetch is beneficial for helping to wear your pooch out, so it might be a good idea to show them how to play it. It’s affordable, given that you only need to buy a couple of toys and a few treats, and it will have an average difficulty level. You can also play fetch in any weather because they are small enough to run loose inside without causing too much chaos. Teach them to play today!

Step

Throw the ball

The first step to teaching your dog how to fetch is to throw the ball. Given the Smooth Fox Terrier parentage, there’s a high chance your pup will instinctively chase after the ball you have thrown. If not, use treats to get them to show interest. When they even begin to walk toward it after encouragement, give them a treat and use a high energy voice. You want your Smooth Torkie to associate getting the ball with being a good doggy! Eventually, you can get to the point where your pooch will go directly to the ball.

Step

Call back

It’s often not a challenge to get your dog to go after a ball, but getting them to bring it back is a different story. It’s vital for your Smooth Torkie to know the “come” command. If they don’t, or you don’t have a regular way of calling them back, then you need to take a step back and teach it. If they already mastered this technique, then it’s a case of using your command, positive energy and a treat to call them back. If you still can’t get them to, shorten the distance that you are throwing the ball. Work on your Smooth Torkie bringing the ball back – even this short distance – consistently.

Step

Drop it

To a dog, it can be confusing to understand why you want to take their fun toy from them. One second, your dog was running around with not a care in the world, and next, you were removing the dearest thing your dog had. But, dropping the ball is all part of fetch. Use “drop it” as your trigger words, and use treats if your dog needs encouragement to hand over the goods. If they still refuse to drop it, turn your back to them and walk away. They are more likely to release it if they think the fun is over!

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More Fun Ideas...

Backyard Fun

Sometimes the best activity with your pup is hanging out with them in the backyard. You can supervise their play, watch what they get up to, and enjoy being around them. As long as you are with them and showing interest in what they are doing, your Smooth Torkie will never be bored or in need of attention.

Walk

Feel like stepping out into nature for a bit of fresh air? Take your Smooth Torkie along for the trip. Put a leash on your pooch and take a walk around your neighborhood or local park. All it takes is half an hour to tire your dog out for the rest of the day.

Conclusion

Smooth Torkies are little bundles of energy that bring nothing but pawsitive energy into your home. They love to run, play, be social, and enjoy being in your company. The Smooth Torkie also gets on well with everyone as long as you socialize them from a young age. To keep your Smooth Torkie happy and healthy is not an arduous task. Try out these activities above, or think outside the square and come up with your own!