It’s not uncommon for Yorkies to gravitate to one particular person in the home, especially if that person is the one that meets all your Yorkie’s needs.
Yorkies love attention and will accept it from everyone in your home, once they get to know the members of your household.
However, if one person is responsible for feeding, bathing, walking, grooming or playing with your pup, it’s only natural your Yorkie will bond with that person more intently than others.
Consequently, that person may get more attention from your Yorkie in the form of love and cuddles.
So yes, Yorkies can bond with only one person.
It’s only natural for a Yorkie to favor its main caregiver.
That doesn’t mean, however, that that’s the only person a Yorkie will bond with in your home.
Do Yorkies Bond with Only One Person?
Showing favoritism isn’t just a people thing.
Your pup may show favoritism toward a special someone in your home due to the attention he gets from that person or the loving way that person treats him.
Over time, your Yorkie will develop a special bond with that person that he doesn’t share with others in the home.
Male Yorkies, in particular, are more likely to gravitate towards one special person, whereas female Yorkies are more apt to spread the love around.
What prompts your pup to bond with a particular person in your home?
Several reasons.
First, that person probably meets your pup’s daily needs.
He or she may be the one that fills your Yorkie’s water and food bowl, gives it a bath, brushes its fur, puts bows in its hair, gives it treats, plays with it and takes it for walks.
Dogs take note of who takes care of them and that person tends to become “numero uno” (#1) in their eyes.
The more personal time a person spends with a dog, the more that dog will seek him or her out.
The more time your Yorkie spends with its primary caregiver, the stronger bond it will develop with that person.
He may follow that person around the home, sit next to that person when he or she is watching TV or cuddle in that person’s lap.
Your Yorkie may stick to that person like his life depends on it, because he probably thinks it does!
You have to be physically present to form a tightknit bond with your pup.
If most of your waking hours are spent at work, in the gym or in school, it’s only natural for your Yorkie to bond with your significant other who’s home!
Another reason dogs bond with one particular person is due to fear of other people in the home.
Perhaps others haven’t treated your Yorkie as nicely as you have or they’ve been impatient with some of your Yorkie’s antics.
Dogs can become fearful of people who yell at them, swat them or toss things at them in frustration or anger.
That type of behavior will drive your pup away into the arms of someone who will comfort and love him.
If your Yorkie is a rescue dog, he may even develop a phobia towards someone who resembles a person that has abused him in the past.
Protection and self-preservation are additional reasons why a Yorkie may bond with one particular person in your home.
That person probably makes your Yorkie feel safe and secure.
They’re the one who comforts your Yorkie during thunderstorms or soothes your pup during the holidays when there’s so much noise and confusion in the home.
It’s only natural for your Yorkie to develop a strong attachment to the one he feels will protect him from all harm.
How to Bond with Your Yorkie
Ideally, your Yorkie should establish a bond with everyone in your household.
He should feel comfortable and secure with all members of your immediate family.
If that’s not the case, it’s a goal worth striving for.
That may be more difficult to achieve in large households, but it can be done if everyone is willing to do their part.
It starts with everyone recognizing and paying attention to your pup.
This entails sharing the load of your pup’s care and making an effort to spend quality time with the family dog.
The following tips can help set the stage for how this can be done.
Take Turns with Daily Tasks
Your Yorkie needs to eat and exercise daily.
Rather than having one person preparing your Yorkie’s meals and taking him for walks, take turns so everyone gets to spend quality time with your pup.
If there’s any meal prep involved, make sure your Yorkie takes note of who’s preparing its meals and filling its food and water bowls.
The same person can dish out special treats as well.
Rotate your pup’s walks and playtimes among family members as well, so your Yorkie feels an integral part of the family and not just one person’s pet.
Take Turns with Routine Care
In addition to feeding and walking your pet, take turns bathing, brushing your pup’s fur, brushing its teeth and taking it for potty runs.
Create a schedule that works well with everyone so no one person monopolizes your Yorkie’s time.
If your Yorkie is used to one person doing these tasks, he may balk at the change in his routine at the beginning.
But over time, he’ll adjust and learn to enjoy the company of others as they tend to his routine care.
Your Yorkie’s primary caregiver can even share tips on how things are done to make it easier for your Yorkie to adapt.
Keep Interactions Positive
Yorkies can be rather stubborn and disagreeable when they want to be and may give those who were distant a hard time due to not knowing them very well.
It’s important for everyone to have patience and stay positive when interacting with your pup.
Positive praise and treats can help your Yorkie learn to be more accepting of others.
When your Yorkie behaves or shows signs of acceptance to other family members, make sure he’s rewarded so he’ll repeat his actions more often.
Are Yorkies Possessive of Their Owners?
Yes, Yorkies tend to be possessive of their owners and will do all they can to monopolize their owner’s time and attention.
Yorkshire Terriers thrive on being the center of attention.
They strongly dislike being ignored or left alone.
They crave companionship and will gravitate to the person(s) that provides it.
If that’s you – their owner – your Yorkie may become your second shadow.
He may even become jealous of anyone trying to come between the two of you.
If your Yorkie has become fixated on you, he won’t be so keen on sharing your attention with others.
He’ll want to be in the limelight with you focusing your time and attention on him.
Yorkies especially aren’t keen on sharing you with strangers.
They can be highly suspicious of “new faces” in your home and may even snap at a visitor if you’re not careful.
Yorkies are quite protective of their own.
Early socialization can help your pup be more accepting of other people and other pets.
If your Yorkie is going to be around children, get him used to being around kids as a puppy so he won’t act aggressively when your nephews, nieces or grandkids come to call.
Yorkshire Terriers are dominant and assertive by nature.
Socialization helps mellow them out.
If you allow your Yorkie to get away with aggressive behavior, he could very well become a little dictator and try to boss everyone around.
Don’t let this pup’s small size fool you when it comes to boldness.
It’s best to nip aggressive behavior in the bud through obedience training or socialization so your Yorkie knows who’s boss.
With socialization, your Yorkie will learn to live in peace with everyone in your family, which will make for a happier household.
In Summary
It’s easy for Yorkies to become attached to one individual if their world revolves around that one person in the home.
If others become involved in your Yorkie’s care, he’ll learn to share his affections with everyone.
Yorkies love attention and your pup will readily receive love and affection from other members of your family once he gets to know them.
With love, patience and a firm hand, your family can win your Yorkie over and enjoy all that he has to offer.