WEIRD female behaviors

[bellabaroo]

My yorkie Bella is 2 years old and has the weirdest behaviors. I am not sure if anyone else has a yorkie that does this, but Bella will pace my wall for hours waiting for someoen to drive by so she can see a reflection bounce off of the wall. She thinks she can actually get the reflection and will bite and pull up on my carpet trying to get the reflection. She loves when I would pull out the laser light I have when she was a puppy, and loves it even more now. Did the laser light create this weird obsession with reflections all the time?

Also, she has another problem with aggression. She is the sweetest dog around anyone she likes but when she gets around dogs her own size she barks and nips at them. She does not try and get aggressive with larger dogs, only dogs of her own size or a little bigger. There was a situation about 4 months ago where she was bit by a larger dog, and I am not sure if this is why she has became aggressive. This aggression really worries me because she is the sweetest, most wonderful dog, and I want others to see that as well. I do not remember this aggression before she got bit, we used to be able to go to the dog park and she would be GREAT! Can you please help and give me any suggestions for either problem.

Thanks!

[Yorkiedaze]

Do you walk her every day and is she socialized really well? I'd keep her out of the room where she's looking for car lights. I would not use the lasor any more and I'd get her out and about as much as possible.

[bellabaroo]

I try and walk her everyday but I've been sick with bronchitis for the last 2 weeks, so I haven't been able to walk down the street. I let her go in the backyard and run and play in the leaves, to get her a little exercise. The room where she looks for the cars is in the living room, which we are in quite a bit. I will retire the laser light though. Thanks and any other suggestions would be great.

[Sweetums]

Did she just start this when you got bronchitis and started letting her out? Then I'd say it's the running outdoors that is making her hunting instinct come out. Our girl, Pookie, is well behaved indoors except for barking when she hears certain noises, but when she goes out in the backyard and runs around, she gets a lot more aggressive. Walking is probably the best discipline for them.

Interestingly, I was just reading a breeder's site and they said that the female Yorkies are more domineering than the males and tend to want to domineer when they are with other dogs. Our girl has exhibited the same behavior with other dogs. She avoids mixing with other Yorkies at the meetups and then when one gets too close, she'll get aggressive. Also females are more the hunters than male Yorkies, so they will develop fierce hunting instincts. They were bred to hunt rodents and small animals, so lacking that, yours probably goes for hunting the headlight reflections and guarding her territory against them.

Try "owning" the area of the living room she does this in. In other words, when she sits and waits for headlights, go over, put yourself between her and the wall and do not allow her to lunge or jump or get close to it. Spread your arms and legs wide and show Bella that the wall is your territory and she cannot just take ownership of it since it is yours. When she tries to get past you, block her with a spread out hand and say "no" firmly. If you have someone you could get to drive through the area that throws reflections for several minutes of this training each night for a couple of nights and put yourself between the wall and Bella, you may teach her to leave the wall alone and respect it as your territory.

If that doesn't work, look into getting an electronic dog repeller. You set it in the area you don't want them in, and a motion sensor sets off a high pitched sound when they enter the area.

[bellabaroo]

This is most interesting that females would be more domineering than males, you would think it would be the complete opposite. I think though that women are more domineering of their companion than males, which starts to make more sense with me.

The one question I do have is my friend has a teacup yorkie that is so sweet, and when Bella met him she got aggressive. I really would like them to be friends so we can go on walks together and hang out. He is the complete opposite of Bella very very shy and timid. Is there any chance that they can be friends at all? Do you have any suggestions for getting her less aggressive around other small dogs?

I find the idea of standing between the wall as showing it as my territory a great suggestion I will try that. She will literally pace the wall for hours waiting for a reflection as well...so when I hear a car go by I will go to the wall and block her from jumping. She's a very smart girl, but very stubborn. I am not sure if your dog is the same, but when I am consistent with something she listens. I will try your suggestion and let you know if it is successful!

[YorkieMother]

I not going to pull any punches here cause it not going to help her in the long run if I do.
You need that girl to see a vet behaviorist right now!!

What you are seeing in the chasing is obsessive compulsive disorder and this can be caused by seizures in the brain we can not see and it is not going to be helped by anything but drugs.
I even go as far as getting a hold of Dr Dodman Director of Animal behavior at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tuffs University and see what he thinks.
I suggest this as light and shadow chasing is his thing and he was the one that found out many of these guys are having seizures so tiny that they can not be seen but it makes them do this light chasing against their will.

Taking the wall back by standing between it and her will not help if she is having medical issues it will push her to find a no OCD and she will find another way to do it when your not around and they do.

Please go find someone that understands OCDs and that it is a medical condition needing drug support and not a need to run it world... she is doing this because her body tells her too not cause she can stop it and it nothing she or you can do or did that made this happen. Something is not wired right in her little brain and it can be rewired with the right help.
I be cranky as all get out if my body told me to chase lights and I could not stop I be barking at and grumpy with others too.

Vet run and one that is trained at a very high level this is not for trainers or anyone else it got to be a specialist. As you go play with trainers they will think she out to take over the world.
You go get help from a vet that does not understand they will drug her into a stupor that will not help either.
I am sorry if I made your heart jump and you are feeling worried and afraid... these guys can and do live a much happier life once treated the right way and it will be just fine it will take time.

JL