Hello, i'm new & I need some help!

[mellyr0xurs0x]

Hello! My name is Melissa and my dad's friend just gave us a 14 month old yorkie named Prince. The story behind Prince is that my dad's friend and his wife's yorkie (which passed away ) had puppies. Prince was one of those puppies and was given away to a friend of theirs. Turns out the lady was pregnant and after a year said she was going to give it away. They asked for the puppy back and decided to give him to us. We picked him up last night & he's the cutest dog ever! He's very hyper, so hyper that sometimes he even "happy" pees (pees in excitement without noticing) Well, last night he seemed to get adjusted to our house... He has a thing with playing fetch that I love! lol... Well, today my mom took him out at 5am (because that is the time she wakes up) and he was ok... The only problem with him is his crazy amount of barking... He was barking ALL morning for no reason! He also isn't eating any of the dry food we give him (we have 3 different brands at home) I finally wet the food today and he sucked on the pieces but didn't eat them. I bought canned food and he ate some... Also, he barks at people, dogs, cats... He's not aggressive... He just barks A LOT!!!!! (I know I said this already, but im emphasizing) Oh and another thing, my mom & dad work full time, I work full time and go to school full time and my little brother goes to high school and had band practice all the time... We leave the house @ 8am, I get home for about an hour during my lunch break @ 1pm and I get home around 5-6pm. Is this bad for the dog? The last person to get home tends to be my mom around 6:30pm... and someone is ALWAYS home from 6pm on... So I don't think it's TOO much alone time... and someone is always home on the weekends... lol Well, to summarize, my small issues are the following:

1. Why all the barking? How do I get it to stop?
2. How do I switch him from canned food to dry food? (I heard dry food is better for dogs)
3. Does he have anxiety? Is the time we spend away bad for him?

I really, Really, REALLY like this dog (it's my first yorkie) and I want to keep him. I want him to literally be the Prince of the house. My mom and I want to take him out all over the place with us, but I think his barking would present a problem!! He's the only pet in the house and my family has wanted a dog for so long!! Can anyone help me??

[bilbao]

with the barking i would say you need to lay down the law. these dogs are barkers and you need to let him know that that is unacceptable. let him know you are the boss and every time he barks let him know that he shouldnt do that and when he isnt barking praise him. we had a barker when we first got our dog and i treated it as if he was whining. i would use a spray bottle and get him right in the face every time he barked. after a week of getting shot in the face every time he barked he learned that he wasnt suppose to do that. now the only reason he barks is if someone comes to the front door and then it is one single alarm bark to let us know someone is coming. biggest thing is to not let him get away with bad behavior. these little dogs are very thick headed and if you give them an inch they will take 10 miles. i know it is hard to disiplin them but it is very worth it even when they are just so dang cute. you need to let them know you are the boss not them. enjoy your little baby they sure are fun

[mellyr0xurs0x]

Ok, thanks for your help! I will definitely try that!

[bilbao]

canned food to dry food I would wet it down for him and if he just sucks on it he is at least putting it in his mouth. after a day or so of not eating he will decide he is hungry enough that he will eat it and then you can slowly work him off of having to have it soft.

also with you being gone. yes these dogs require lots of attention and if they do not get it they may misbehave because we all know any attention is better than no attention. i would say that any you are home for your lunch break make him a big part of it play with him and let him know that you do love him. also i truly believe that if you talk to them things will get better. they are very smart and if you talk to them like you would a person they will understand very quickly. like when you are going to work tell him that every day "im going to work and i will be home for lunch" every day and then after lunch tell him you will be back to play in a while. after a while he will register that those words are comforting to him and he will be expecting you home at lunch and the end of the day but when you just leave he doesnt know what is going on. a friend of mine has one that fully understands everything they say. i mean they can ask the dog to close the door and it does. quite amazing really.

[Bellas_mommy]

Originally Posted by bilbao

also with you being gone. yes these dogs require lots of attention and if they do not get it they may misbehave because we all know any attention is better than no attention. i would say that any you are home for your lunch break make him a big part of it play with him and let him know that you do love him. also i truly believe that if you talk to them things will get better. they are very smart and if you talk to them like you would a person they will understand very quickly. like when you are going to work tell him that every day "im going to work and i will be home for lunch" every day and then after lunch tell him you will be back to play in a while. after a while he will register that those words are comforting to him and he will be expecting you home at lunch and the end of the day but when you just leave he doesnt know what is going on.

Totally agree with this post.
My boyfriend and I are both in school full time so we leave Bella from 8:30am-3:30pm everyday. She used to have terrible anxiety when we left and she would whine and cry herself to sleep. So I started getting her de-sensitized to us leaving the house. We would put her in her play pen and pretend like we were leaving and come back in...over and over again...each time we were gone a little bit longer. By doing this she realized that we would always come back and she stopped crying and barking when we left. Also now, before we leave we both give her a kiss, and tell her that we love her and that we will be back soon. Then I give her a treat. And once we get back home we praise her and play with her for at least a half an hour. So now she is totally fine with us leaving and she even runs to her play pen at 8:30am anticipating her little treat.

I hope this helps and good luck with your baby. I'm glad he went to a good home where he can be your little Prince

[mstrooperwife]

hi and welcome
i'm not an expert with yorkies because mine is only 6 monthes old, but i've read alot on here and learned from others.

The barking maybe just because he's excited and in a new place. he's probably trying to adjust to his surroundings. which Tyke barks when someone drives up or he hears a noise outside.

the food issue- you may have to ask what kind of dry food they were feeding him. when i brought Tyke home he wouldn't eat anything and I called the breeder and found out what kind he was fed and when i bought it he started eating it.

being alone- i know that alot of people on here work and they have to leave their dogs, but your schedule sounds alot like mine. I go to work at 9 and put Tyke in the bedroom with his bed, toys, food, & water, and his pee pad. then i come home at lunch usually 12-1. that's when i feed him his soft food.
and take him out. then i come home at 5. he does ok being left alone. he's just really glad to see us when we come home. i also tell him i'll be back in a little bit and i give him treats when i leave. hope this helps some

[Wylie's Mom]

Dry food is *not* categorically better for them than canned food - dry food is MORE processed (far more) than canned food; canned food is fresher and closer to being actual "food" than dry food.

That said, you can find either a healthy, premium dry OR canned food that is good for your baby. Better yet, feed both for variety. Variety staves off boredom as well as acquired food allergies.

Good brands: Orijen (best dry out there, imho) and Natures Variety are my favorites.

[Caramel24]

My yorkie really isn't a barker. He only barks if the door bell rings, or someone comes in that he does not know, but then he stops. I haven't had barking troubles with mine, he's a good boy for the most part.

[Moses]

I watched me and the Dog and the lady Victoria I believe it is taught the dog how to stop barking. Watch the dog shows they are very helpful for training issues.
She basically was very stern and told the dog silent. When he stopped barking when she said SILENT she gave him a treat. This way he learned what Silent mean't and this helped him to stop barking.
As far as the wet food it can be bad for their teeth to eat this all the time. The breed can have problems with their teeth anyways if you do not brush them. The hard food and hard toys help to keep their teeth clean.
I would try taking the wet food away all together for a while. He should eat when he gets hungry. You might want to get a few dog samples of dry dog food to see what he likes. Yorkies can be very picky. I use EVO and my baby loves it. I used to used Pedigree and wanted to switch to a better food.
and yes dogs can get anxiety, but we all have to work. He will have to learn that you will have to leave daily for work. My boy does fine during the day and he is sure glad to see me when I get home. You might want to google the breed there is alot of good information out there to help you learn about this breed of dog.

Good Luck.

[mackymom]

My guy would sit at the window and bark at anything that passed by his house..if I let him...would sound silly if you didnt know how smart Yorkies are, but I tell Mac "No BARKING!" and 8 out of 10 times he will stop. If/when he doesn't I lightly put my fingers on his nose and mouth and repeat...You have to be firm and get to his level then reward and praise like crazy when he listens! They can be trained not to bark!
One day Last week he would not stop, I was busy so I just kept calling him to me and telling him to stop. I finally got finish with what I was doing and went to him to close his mouth and fuss, when I saw that a huge German Shepard was sitting at the window looking in at him...dont know where he came from or where he went...that was an exception to our no barking rule lol....

[piptickle]

Have you taken him to see a vet? Maybe he won't take the dried food because of a problem with his teeth? It was my first thought when you said he sucks on the wet kibble. He may have retained some baby teeth or have another dental problem It may be that he's just not used to it but it may still be worth while taking him in for a check up
A great way to teach him to quit barking is to first teach him to "speak" or bark on command! Once he grasps this concept you can get him to "speak" then tell him to "HUSH" (use whatever command you feel comfortable with) when he stops make a huge fuss! From then on whenever hes barking unnecessarily you can use this command!
As for him being left alone, I think so long as you can come home to him every lunchtime its not too long at all. Many dogs are left far longer without any problems. I think you are very fortunate to get him at an age when he is maturing and already though the worst of the puppy phase, he may take a little longer to adjust but it sounds as if he has found the perfect home.
Good luck!!!
PS if your'e really worried about him getting lonely you could always get him a fursibling

[luvfla]

My Clarence was a yapper when he was young. he was my Mum's & when she passed away he became ours. It didn't take long to get him to stop. Patience. When he'd start barking, I'd get close to him, get his attention & tell him, no, with a sush hand signal. Now all I have to say is Clarence! Sush! with finger up to my lips & he stops.
You can do it!!!!

[Ivy Lucille]

I concur with the spray bottle idea. I still keep mine handy but usually all I have to do now is just show it as a reminder.

I also concur with the suggestion of perhaps his teeth need checked.

Welcome to YT! this is a great place to be and is chocked full of very knowledgeable people!

[yasminv1]

Originally Posted by bilbao

with the barking i would say you need to lay down the law. these dogs are barkers and you need to let him know that that is unacceptable. let him know you are the boss and every time he barks let him know that he shouldnt do that and when he isnt barking praise him. we had a barker when we first got our dog and i treated it as if he was whining. i would use a spray bottle and get him right in the face every time he barked. after a week of getting shot in the face every time he barked he learned that he wasnt suppose to do that. now the only reason he barks is if someone comes to the front door and then it is one single alarm bark to let us know someone is coming. biggest thing is to not let him get away with bad behavior. these little dogs are very thick headed and if you give them an inch they will take 10 miles. i know it is hard to disiplin them but it is very worth it even when they are just so dang cute. you need to let them know you are the boss not them. enjoy your little baby they sure are fun

I agree with this post. Our Biggie was a big barker the first few weeks we had him. Each time he barked unnecessarily we would shake a glass jar full of pennies. He hated that sound...after a couple weeks..he only barked when someone comes to the door. Be persistent...they are smart dogs..Prince will get it after a few days. Good Luck!

[keylargolady100]

Originally Posted by yasminv1

I agree with this post. Our Biggie was a big barker the first few weeks we had him. Each time he barked unnecessarily we would shake a glass jar full of pennies. He hated that sound...after a couple weeks..he only barked when someone comes to the door. Be persistent...they are smart dogs..Prince will get it after a few days. Good Luck!

This is what I had to do with our Lhasa and yorkie, it works wonders. Even Zeke will now allow the mail man to come to the door without sounding like he wants him for lunch lol