I Need Serious Help - YorkieTalk.com Forums

RebeccaMoore923 · 02-11-2010, 05:51 PM

I have posted before about this before, but I'm seriously at wits end.. My cat that I've had for a VERY long time.. a cat that my yorkie has grown up around.. is constantly getting attacked by Riley, my yorkie.. I have had to have the cat in the bathroom all night long.. We come home.. let the cat our..and right away the Yorkie attacks the cat.. corners him, biting his neck and all you can hear is the sound of the cat screaming, riley barking..and its just a entangled mess. I can't even find my cat right now..and my yorkie just runs around hunting him. I don't know what has started this mess..they even lay together and sleep.. but they do this once a night.. I dont know how to stop it, I dont know how to correct it. Yelling doesnt help.. I don't want to have to get rid of either one of them. I dunno.. I mean its like will we ever be able to have another dog/cat or will Riley terrorize them as well? I just need some advice, I dunno..kinda heartbroken at the moment.

lillymae · 02-11-2010, 06:00 PM

Have you tried a squirt bottle ?

Britster · 02-11-2010, 06:01 PM

I posted this in your old thread.

http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/tra...-year-old.html

First, it sounds like marking to me. Neutering may or may not help this. Once it's already an established habit, it will be hard to break. But possible. I would suggest starting potty training ALL over again. Get a crate or an ex-pen and keep him contained when you cannot watch him 24/7. When you're home, take him outside (or on the pad, but personally I see more housetraining problems with pad trained dogs) every hour until he goes. Praise and treat like crazy when he goes where he's supposed to. When you leave the home, put him in a crate or pen. Dogs don't act out or do stuff to piss you off, they're not like humans in that sense, lol.

He sounds bored to me. How much exercise does he get? Some dogs need more exercise than others. Jackson gets like this when he has been confined in the house for too long, where he will start finding all the babies toys on the floor and decides to start running thru the house with them, lol. During the warmer weather (or when it's at LEAST 35 and above, for my sake) we go for at least 1 walk per day, minimum of 30 minutes, usually an hour walk. Weekends in the summer we try to walk 4 miles once a week. We also get to the dog park 1-3x per week and stay for 2 hours usually (this is more so in summer/spring). A tired dog is a happy dog!

He crashes hard after running around at the park or going for a walk. With these cold winter months we've had, we do a lot of trick training. I find it's a really great way to keep his mind occupied and working. Learning a new trick wears him out but he has so much fun doing it. Or we'll play a game of fetch indoors for 15 minutes.

Obedience training is always important to live a happy life with your dog. Teach him the "drop it" and "leave it" command. I find what works for us when Jackson has something in his mouth he's not supposed to... we trade. I give him something better (i.e. treat, other toy, etc) in return for what he had. Sit, stay, and down are always good basic rules to start with.

As for the cat, yelling at him no is not going to help because he doesn't understand what no means. Yelling at him, he thinks your just joining in on the fun! Teach him to accept the cat. They may never 100% get along but it's possible to make them tolerate each other. I would out the cat in a crate for a few minutes to start, and let your dog sniff, explore, etc. Whenever he's being calm around the cat, give him a treat and tell him good boy. Let him know that is how you want him to act around the cat. I find that having the cat and dog in a closed room with not any furniture that the cat can get under or on top of works better... the cat being hidden or out of reach usually drives the dog more crazy so just teach them to get along.

I hope this advice helps!

RebeccaMoore923 · 02-11-2010, 06:02 PM

No I haven't.. You think that may work? I just want them to live in peace all the time.. its not fair for the cat not to be able to come out of the bedroom..and now he can't even be in the bedroom... Thats one thing I may try for sure.

Britster · 02-11-2010, 06:03 PM

Squirt bottle does the trick when I visit over at my dad's house. He has 2 cats and 2 dogs. I bring Jackson over all the time and Jackson is cool w/ the cats one-on-one but when all 3 of the dogs are at it... there's no stopping the chasing/barking. We bring out the squirt bottle and the dogs go runnin'!

Also, I find after Jackson is really tired and had a day of exercise, he could care less about the cats. It's more when he's totally bored and under exercised that he wants to chase them simply for the fact that there's nothing better to do.

RebeccaMoore923 · 02-11-2010, 06:04 PM

Riley corners Asher into a corner and just bites his neck and its just a big fight..do you think putting them in a room like that is a good idea?? I'll def try to crate thing.. Ugh. We'll see. Thanks for your advice.

RebeccaMoore923 · 02-11-2010, 06:05 PM

Alright def going to try the squirt bottle then too!! Somethings gotta give.. I have another yorkie back at my moms house..and the cat would bathe him.. so I know its not the cat. Its the dog.

Britster · 02-11-2010, 06:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RebeccaMoore923

Riley corners Asher into a corner and just bites his neck and its just a big fight..do you think putting them in a room like that is a good idea?? I'll def try to crate thing.. Ugh. We'll see. Thanks for your advice.

Does the cat still have his claws? If he does, then def. be careful. Keeping the cat in a crate would protect the cat (and the dog!)

RebeccaMoore923 · 02-11-2010, 06:22 PM

He only has back claws.. so we're lucky.. I dunno we'll work on it. We've just got a lot going on. We're about to move to a new home, and I don't want this happening there too.

guliverandmaya · 02-11-2010, 07:08 PM

Just hire someone to help you with that and thats all...

SweetPuppy · 02-12-2010, 08:04 AM

I'm just wondering what could be the reason why your dog changes his/her attitude towards your cat wherein they grow together...Do you have favoritism? Maybe your dog got jealous...

aqeuous18 · 02-12-2010, 11:54 AM

Teach him the "Leave It" Command. Start with small things he must leave like treats and toys. Eventually move up to the cat. This will also require some Basic Obedience training. I think this would be the best course of action. It will be a positive experience for your dog and strengthen the bond between you with some training! Be sure to find a trainer that only uses positive reinforcement.

SweetPuppy: dogs don't understand jealousy, but cats do! Yorkies are terriers first and foremost, so they like to chase small furry creatures!! He's just doing what is natural.

SweetPuppy · 02-13-2010, 05:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aqeuous18

Teach him the "Leave It" Command. Start with small things he must leave like treats and toys. Eventually move up to the cat. This will also require some Basic Obedience training. I think this would be the best course of action. It will be a positive experience for your dog and strengthen the bond between you with some training! Be sure to find a trainer that only uses positive reinforcement.

SweetPuppy: dogs don't understand jealousy, but cats do! Yorkies are terriers first and foremost, so they like to chase small furry creatures!! He's just doing what is natural.

Oh really? I didn't know that dogs don't feel jealousy, I thought they do. Because I had two dogs before, when I cuddle the other one, the other one will follow me and he wanted me to cuddle her, or it was just a misunderstanding?

Maximo · 02-13-2010, 07:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SweetPuppy

Oh really? I didn't know that dogs don't feel jealousy, I thought they do. Because I had two dogs before, when I cuddle the other one, the other one will follow me and he wanted me to cuddle her, or it was just a misunderstanding?

Rather than jealousy, the dogs may be concerned about protecting resources -- attention and affection being resources. ???

aqeuous18 · 02-13-2010, 09:29 PM

One of the biggest mistakes dog owners make is anthropomorphizing their pups. Which means giving your dog human traits. Most of them being spite, jealousy, etc. Dogs will guard resources, but rarely will they make a connection like the cat taking away a resources. He's chasing the chat because he has a high prey drive and he's a terrier

02-11-2010, 05:51 PM	#1
RebeccaMoore923 Yorkie Yakker Join Date: May 2009 Location: Roseville, MI, USA Posts: 37	I Need Serious Help I have posted before about this before, but I'm seriously at wits end.. My cat that I've had for a VERY long time.. a cat that my yorkie has grown up around.. is constantly getting attacked by Riley, my yorkie.. I have had to have the cat in the bathroom all night long.. We come home.. let the cat our..and right away the Yorkie attacks the cat.. corners him, biting his neck and all you can hear is the sound of the cat screaming, riley barking..and its just a entangled mess. I can't even find my cat right now..and my yorkie just runs around hunting him. I don't know what has started this mess..they even lay together and sleep.. but they do this once a night.. I dont know how to stop it, I dont know how to correct it. Yelling doesnt help.. I don't want to have to get rid of either one of them. I dunno.. I mean its like will we ever be able to have another dog/cat or will Riley terrorize them as well? I just need some advice, I dunno..kinda heartbroken at the moment.

02-11-2010, 06:01 PM	#3
Britster Action Jackson ♥ Donating Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Maryland Posts: 17,814	I posted this in your old thread. http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/tra...-year-old.html First, it sounds like marking to me. Neutering may or may not help this. Once it's already an established habit, it will be hard to break. But possible. I would suggest starting potty training ALL over again. Get a crate or an ex-pen and keep him contained when you cannot watch him 24/7. When you're home, take him outside (or on the pad, but personally I see more housetraining problems with pad trained dogs) every hour until he goes. Praise and treat like crazy when he goes where he's supposed to. When you leave the home, put him in a crate or pen. Dogs don't act out or do stuff to piss you off, they're not like humans in that sense, lol. He sounds bored to me. How much exercise does he get? Some dogs need more exercise than others. Jackson gets like this when he has been confined in the house for too long, where he will start finding all the babies toys on the floor and decides to start running thru the house with them, lol. During the warmer weather (or when it's at LEAST 35 and above, for my sake) we go for at least 1 walk per day, minimum of 30 minutes, usually an hour walk. Weekends in the summer we try to walk 4 miles once a week. We also get to the dog park 1-3x per week and stay for 2 hours usually (this is more so in summer/spring). A tired dog is a happy dog! He crashes hard after running around at the park or going for a walk. With these cold winter months we've had, we do a lot of trick training. I find it's a really great way to keep his mind occupied and working. Learning a new trick wears him out but he has so much fun doing it. Or we'll play a game of fetch indoors for 15 minutes. Obedience training is always important to live a happy life with your dog. Teach him the "drop it" and "leave it" command. I find what works for us when Jackson has something in his mouth he's not supposed to... we trade. I give him something better (i.e. treat, other toy, etc) in return for what he had. Sit, stay, and down are always good basic rules to start with. As for the cat, yelling at him no is not going to help because he doesn't understand what no means. Yelling at him, he thinks your just joining in on the fun! Teach him to accept the cat. They may never 100% get along but it's possible to make them tolerate each other. I would out the cat in a crate for a few minutes to start, and let your dog sniff, explore, etc. Whenever he's being calm around the cat, give him a treat and tell him good boy. Let him know that is how you want him to act around the cat. I find that having the cat and dog in a closed room with not any furniture that the cat can get under or on top of works better... the cat being hidden or out of reach usually drives the dog more crazy so just teach them to get along. I hope this advice helps! __________________ ~ Brit & Lights! Camera! Jackson! CGC ETD TKP ~ Follow Jackson on Instagram: https://instagram.com/jacksontheterrier

02-11-2010, 06:03 PM	#5
Britster Action Jackson ♥ Donating Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Maryland Posts: 17,814	Squirt bottle does the trick when I visit over at my dad's house. He has 2 cats and 2 dogs. I bring Jackson over all the time and Jackson is cool w/ the cats one-on-one but when all 3 of the dogs are at it... there's no stopping the chasing/barking. We bring out the squirt bottle and the dogs go runnin'! Also, I find after Jackson is really tired and had a day of exercise, he could care less about the cats. It's more when he's totally bored and under exercised that he wants to chase them simply for the fact that there's nothing better to do. __________________ ~ Brit & Lights! Camera! Jackson! CGC ETD TKP ~ Follow Jackson on Instagram: https://instagram.com/jacksontheterrier

02-11-2010, 07:08 PM	#10
guliverandmaya Donating Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: toronto Posts: 366	Have you thought of getting a trainer?? Just hire someone to help you with that and thats all...

02-12-2010, 11:54 AM	#12
aqeuous18 Donating Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Western NY Posts: 231	Teach him the "Leave It" Command. Start with small things he must leave like treats and toys. Eventually move up to the cat. This will also require some Basic Obedience training. I think this would be the best course of action. It will be a positive experience for your dog and strengthen the bond between you with some training! Be sure to find a trainer that only uses positive reinforcement. SweetPuppy: dogs don't understand jealousy, but cats do! Yorkies are terriers first and foremost, so they like to chase small furry creatures!! He's just doing what is natural. __________________ Kelly and Wookie Have you hugged your groomer today? Last edited by aqeuous18; 02-12-2010 at 11:58 AM.

02-11-2010, 06:00 PM	#2
lillymae YT 3000 Club Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Idaho Posts: 4,544	Have you tried a squirt bottle ?

02-11-2010, 06:02 PM	#4
RebeccaMoore923 Yorkie Yakker Join Date: May 2009 Location: Roseville, MI, USA Posts: 37	No I haven't.. You think that may work? I just want them to live in peace all the time.. its not fair for the cat not to be able to come out of the bedroom..and now he can't even be in the bedroom... Thats one thing I may try for sure.

02-11-2010, 06:04 PM	#6
RebeccaMoore923 Yorkie Yakker Join Date: May 2009 Location: Roseville, MI, USA Posts: 37	Riley corners Asher into a corner and just bites his neck and its just a big fight..do you think putting them in a room like that is a good idea?? I'll def try to crate thing.. Ugh. We'll see. Thanks for your advice.

02-11-2010, 06:05 PM	#7
RebeccaMoore923 Yorkie Yakker Join Date: May 2009 Location: Roseville, MI, USA Posts: 37	Alright def going to try the squirt bottle then too!! Somethings gotta give.. I have another yorkie back at my moms house..and the cat would bathe him.. so I know its not the cat. Its the dog.

02-11-2010, 06:22 PM	#9
RebeccaMoore923 Yorkie Yakker Join Date: May 2009 Location: Roseville, MI, USA Posts: 37	He only has back claws.. so we're lucky.. I dunno we'll work on it. We've just got a lot going on. We're about to move to a new home, and I don't want this happening there too.

02-12-2010, 08:04 AM	#11
SweetPuppy YT Addict Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Chicago, Illinois, USA Posts: 492	I'm just wondering what could be the reason why your dog changes his/her attitude towards your cat wherein they grow together...Do you have favoritism? Maybe your dog got jealous...

02-13-2010, 09:29 PM	#15
aqeuous18 Donating Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Western NY Posts: 231	One of the biggest mistakes dog owners make is anthropomorphizing their pups. Which means giving your dog human traits. Most of them being spite, jealousy, etc. Dogs will guard resources, but rarely will they make a connection like the cat taking away a resources. He's chasing the chat because he has a high prey drive and he's a terrier __________________ Kelly and Wookie Have you hugged your groomer today?