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12-09-2010, 12:26 AM | #1 |
No Longer a Member | Help Please Well, things were going really well with Cooper, he is very sweet and very affectionate but there are some things I need some assistance on. I'm not sure if these things are in existance because I'm new, and the whole situation is new to him or if he has always had these behavior issues. 1. He is very jumpy. If I reach down to pet him he jumps, and sometimes cowers away. I've taken to sitting down and letting him hop on my lap before touching him and still he twitches. Also he is very, very tense when I pet him, as in his tail stops wagging and he just doesn't move, so I stop petting him and say sweet things to him and give him a treat. 2. He bites (not hard mind you, he hasn't left a mark on me). If I touch his ears, without warning other than the visable tensing he'll just "snap". First time this happened to me I was in shock, never had this happen before. I was trying to help him relax and figured Rizzo loves when I rub his ears, I'll rub Coopers. I thought he was going into relax mode until I wound up with teeth on my skin and a growling yorkie. After realizing what had happened I told him no firmly, he walked over and licked my hand and I got up and left him alone in the room. I've been working a little with this, I'll touch his ears call him a good boy and give him a treat. Then yesterday I was fitting him with a halter (his previous owners had him walking with a collar ) and he snapped again, freaked out completely, bit me and ran to a corner growling at me. When he had calmed down he walked over to me, tail wagging, again licked my hand. I moved to remove the halter, and again he snapped, I managed to remove it by holding a treat in front of his face and then taking it off. Another time he freaked out was we were out for a walk and the leash got wrapped around his leg, I crouched down called him over to me, when I tried to remove it, again a growl and a bite. And another time I had just touched his muzzle, I wanted to see how his teeth looked, well, the obvious happened. Again, I don't know if this is because he doesn't know me yet, but it's very odd behavior and I just don't know how I should be reacting when these situations are present. I find it very very odd that he goes into tense mode when I'm petting him, even if he is sitting on my lap by his choice. I've been feeding him treats as I'm petting him but he is still tense. He cowers when I pick up objects, like a magazine or an empty paper towel roll. I'm not in anyway trying to say that he was at all abused, but I just need some help teaching him that I'm a friendly person and only want the best for him. When he bites me, I just tell him no and get up and leave him alone in his room for about 20 minutes. I'll go back and give him treats and love, when he gets tense I'll stop petting him and he'll start wagging his tail again. These are behaviors that I need to stop, because if he draws blood I just don't know...I don't think that he did this with his previous family because they had an older son (probably about 7 or 8), then again maybe that's why he is so senitive about his ears. Maybe they thought he was just "playing" because he didn't bite hard enough to leave a mark, but I can't look at it that way. Sorry for the long post, but I really need some help with this poor guy. He is a sweetie (normally) but the biting will have to stop before it escalates. Plus don't want a dog around that may bite someone just for touching his ears...I'm willing to do whatever it takes to convince him to trust me, so please if you have any advice to offer I'm in need of it. Am I reacting correctly to the biting or is my reaction allowing it to continue? Am I doing the right thing when he tenses? Thank you in advance for anything you can teach me. I'm going to do some internet research as well, but I'm looking for people who have had experience with re-homed pups that act kind of crazy to the strangest of situations. |
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12-09-2010, 01:25 AM | #2 |
Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Athens Greece
Posts: 172
| I believe that both bitting and been jumpy is the same problem. Bitting is a reaction of been afraid. Believe me a frighten dog is harder to rehabilitate than an aggressive one. Your situation as you describe it looks to me that your little one has issues form his previous life. Most probably as you said with children handling him the wrong way. I have two Yorkies and my little one has some fear issues. She was like this from day one (I have her since she was 2 months old) I never pet her when she seams frighten. I try to get her attention to something else like a toy. When something like a noise makes her tense I touch her and put her down on her back very gently and hold her like that until she relaxes. If you do that very affectionate and gentle she gives in and she forgets what made her afraid. I also try to ignore anything that is out of the ordinary and act normal. Of course saying NO when he bits and leave is the right thing to do. When you brush him is a very good time to touch his legs, ears nose and mouth. Try to brush him when he is ready for bed (Tiered) and don't force the brush on him, your goal is to make him calm, not groom him. Try also to massage gently his legs and his back. It's not easy but gradually he will understand that it's a relaxing experience and he will look forward to you touch. The walk is a great way to make him less afraid of things. When I get my Yorkies for a walk it's not the walking that make them tiered it's the input they get. They see people they smell different things etc. Some times we just go to the nearest park (5 minute walk) and we just sit there so they can relax and see different things passing by. When we return home all they want to do is sleep. That time is perfect to massage them and groom them. Hope I helped and let us know how he's doing Maria |
12-09-2010, 02:12 AM | #3 |
No Longer a Member | I was worried that it would be fear based, means it'll take a long time for me to gain his trust. Maybe when I take him in to be neutered I'll have them shave him completely, his ears are really matted and he cowers from the brush. To avoid causing him any more stress I've just been letting him tell me when he has had enough touching. It's just odd that he'll come right to me, but then tense up when I start petting him. I'm very gentle with him and let him snif my hand and I show my empty hand to him before I start petting him. I know to have patience, it'll take a while but I just need to know that I'm doing things the right way. I don't want to have a yorkie that can't even be brushed, or that has to be put under to get a grooming done... |
12-09-2010, 02:30 AM | #4 |
Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Athens Greece
Posts: 172
| It's definitely all about time. My little one couldn't get down on her back to scratch her belly and it took me almost a year to get to the point to trust me let me pet her and enjoy it. She was actually panicking when I was trying to get her on her back. Gradually and very slowly I tried scratching her belly and at the same time pushing her very little to the side so she would realize that it's safe and a good thing to let herself relax and enjoy. The result is that she learned to trust me. Now when she feels unsure of something, she just looks at me to tell her that it's nothing or to invite her to come with me and check what is causing her fear. I know it's not easy but it's a challenge. If you have the patience to work the problem you will both be rewarded and you will have such a bond that you won't believe it. Something you could try with a brush is to take a brush for human hair and brush your Yorkie with the flat side of the brush witch has no teeth. He will learn that way that brushing is not about hurting but about been tolerant to touch Maria |
12-09-2010, 05:48 AM | #5 |
Donating YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: E. Falmouth, Mass
Posts: 2,102
| Have you had his ears checked to make sure he doesn't have some sort of infection that may be painful to the touch? The matting may make his ears sore also. If this has been ruled out maybe let Cooper come to you more. Maybe he needs more time to not feel as nervous, sometimes when you try to "force" it along the anxiety becomes worse. How long have you had him?
__________________ Rosemarie, Levi and Lily "The purity of a person's heart can be quickly measured by how they regard animals" ~ Anonymous |
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