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06-29-2012, 12:04 AM | #1 |
No Longer a Member Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Pasadena, CA US
Posts: 193
| Discouraged and Depressed I have not posted in quite sometime, unfortunately it has been a rough couple of months. Bubba who had a few issues, taken from mom too soon, he had teeth and his brother did not, aggressiveness and lack of bite inhibition, both resolved thankfully. The breeder that I got him from, had to have DNA test for the sire and so the akc papers were a bit delayed. When they arrived, the breeder was not the name listed... I had a weird feeling about Bubba and the other boy not being with their mom, now I feel as though I have don't have real story. Regardless I love Bubba, my husband has however had his fill, there seems to be a much bigger problem. Potty training, has been our last and biggest challenge it seemslike, Bubba can go 3 or 4 days sometimes without an accident, but when he slips up, he totally loses it. He is crated, exercised three times a day, fed on a strict schedule and a victim of Agoraphobia, I am home 95% of the time with him, so no excuses right? Wrong. Unless Bubba is asleep, he cannot be still, he has no concept of sitting and observing or laying to relax, he paces frantically when you aren't there to command him to sit or lay. First Test: I can run him around for two hours straight, he's emptied his bladder, I crate him, set up a camera, leave and he paces in the crate until he has worked something lose and soils himself. His crate is only big enough for him to lay, stretch and turn around comfortably. Second Test: Bubba uses a graveled area near a lawn to do all of his business, I got his expen to overlap the lawn and gravel so he can have free time, the area is 5'x5' with his toys, sticks, water etc. I go inside and pull up a chair and proceed to watch, I could not believe my eyes, he paced back and forth, at one point running in circles, no interest in toys or water even when he began to pant. Window open, I would give a command sit or lay and follow with praise, only for him to get up and pace frantically again. My husband said, leave him out there, he has to figure it out, two hours later Bubba is laying down, wow I said, dh was right! Wrong. Bubba had paced on the gravel, facing away from my voice/house until his rear pads bled. Bubba didn't even have the sense to stay on the soft lawn. I felt horrible, and even worse because my husband has since left it all up to me. DH says sell him, return him, give him away, I don't care, he consumes you and is a filthy animal that will always soil himself. By the way, I am also borderline OCD/mysophobic (germaphobe) and so is dh, I can't say loving Bubba makes me anymore tolerant of the messes, I honestly feel like I have a responsibility, I am not the type of person to quit, and this has truly tested me and my marriage. What, do I never get to have a life, because I bought a "puppy mill" brokered, seemingly disturbed yorkie? Has anyone out there had a similar issue? Please help, I don't want to re-home Bubba, I couldn't, how could I pass that on to someone else. The 5% of the time I do leave my home, grocery store and weekly lunch or dinner date with my dh. Also, if I can get Bubba diagnosed with an affliction due to puppy mill syndrome, is the breeder/broker liable for behaviorist fees and medication if needed? Bubba is 8 months old, I'm sure there is a statute of limitations. I really appreciate anyone who has taken the time to read this, I have gotten so much help from this website and look forward to some advice/support. |
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06-29-2012, 01:08 AM | #2 | |
YT 3000 Club Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: USA
Posts: 4,514
| Quote:
I think this little dog is as stressed out as you. It really doesn't seem like a healty enviorment. You mentioned your husband wanted you to sell / give away /return the dog. Have you considered a yorkie rescue. They would address all these issues and find him a home .... I am not a breeder but i don't think the breeder is responsible for anything other than specific medical issues.. | |
06-29-2012, 01:41 AM | #3 | |
No Longer a Member Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Pasadena, CA US
Posts: 193
| Quote:
Bubba cannot be happy with living like this, whatever causes him to pace, once he gets going, just consumes him. I bathe him once a week, groom him daily, I will tell him "down, more down " until he is on his side relaxed, then give him a doggy massage several times a week. Our Lab will lay for an hour and just enjoy it, Bubba will lay and as I praise him he attempts to get up, like okay, I'm done right. I don't have to raise my voice I just say more down and continue and all the while he is ready to just bounce right up. In over my head, possibly, but not due to stress or stress being passed on to Bubba, what I was asking for is probably more along the lines of professional or advice through experience. I will calling dog behaviorists latter on this morning. | |
06-29-2012, 01:53 AM | #4 |
No Longer a Member Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Pasadena, CA US
Posts: 193
| My apologies for the lengthy thread and responses, I have not posted in a couple of months and figured the more information I gave, maybe would jar someone's memory with a situation similar to mine. |
06-29-2012, 01:58 AM | #5 | |
YT 3000 Club Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: USA
Posts: 4,514
| Quote:
oh,poor little guy. it sounds you are doing the right things but poor little bubba has some serious issues. i think the fact that you are contacting a professional that deals with behaviorial issues is a great idea... also maybe talking to your vet about it. has bubba been to the vet recently for a wellness check ? sometimes an illness will make them act kinda weird.. i know it is really difficult but try to keep a positive attitude. i have 3 dogs and i know they can try your patiences at times. keep me posted on bubbas progress.. | |
06-29-2012, 02:00 AM | #6 | |
YT 3000 Club Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: USA
Posts: 4,514
| Quote:
ps, no need for apologies that is what yorkie talk is for everyone here is awesome.... | |
06-29-2012, 02:08 AM | #7 | |
No Longer a Member Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Pasadena, CA US
Posts: 193
| Quote:
I'm hopeful that whatever has caused Bubba to be this way can be corrected or at least alleviated. Thanks for your concern I will post updates. | |
06-29-2012, 02:24 AM | #8 | |
YT 3000 Club Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: USA
Posts: 4,514
| Quote:
i think you are right, i am sure a professionall behaviorist will be able to help. | |
06-29-2012, 02:45 AM | #9 |
YT Addict Join Date: May 2012 Location: Douglasville, GA USA
Posts: 354
| Why not use a diaper or belly band for right now? This isn't going to go away any time soon, and it might be a good temporary solution. |
06-29-2012, 02:50 AM | #10 |
I♥PeekTinkySaph&Finny Donating Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Baltimore, Maryland
Posts: 18,865
| Welcome back! First off it sounds to me like Bubba has issues with being crated, including the xpen. Have you tried gating him in a room or two? Also if you're home 95% of the time, he shouldn't be in a crate while you're home. Yorkies love and live to be with their owners, they don't understand why they would be kept from this. Also, potty accidents should not be reprimanded, in any way, shape or form. Accidents are your fault, not his. Until he is more reliable, block areas of the house from his access, but don't crate him. Dogs kept in a crate for long periods of time will have issues, even when they are let out for exercise and whatnot. Granted, some Yorkies accept being crated, when it is a positive experience. But not all of them. He does not appear to want 'free time' in an xpen outside. Take him for a 5 minute walk instead. Walks reinforce bonding, which is another issue that may be part of his problem. Before having a behaviorist come in, I would recommend a vet check. Bloodwork and a BAT to check his liver function, as hyperactivity can be a symptom of Liver Shunt. Does he eat well and have good body condition? When he is in the house with you is he behaving better? (Just as you do your day to day stuff?) Will he settle down on the couch next to you to relax, or lay in your lap?
__________________ Kat Chloe Lizzy PeekABooTinkerbell SapphireInfinity Last edited by kjc; 06-29-2012 at 02:53 AM. |
06-29-2012, 04:16 AM | #11 |
YT 2000 Club Donating Member | I am so sorry your pup is having some issues. I have linked an article here for your perusal; Dog OCD | Symptoms Something for you to consider, and I'm a little surprised your vet did not mention this to you. I believe a behavourist is a good option. How-ever perhaps seeking a second opinion, from a INternal Medicine Specialist, would be a good idea. As the article says, there are medications and other therapies that might help him. There also could be an underlying medical condition that has yet to be found, that is either causative or contributory to his behaviour. Please let us know, how it goes with Bubba
__________________ Razzle and Dara. Our clan. RIP Karma Dec 24th 2004-July 14 2013 RIP Zoey Jun9 th 2008-May 12 2012. RIP Magic,Mar 26 2006July 1st 2018 |
06-29-2012, 06:28 AM | #12 |
♥ Love My Tibbe! ♥ Donating Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: D/FW, Texas
Posts: 22,140
| Sounds a lot like my Tibbe when I got him. He'd spent 9 mos. in a cage outside & was wild, almost feral - had all the fears, insecurities & lack of socialization one would expect. He fought me, howled, whined & generally acted like he was brain-damaged his first 2 weeks. It was BAD! I almost gave up. But it is all conquerable if he is a healthy dog. If you haven't, get a complete, current vet check with labs first. I used simple behavior modification positive-reward training, trips outside every 15 - 30 minutes to desensitize him to the world out there and as an aid to housebreaking him and a bit of the Nothing In Life Is Free concept to teach him he had a leader/protector now & to look to me for absolutely everything in order to change his life. It worked slowly at first & then it worked fast & very well. He's a totally different dog now! Everybody that knows Tibbe comments on how much fun he has in life while being so well-behaved. Ha! It was far from that at the beginning. It sounds like he has separation anxiety & behavior problems due to deep insecurity & all the associated fears & misbehavior that come with. Praising an insecure, nervous dog all the time may encourage them to keep it up, reinforce that anxiety. Momma dogs don't praise their pups a lot. Reserve praise with a dog like this for only when he is relaxed or doing what he is supposed to do. He's not a human with the ability to process constant praise in the proper way but is a canine who badly needs the right kind of loving, patient leader to make him feel that he has nothing to fear or worry about & he doesn't need to sweat the small stuff, realizing that praise is reserved for proper behavior. Dogs get that. They need to be praised they achieve - that is how they learn. Don't mistake love for praise. You can love him without constantly praising him when he's nervous, etc. That's where the proper training serves so well. It teaches when to praise & what it says to the dog in training. They begin to work to get it & stop the wildness. If you think you are willing and able to devote a lot of time to studying how to become the trainer he needs, then get some good training books by noted trainers & study their theory & methods for positive reward training of the nervous, insecure dog(personally, I would steer clear of the Cesar Millan training as you have to be basically him to carry that off successfully IMO) & become acquainted with the NILIF methods to teach him you control the world so he has nothing to concern himself with. It will take time, you will need your husband to be on board as well and know that only the most devoted can help a little one like this. The rewards for your work, though, will be huge if you think you can do it. Hugs.
__________________ Jeanie and Tibbe One must do the best one can. You may get some marks for a very imperfect answer: you will certainly get none for leaving the question alone. C. S. Lewis |
06-29-2012, 06:56 AM | #13 | |
Action Jackson ♥ Donating Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Maryland
Posts: 17,814
| I'm sooo sorry you've had to deal with this. The result of bad breeding is so sad sometimes. But sometimes even good breeding can get a dog like this, so it just depends really. He sounds pretty OCD and neurotic and to be honest, I'd consider medicine at this point. They do make doggy xanax, etc, and it may just take the edge off. However, it also does not sound like to me he's getting enough exercise for the kind of dog he is. Quote:
I can guarantee that exercising him HARD will wear him out both mentally and physically like you've never seen and probably take a lot of that stress away. Take him on a 4 mile walk, or find a dog park with a huge fenced in area and let him just run, or if you have anywhere to swim him, that would be even better! It's not like you need to do this every day, but I know from my personal dog that if we went more than 2-3 days with just staying in the house and playing inside and him following me around a small garden, he would drive me up the wall with boredom. I mean he's not neurotic, he has a good "off switch" and enjoys to sleep in with me, and lay around a bit, but he will find trouble to get into if he's not given a GOOD work out.
__________________ ~ Brit & Lights! Camera! Jackson! CGC ETD TKP ~ Follow Jackson on Instagram: https://instagram.com/jacksontheterrier Last edited by Britster; 06-29-2012 at 06:57 AM. | |
06-29-2012, 07:18 AM | #14 |
Donating YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: USA
Posts: 4,285
| He sounds pretty OCD and neurotic and to be honest, I'd consider medicine at this point. They do make doggy xanax, etc, and it may just take the edge off. I would definitely find a vet who is knowledgeable in this area. A behaviorist sound right also. Have toy considered a doggie neurologist? Given his possible breeding issues their could be brain issues as well. But to help things more quickly the medication issue sounds very reasonable. Does not mean it has to go on forvever, but you folks need some relief. Best of luck and you are an angel loving Bubba like you do
__________________ . Cali , and Cali's keeper and staff, Jay No, not a "mini" Yorkie - She loves to motor in her Mini Cooper car |
06-29-2012, 07:42 AM | #15 | |
I ♥ Joey & Ralphie! Donating Member | Quote:
To the OP, I suggest you get a vet check up and make sure that there are no underlying issues. I'm concerned about the pacing, and I did want to tell you that my little rescue paces, if his tummy is upset. Are you feeding anything besides the dog food that could be upsetting his stomach? Sometimes even a healthy dog treat can cause upsets. Also, remember that dogs are very intuitive, and if you are nervous, they are going to sense that. It may help if you can find ways to relax. Do you have time together where you just chill? Anyway, glad you are calling a behaviorist, let us know if anything is helping.
__________________ NancyJoey Proud members of the CrAzYcLuB and YAP! ** Just Say No to Puppymills – Join YAP! Yorkshire Terrier Club of America – Breeder Referrals | |
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