A runner

[BesG]

I am new to this forum and a new yorkie owner. We have a 8 month old yorkie who is a sweetheart but we are finding that she is a tough one to train. We also had a poodle for 12 years (she recently passed away) and she was nothing to train compared to our Zoe. I have a couple of questions for you more seasoned yorkie owners. For the most part Zoe is great with her bathroom duties - she runs to the door and barks to go out. Our poodle was trained to the bell and Zoe will occasionaly ring the bell to go out but mostly just barks. About once in every 10 days, she pees inside. Its just random - not because she hasn't been out, or has been asking and we ignored her. Just seemingly for no reason. What to do about that is my first question? The next thing is her running away from us. She isn't great to come when called, sometimes she will but not always, but sometimes she runs away from us when we go to get her. This morning it took me at least 10 minutes to catch her. I tried a treat and her favorite toy. Eventually, I just had to corner her as I was going to be late for work. Why does she run from us? We have never used spanking or hitting her for discipline so I can't imagine that she is scared of that. We play with her and take her pretty much everywhere we go - she even goes to work with us as we own the company so she is with me in my office. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

[Wabbit]

Have you used enzyme to clean up past accidents?? If she smells it then she might continue to have accidents indoors...

As far as running...I think it's important to teach her commands...indoors ...like COME....SIT....STAY... work with her inside...so you can gain a measure of control outside. Also until she is better with verbal commands..you should put a leash on her when you take her outside to go potty. That will prevent her from running off.....and playing the "catch me if you can" game each morning.. :0)

[BesG]

I never have her outside unless she is on a leash. I am afraid that she will run into traffic! I have been training her inside - she will sit and lie down on command. It didn't take her long at all to learn those things. We are working on walking on a leash without pulling like crazy. That's working not bad as long as I have a handful of treats for her. She is a little stinker and I have to try and figure out how to get her to come all the time when I call her. We used to play chase with her, but have stopped because I thought maybe that was encouraging her to run away from us.

[yavenay]

My little one runs from me only when she knows I am about to leave the house. She does this because I keep her in the my bathroom (with her pee pads, food water, and her bed). She doesn't want to go in there so she runs from me when it is time to go to work. That is the only time when I have to chase her, the rest of the time she follows me around like my shadow.

They are some smart little buggers and she definitely knows my routine. What I have learn to do so I don't have to chase her is act like I am doing something in my bedroom. Because she is so nosey, she always has to come see what I am doing. The key is to ignore her. She knows the "come" command but for some strange reason this is the only time she ignores it.

Another way I used to catch her was to sit down on my bed....then she comes running because she wants to be on the bed with me but I stopped doing that because I didn't want her to associate bedtime with being put in the bathroom.

So now I just sort of hide from her and it never fails, she comes looking for me. The thing is even though she doesn't want to go in the bathroom, she always has to be in eyesight of me. She stands just outside the bedroom door so if I act like I am walking in the direction of the bedroom door, she takes off running. Once I open my bedroom door to take her out to potty, she almost never comes back in unless she knows for sure I am not leaving the house. It's a lot of work but I live in a 3 story townhome. She was wearing me out. I have to keep figuring out ways to trick her.

[TeresaM]

Gracie Ruth is very independent and loves to be outside. So getting her to come in when called can be a challenge. What works best for me, in the beginning, was to have some treats with me, step out onto the patio and call Boo in. He'll come every time, he's such a good boy. Of course, G would follow about half way and then take off zooming around the yard. I'd turn my back and holler "Woo-Hoo!" in a loud shrill voice. This nearly always got her curiosity peaked and she'd run over to me. I'd drop a very small piece of treat, turn my back on her and do it again. She'd come around to the front of me, I'd hold the treat out to her and pick her up as she was eating it. Always with a lot of praise and then another treat when we got inside. Now we have a third, Yogi, but he's really good about coming also, and all I have to do is say, "Come on Kids, lets get a biscuit!" and nearly without fail they'll both come in.

It's so much fun for them when we "play the chase game". So, don't play it. Try a few different things to see what gets her attention, then reward it when she comes. I'm sure my neighbors must think a crazy lady lives in our house, hearing me holler Woo-Hoo! But it got her attention and got her to come to me...so...besides, they probably aren't far off thinking that.

[JoeyP]

As someone who feels your pain

I have one who thinks it's fine and dandy to have Dad running after him as he runs away from him when I need him to come
But he's a pup and he'll learn
His brother is great at it ... and comes Whenever I call
Yorkies I have found get DISTRACTED very easily
I'm currently trainign my wanderer
You need to make them think that whenever you call ... it's going to be better than anything else around them right now

It takes some time
Start by keeping the pup next to you and give them treats .... but say their name each time
then call them from across the room with the treats
and finally with help have some one release them from far away and call them
It takes repetition but I've had great success with my other dogs doing this

[Wabbit]

Oh I'm sorry I misunderstood...I thought you were talking about "outdoors".

I taught my baby to come with their favorite treat....so that she associated "come" with a good thing.

I'm still working on Tulip...she's quite the smart little stinker...she always seem's to know my reasons for calling her...

But the treat idea does work..it just takes time..eventually you should be able to call them and not have a treat in your hand...

unfortunately....being a "yorkie"...they think alot of the times..that they have a "choice"..when called...so you need to be firm..and teach them that there isn't a choice...they need to come when called.. Try not to say it ALOT...before you get a response. Say it once..and if he/she doesn't come...go and gently walk them over to where you were...and then give them a tiny piece of the treat...Saying it repeatedly..."over and over and over"..will just eventually make them tune you out..
good luck