yorkie personality

[rmcquitty]

Hi guys Im new to yorkietalk I really enjoy the site I get alot of great info and ideas from it. Im a first time yorkie owner and I have a question about her personality She's 2 mounths old and adorable her name is bitsy, I'LL put a picture up next time, My question is she is very playfull and loving most of the time but sometimes she will growl at me or my husband and then go lay down in the other room. Im thinking that she is just tired and wants to be left alone.I want her to be a loving dog. I quess in afraid she is shunning us for some reason!!!! we have had her for a little over 2 weeks now and she is just starting to do this. We have other animals that she loves and children. we are a very loving family and animal lovers. Ive never had a animal shun me this way. Is this a normal yorkie personality?

[bettyeanne]

Welcome!! Perhaps your baby is beginning to initiate "play"? Our Toto has a little "language" all her own and she will sit up and make a funny little tiny growl when she wants us to play with her. She also interrupts when two people are talking to each other and she wants to join in the conversation! I swear some of it sounds like words and sentences! We just talk to her in a pleasant voice and she will let us know by her actions and antics what she wants! These babies are very self-centered sometimes.

[rmcquitty]

thanks hopefully that is what it is but she will leave the room and hide for awhile I guess she needs her quiet time

[Ladylavender]

Well, I do believe that is normal Yorkie behavior, she may be letting you know that she is over stimulated and needs a rest. I know that there are 2 kinds of yorkies the "cuddlers and lovers" and the "independent" kind.

Our Millie is the "independent" kind. She does need alone time and if she gets "over stimulated" we will put her in her play pen area and she gets quiet and settles down.

If we pick her up and she does not like it she will growl, if we do something she does not like, she will growl. (she has a bit of a temper). Now having said that, we let her know we will not tolerate that behavior. We have to show her there are other acceptable ways to let us know what she wants, or she needs to tolerate what we are doing, because it needs to be done.

Unfortunately, when you have one of these types of Yorkies, it does require a bit more work because I am constantly showing her who is boss. But after about 2 months of this "fight", I am winning and she is coming around. I know I will have more fights in the future, but she really is becoming a real sweety, is much more "tolerant" now, and loves to be around me

but she is not much of a cuddler yet, but we are working on that too, and she is showing some improvement on that part too.

she is only 4 months old yet, so I have plenty of time to work with her.

I am lucky, because I have such a strong personality and want to be in control and boss, Millie really has no chance I will win this battle! But we are having great fun!

[rmcquitty]

oh good, im glad this is normal I was just concerned about the growling .I know they do not like strangers and they will show them that this is their turf but I don't want her to be that way with us. I suppose that is one of the ways she lets us know what she wants thanks alot

[Kodiesmom]

When you say over stimulated... is that a trait that is common in a lot of different terriors?

[Ladylavender]

I don't know how common of a trait it is to the specific "terrier" breed. I think it's a common trait in an "independent" dog personality. They just don't need as much human companion/contact as a "cuddler" or "clingy" type.

I have never had a problem, from day one, of having Millie spend alone time in her pen. She even sleeps alone in the study, with the door to our bedroom open so she can hear us, but still she is alone in her pen. She just has never had a problem being by herself.

When I say "over stimulated" I mean, its just like a child who plays to hard or too long, they can become wild or a little out of control. so in order to settle Millie down, (just as I would have done to my own children) I give her time out and she is perfectly fine with it. She does not bark or whine to come out. She just settles down. when she is calmer and after I get some alone time myself, I take her out again and she is fine with that too.

Don't get me wrong, she still displays the same Yorkie traits of tagging along with me where ever I go, carries toys in her mouth to get me to play, gets excited to see me, ect.. but she will also, go to the study (her room) and find toys to play with on her own, too.

[baili's mom]

My yorkie, Baili, who is 22 months just started this! She was constantly
licking her front paw and when either my husband or I went to look at
it she growled. We had never had her do this before. We took her to the vets
to have it checked and they could find nothing wrong. She stopped licking
her paw but now will be licking a spot on the couch or carpet and when we go
to see what she is doing she will growl. I have scoulded her but is doesnt
see to phase her. She is so loving and wonderful this surprize's us! Any
thoughts or suggestions?

[yorkieusa]

Boy! I'm no expert. Wish I was. All I have is experience with both yorkies and chihuahuas. This is just my opinion, so please no one take offense. I just cannot agree that growling is a normal or good thing except when they might be playing with some of their toys. I have never had a little dog do this in over 40 years of having little dogs. If it was me, I would wonder if this little one is feeling threatened or intimidated for some reason or has not been adequately socialized. These are just things I would consider. Sometimes these behaviors may go back to the breeders. It's hard to say.

Speaking about temper tantrums, we used to have a cute little chihuahua and every time we told her no when she was a puppy, she would grab her pee pad and run through the hall. You couldn't see her, just the pad flying through the halls.

[yorkieusa]

Originally Posted by Ladylavender

I don't know how common of a trait it is to the specific "terrier" breed. I think it's a common trait in an "independent" dog personality. They just don't need as much human companion/contact as a "cuddler" or "clingy" type.

I have never had a problem, from day one, of having Millie spend alone time in her pen. She even sleeps alone in the study, with the door to our bedroom open so she can hear us, but still she is alone in her pen. She just has never had a problem being by herself.

When I say "over stimulated" I mean, its just like a child who plays to hard or too long, they can become wild or a little out of control. so in order to settle Millie down, (just as I would have done to my own children) I give her time out and she is perfectly fine with it. She does not bark or whine to come out. She just settles down. when she is calmer and after I get some alone time myself, I take her out again and she is fine with that too.

Don't get me wrong, she still displays the same Yorkie traits of tagging along with me where ever I go, carries toys in her mouth to get me to play, gets excited to see me, ect.. but she will also, go to the study (her room) and find toys to play with on her own, too.

Oh! I really agree with you that some of them are more independent than others. That is certainly true. The "independent" one's want you to cuddle and hug them when THEY want you to and not necessarily when you want to. They seem to go about their "business" and at the same time know exactly where you are and what you are doing.

Kacee would become too rough if I rough-housed with her, unlike Muffin. So, as a result, I no longer play with her that way and she has settled down a lot.

[Flakes]

I've had yorkies for over 25 years and growling is not a "common" behaviour. If she is growling at you you need to correct her behaviour, tell her No.

You say she cowers when you try to pick her up, to me it sounds as if somewhere in her background she has been dropped and is therefore uncomfortable with being picked up. Just continue to pick her up so she gets used to it, if she growls tell her NO.

Some yorkies like to "talk", they can be very vocal. I had one who everyone thought was growling at them but it was just her way of communicating. However the fact that your dog cowers as well as growls leads me to believe this is not communication but fear of some sort.

Female yorkies tend to be more independent than males so she may take some time to warm up to you. She will eventually come to trust you. It just takes time and patience.

[Ladylavender]

You say she cowers when you try to pick her up, to me it sounds as if somewhere in her background she has been dropped and is therefore uncomfortable with being picked up.

I did not read this in rmcquitty's post. But if this the case then the cowering is certainly a tip off that something is wrong.

But I can tell you that growling is very common with Millie. I am not worried about it, because I know it is generating from her temper. This is part of her personality. I got her from a Hobbyist Breeder and they took very good care of her in their home and she was part of their family until I took her home. I was able to observe her and I saw this behavior in her at 5 wks old when she displayed this to her brothers and sisters, when she did not want to be bothered.

Millie is quite social and socialized. She only growls when she is mad about something you are doing, whether it be trying to put her harness on, putting her p.j.s on, brushing her out, ect. She even displayed this temper to the vet when he was giving her a shot. Really got mean! But he did tell me, it was not agressive behavior. She just had a temper and she was trying to see if growling would get her her way. When it did not she resulted to whimpering. The vet just laughed about it.

If she is growling at you you need to correct her behaviour, tell her No.

I 100% agree. This behavior should be nipped in the bud and not tolerated. I don't, but it is an ongoing battle, because this is just a part of who she is.

She really does not do this often and really is a happy go lucky pup, sweet, even keeled about most everything else, loves people, other dogs, ect.

[Rem&Silkmom]

I have a female and if I give her the stare down...which is I stare at her in her eyes...she will bark and growl at me. I think its funny...she is trying to say I'm the boss. I always bark back and say..."no I'm the boss"

Chris

[baili's mom]

Thank you for all the input! Baili is such a sweet little thing and we love her
dearly! I have to figure out how to post a picture of her! I am so new at
this and need tutoring!!LOL :

[Kodiesmom]

Originally Posted by yorkieusa

Speaking about temper tantrums, we used to have a cute little chihuahua and every time we told her no when she was a puppy, she would grab her pee pad and run through the hall. You couldn't see her, just the pad flying through the halls.

HAHA.. that must be soo funny and cute to see!! (maybe not at the moment it happened though..)