Hello from a brand new Yorkie Owner

[Aliya]

Hello,

I love this site, and wanted to post to say hello and thank you for this great resource. I have had my 9-wk-old Dora for one week now - she is also my first dog ever! I am reading through the tons of information on this site, but it'll probably take me some time, since I've never been on a forum before. I have some questions, but please feel free not to answer them if there is a glaringly obvious answer already posted somewhere. Thank you!

1) Dora came to us crate-trained, and has slept through the night (a full 8 hours) from the moment we got her. I actually think she could go for longer, since she doesn't pee immediately when I take her out in the early AM... however I don't want to push my luck. What does this mean? Judging by other posts, this isn't normal! I'm counting my blessings, but want to make sure there's nothing wrong. She does pee normally outside throughout the day, and also at least twice a day on my carpet...

2) Dora was relatively irritable and sort of restless today - not as cuddly and up-close as she usually is. Granted, I was irritable too. Is she picking up on that? Or is it because she went to the vet today? Or, is it because she's sleepy? I've been wondering if I keep her awake more than I should. Should I try to make sure we have some time apart - e.g. crate her regularly even when I'm in the house? We hang out a LOT together (i'm at home full time).

3) My biggest worry right now is her temperament. I want her to be a sweet, confident, and obedient dog - like I said, she was NOT obedient today, and overall has a majorly hard time learning not to bite fingers, toes, wrists, arms, and jeans! What is the BEST way to make her safe and happy?

[shodanusmc]

WELCOME ABOARD AND BEST OF LUCK. sOME REALLY GOOD AND KNOWLEDGEABLE FOLKS HERE.

Reputable breeders will not let their puppies leave until they are at least 12 months away so they can spend more time with Mom, learning not to be biting you, and for further development as they are fragile as little pups. They are hard to housebreak for sure, and some never get to be 100% house trained.

Safe and happy are common sense. Keep her away from small kids, puppy proof the house, watch where you walk, have a good vet, and get on this site to ask questions. Best of luck

[Yorkiedaze]

I'm sure she meant 12 "weeks". Anyway you did get your puppy way to early because it's important to let them be with their siblings and mom till they are at least 12 weeks old, possibly longer. The mom teaches these puppies about bite inhibition, what's acceptable and what isn't, among many other things.
Your baby needs to have fresh water 24/7, and needs to eat a little something every three to four hours and to have Nutri-Cal on hand in case her sugar level gets too low. If she's getting the right amount of water, she would not be able to go all night without peeing, as it should be. It's to dangerous to her not to have water when she needs it. Put her in an expen attached to a crate, cover the crate, put a pee pad at one end and a little no tip dis with water at the other. Take her out to run, play and potty every hour. Good luck with your new baby.

[deonk1]

Originally Posted by Aliya

Hello,

I love this site, and wanted to post to say hello and thank you for this great resource. I have had my 9-wk-old Dora for one week now - she is also my first dog ever! I am reading through the tons of information on this site, but it'll probably take me some time, since I've never been on a forum before. I have some questions, but please feel free not to answer them if there is a glaringly obvious answer already posted somewhere. Thank you!

1) Dora came to us crate-trained, and has slept through the night (a full 8 hours) from the moment we got her. I actually think she could go for longer, since she doesn't pee immediately when I take her out in the early AM... however I don't want to push my luck. What does this mean? Judging by other posts, this isn't normal! I'm counting my blessings, but want to make sure there's nothing wrong. She does pee normally outside throughout the day, and also at least twice a day on my carpet...

2) Dora was relatively irritable and sort of restless today - not as cuddly and up-close as she usually is. Granted, I was irritable too. Is she picking up on that? Or is it because she went to the vet today? Or, is it because she's sleepy? I've been wondering if I keep her awake more than I should. Should I try to make sure we have some time apart - e.g. crate her regularly even when I'm in the house? We hang out a LOT together (i'm at home full time).

3) My biggest worry right now is her temperament. I want her to be a sweet, confident, and obedient dog - like I said, she was NOT obedient today, and overall has a majorly hard time learning not to bite fingers, toes, wrists, arms, and jeans! What is the BEST way to make her safe and happy?

First, welcome!

You will hear a lot of talk about your baby coming home early, this may be a reason for some disobedience, there are many links on how to teach bite rules, and proper behavior at a young age. My baby came home at 9 weeks (the norm is 12), and turned out fine, but proper training must be done immediately. Things like saying a squeak like ouch that a dog would make when the teeth touch you skin. it'll will deter biting. Also socialization is the key, there must be a strong socialization with other dogs and other people, especially children (I'd start with mature children)

Harley lasted 4 hours the first night home and then 8 hours every night since. So don't worry about that, some babies are just good with the crate training.

With your baby coming home early, make sure you don't take her outside (away from your home) until the second set of vaccines is complete, some even argue the third set, even then avoid high traffic areas like pet shops, and don't put her on the floor at the vet for a while (all places diseases can be picked up before thier immune system kicks in)

I'm interested in competition, so for me training was really important to me, here are some basic life skills I learned with Harley, my first dog.

- teach "drop it" immediately, do this by starting with a toy, push slightly towards the dog and the second they release give a treat and praise, after you get an instant response add the word drop it, next start trading early so that you can say the word and drop occurs without touching the item

-teach leave it, I didn't and now am trying to teach it, it becomes really important when you drop something on the floor and they can't have it

- start "come" really early, again, I didn't and regret it, it's our biggest training challenge today.

-start grooming, teeth brushing, bathing, running clippers (no need to actually cut hair) NOW, don't wait, the sooner they are desensitized and treated for these actions the sooner they'll learn to behave and like it.


Start puppy class as soon as you can (once vaccines are completed)

Good luck, hope this all helps.

[lil fu fu girl]

Welcome!

[yorkieusa]

Originally Posted by Aliya

Hello,

I love this site, and wanted to post to say hello and thank you for this great resource. I have had my 9-wk-old Dora for one week now - she is also my first dog ever! I am reading through the tons of information on this site, but it'll probably take me some time, since I've never been on a forum before. I have some questions, but please feel free not to answer them if there is a glaringly obvious answer already posted somewhere. Thank you!

1) Dora came to us crate-trained, and has slept through the night (a full 8 hours) from the moment we got her. I actually think she could go for longer, since she doesn't pee immediately when I take her out in the early AM... however I don't want to push my luck. What does this mean? Judging by other posts, this isn't normal! I'm counting my blessings, but want to make sure there's nothing wrong. She does pee normally outside throughout the day, and also at least twice a day on my carpet...

2) Dora was relatively irritable and sort of restless today - not as cuddly and up-close as she usually is. Granted, I was irritable too. Is she picking up on that? Or is it because she went to the vet today? Or, is it because she's sleepy? I've been wondering if I keep her awake more than I should. Should I try to make sure we have some time apart - e.g. crate her regularly even when I'm in the house? We hang out a LOT together (i'm at home full time).

3) My biggest worry right now is her temperament. I want her to be a sweet, confident, and obedient dog - like I said, she was NOT obedient today, and overall has a majorly hard time learning not to bite fingers, toes, wrists, arms, and jeans! What is the BEST way to make her safe and happy?

She is only 9 weeks old, so she isn't going to be potty-trained for some time. If she isn't going immediately when you take her out, I think it simply means there are other things of more interest to her than pottying. Terrier instinct, plus she will learn that if she potties immediately that you will make her go back in. No fun. Are you allowing her to run around the house, when not in the crate? She is much too young to have full-run of the house. She will most certainly potty on the floors if that is the case. An x-pen would be nice to keep her in, when you can't watch her. You will need to take her out very often, because she has a very small bladder. You could put a shower curtain under the x-pen and add some water and toys along with her bed and a piddle pad. That way, if you aren't able to watch her, she would be safe. Be sure she can't get to any electric cords or anything dangerous for puppies. They will chew on anything and everything. You will find that out when she gets a bit older and starts teething. Chewing and biting are normal puppy behaviors. You will have to teach her bite inhibition, since it won't be taught by her own mom. Someone above discussed that. Provide her with safe toys that she can chew on as well.

Did she get shots at the vet today? Be sure, when the time comes, to not get the rabies shot at the same time as the other shots. Many vets will give them all together, but they are too much for small puppies. Wait about two weeks later to get the rabies shot after the other shots are given. She is very young to be away from her mom and will require lots of rest and sleep. Many people allow them to play until they drop and this is not good for them. That kind of stress makes them more likely to suffer from hypoglycemia. This is a huge danger for some small yorkies. Do keep nutrical or Karo syrup handy in case she should suffer an episode. It can make the difference in life and death.

Yorkies are terriers, therefore, are stubborn and independent little dogs with a curious nature. To have a well-behaved yorkie, your little one will require good training and lots of socialization at a young age. They do require lots of exercise as well.

[marcie]

Welcome to Yorkie Talk!

[LuvTaycieGirl]

Welcome to YorkieTalk! So happy to have you here!

[Aliya]

Thank you all for your welcome and advice! I really need the support, because Dora is really difficult right now, and I've only had her for 1.5 weeks! I wish I had known about the possibility that it may have been too early to take her from her mommy. I'm trying really hard to do the right things and read lots about it. Dora has access to fresh water and food until an hour or so before bed each night, and she gets a decent amount of play and interaction. She's in her kennel area for about 7 hrs total per day (i work at home and take her out every hour or so); otherwise, she has the run of our downstairs, which is essentially just one big room. She seems to have plenty of energy and curiosity.

My worry, however, is that she won't stop biting me! I've tried the loud yelps + walking away (so that she learns that biting = no play); I've tried holding her little mouth closed and saying "no bite"; I've tried pinning her on her side so that she knows who's boss. Today is the first day I've really tried holding her mouth closed every time - I've been trying the pin-down submission thing for 2-3 days now. Each time, she just gets right up and comes back for more. I'm not sure if it's a game to her, or if it's serious - she doesn't wag her tail when she does it, and she sometimes growls. She struggles and tries to nip when I hold her mouth or pin her. Are these play behaviors or serious?

All I know is that I'm terrified of hurting her (I can get really impatient and frustrated, which makes my movements quicker and less gentle than I would like) and/or of making her scared of me or disliking me. I'm probably most scared that she will become an aggressive or mean dog. I DON'T want this to happen - please help me figure it out! I really appreciate it!

[yorkieusa]

Originally Posted by Aliya

Thank you all for your welcome and advice! I really need the support, because Dora is really difficult right now, and I've only had her for 1.5 weeks! I wish I had known about the possibility that it may have been too early to take her from her mommy. I'm trying really hard to do the right things and read lots about it. Dora has access to fresh water and food until an hour or so before bed each night, and she gets a decent amount of play and interaction. She's in her kennel area for about 7 hrs total per day (i work at home and take her out every hour or so); otherwise, she has the run of our downstairs, which is essentially just one big room. She seems to have plenty of energy and curiosity.

My worry, however, is that she won't stop biting me! I've tried the loud yelps + walking away (so that she learns that biting = no play); I've tried holding her little mouth closed and saying "no bite"; I've tried pinning her on her side so that she knows who's boss. Today is the first day I've really tried holding her mouth closed every time - I've been trying the pin-down submission thing for 2-3 days now. Each time, she just gets right up and comes back for more. I'm not sure if it's a game to her, or if it's serious - she doesn't wag her tail when she does it, and she sometimes growls. She struggles and tries to nip when I hold her mouth or pin her. Are these play behaviors or serious? All I know is that I'm terrified of hurting her (I can get really impatient and frustrated, which makes my movements quicker and less gentle than I would like) and/or of making her scared of me or disliking me. I'm probably most scared that she will become an aggressive or mean dog. I DON'T want this to happen - please help me figure it out! I really appreciate it!

Well, it has already been established that you brought her home too young. So, she has to learn bite inhibition, but you can't wrestle her into not biting. Puppies bite and chew. That is what they do. Holding her mouth shut and pinning her down will probably give you just the sort of puppy you don't want to have.

You say you don't have patience and get frustrated. That combination does not make for a good yorkie parent. You not only need tons of patience. You, also, need to be very consistent in your training.

The best thing you can do, if you lack the patience in dealing with this puppy, is to place her in an ex-pen when she starts biting. Walk away. At least, this way she will learn that you will stop playing, when she wants to chew on you and bite.

You have a long, long way to go. I really hope you can learn to have patience with this puppy, because she hasn't even started teething yet. She won't begin teething until around 4 months of age. You haven't seen anything yet, until you see a teething yorkie. They are like little beavers. They'll chew on wood, sheetrock, metal, and carpeting. Good luck to you.

[mzwit51]

Keep trying the high pitched yelp. Make it high and sudden, loud too. It took me two days to stop Teddee doing his mouthing and biting with this technique. It doesnt work the first time or even the second. YOu may have to continue this 20 times a day, but you must be consistent. The biting and mouthing will stop. Substitute a chew toy for your hand. Your message will be clear. Good luck!

[candigirl]

I was in your exact position a few weeks ago with Lexie and things seemed hopeless. People suggested the yelping method which i tried to no avail. I think some pups respond to it and others don't. When i yelped at Lexie she would get this excited look on her face and lunge at me with mouth open, i'm pretty sure she thought it was a game. I also tried holding her on her side, the "showing dominance" technique and that made her very aggressive, and as soon as i'd release her she'd be back trying to nip me and bit me many times very hard, my hands looked like i'd been playing with broken glass it was bad. What worked for me was the spray bottle with water and time outs. Every time she niped me i'd spray her with water and say ah ah!, if she did it again i'd pick her up and hold her in front of my face, make eye contact and say "ah ah!, NO", and immediately place her in her pen and walk away, 15-30 secs later i'd take her out. The reason i added the spray bottle is because Lexie didn't get that "no" meant she was doing something bad and needed to stop, the word "no" had no power or meaning. Now i don't even need the spray bottle i can just say no or ah ah and she will stop immediately, she never bites me hard anymore just very light nibbles, because she now knows bite inhibition. It took some trial and error to find what worked for me but i'm amazed at how much Lexie has improved

[Aliya]

Originally Posted by candigirl

I was in your exact position a few weeks ago with Lexie and things seemed hopeless. People suggested the yelping method which i tried to no avail. I think some pups respond to it and others don't. When i yelped at Lexie she would get this excited look on her face and lunge at me with mouth open, i'm pretty sure she thought it was a game. I also tried holding her on her side, the "showing dominance" technique and that made her very aggressive, and as soon as i'd release her she'd be back trying to nip me and bit me many times very hard, my hands looked like i'd been playing with broken glass it was bad. What worked for me was the spray bottle with water and time outs. Every time she niped me i'd spray her with water and say ah ah!, if she did it again i'd pick her up and hold her in front of my face, make eye contact and say "ah ah!, NO", and immediately place her in her pen and walk away, 15-30 secs later i'd take her out. The reason i added the spray bottle is because Lexie didn't get that "no" meant she was doing something bad and needed to stop, the word "no" had no power or meaning. Now i don't even need the spray bottle i can just say no or ah ah and she will stop immediately, she never bites me hard anymore just very light nibbles, because she now knows bite inhibition. It took some trial and error to find what worked for me but i'm amazed at how much Lexie has improved

You give me hope, candigirl! It's just good to hear that I'm not the only one going through this! I'm going out for a spray bottle.

Could you all also tell me what games your Yorkie likes to play? I've read that tug of war and wrestling should be discouraged bc it encourages biting. She seems to like fetch, some.

Thank you all so much for your comments - they are very helpful!

[jojomima]

Welcome to YT.

[mscat]

Hello and welcome to YT !
I brought home Suzi at 9 weeks old .. I did not know they should stay for 12 weeks with their mom and littermates. The mom teaches them not to bite and so soes their siblings during playtime.
Keep doing what tou are doing, a loud, sharp, high pitched Yelp . Anther thing that will come shortly is the teething. They want to chew on everything at this stage of development. Try a Bully stick for her to chew and bite on.
Remember that she is just a baby , and will need lots of patience and positive experiences. She does not have all her vaccines yet, so do not take her out and expose her to other dogs. Wait until all her vaccines are given. Then decide if a puppy class will be good for her .