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08-28-2011, 07:21 PM | #1 |
Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Roseville, Ca
Posts: 31
| Help!!!! My Yorkies keep fighting Hi YTers, I was hoping you could help me with a problem that has been going on with my yorkies.. Coco is my eldest Yorkie she's about 7 years old and Suki is my youngest she's only 1 years old. Before Suki & CoCo would fight they got along very well but for some reason for the past two days they've got into some really nasty fights. The first fight was two days ago, I was so terrified I tried to break Suki and Coco up but Suki was biting Coco really hard. She had coco at a grip and no matter what I would do Suki wouldn't let go. She swung CoCo at the neck and it was almost like she was trying to kill her big sister. I was able to finally release them and I checked CoCo for any blood and there was no signs of blood. As a precaution I separated them immediately and had Suki in time out. The second fight was today and my youngest sister accidentally let coco out when she opened the backyard door. Suki then attacked CoCo and this time she's bleeding. CoCo is incomplete shock and she will not leave from under my bed. I left Suki outside because I honestly don't know what else I can do .... If you guys could please give me some advice on how to discipline and make this issue stop I would greatly appreciate. I am so worried that this is going to escalate to become something bigger.
__________________ 。◕‿◕。 SukiGirl10 。◕‿◕。 |
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08-29-2011, 05:53 AM | #2 |
Donating YT 3000 Club Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Michigan USA
Posts: 3,317
| I don't know why this would happen suddenly after they were getting along fine . I'm sure you are worried sick. I am bumping this up so someone with multiple yorkies might be able to help you. Hope you find answers.
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08-29-2011, 07:08 AM | #3 |
♥ Maximo and Teddy Donating Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Northern Virginia
Posts: 25,041
| Are both girls spayed? Do you know what started the fight -- a treat, a toy, or something else?
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08-29-2011, 07:13 AM | #4 |
Donating YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Lorain Ohio
Posts: 1,882
| I have the same issues here with Scooter and Sadie and I have started using time outs. Now my babies have never made each other bleed but it does get nasty, someone told me that they are fighting for top dog position in the pack but I am not sure why they are doing it. I keep an x-pen up at all times and when the fight starts, whoever started it goes in the pen for 15 minutes while I tell them how wrong that was the whole time. The fights have gotten to be less so maybe it is working. I know that you need to break it up as soon as it happens or one of them can get hurt.
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08-29-2011, 07:24 AM | #5 |
Donating YT 100K Club Member & Top YorkieTalk Poster! Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: western KY
Posts: 108,935
| I have one that would fight if given the chance..i never leave her alone with anyone except a Biewer girl that is larger than her..and she knows that would be a no winner for her...i think sometimes they get jealous..i would crate the one that starts trouble until they realize that in order to stay out they can't fight
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08-29-2011, 07:29 AM | #6 |
Yorkie Yakker | I am not an experienced yorkie owner, so take what I say with that in mind. Which dog has been the more dominant one in the past? If it has been CoCo, I wonder if it is possible that now that Suki is older she now wants the top dog spot. She may have just been submissive earlier because of age, but now has decided, "I am a big girl, and I can be boss!" It is so scary that she drew blood. Several years ago I had a small dog named Pepper, about 15/20 pounds. She was a mixed breed and about 8 years old. Still a lot of life left. We rescued a border collie puppy. Candy was several months old. The first week Pepper let Candy do anything she wanted. If Pepper was laying down, and Candy wanted that spot Pepper moved. After a week or so of this, I think Pepper realized that CAndy was not just visiting. Pepper started standing up for herself. And for a week they would get into it often. I was starting to think they would never sort it out. They did, Pepper put Candy in her place. It just took Candy a bit to accept it. After that they never had a problem again. They never drew blood though. I am sorry my rambling has no real advice or solution. But maybe the bump will help. |
08-29-2011, 07:40 AM | #7 |
Resident Yorkie Nut Donating YT 20K Club Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Texas
Posts: 27,448
| Please do not leave Suki outside unattended. Bring her in and put her in a room where it is cool and she is safe. I have two females who used to fight a lot. I would break them up and put them each in time out as soon as they started acting up. Time out only works in short bursts. A few minutes should be all it takes. If this is definitely Suki starting it, you need to be right on top of her and stop her before she has a chance to bite Coco...and put her in a room by herself for a few minutes. Keep doing that until she stops. Do not ever leave them alone together. I would put each in a separate room. If you cannot stop this behavior, I strongly recommend a behaviorist...not a dog trainer. You need someone to come to your home to assess what is going on.
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08-29-2011, 09:00 AM | #8 |
Therapy Yorkies Work Donating Member Join Date: May 2011 Location: Central, Florida
Posts: 3,863
| I have read your post since this is new behavior, I would watch them very closely to see if I could understand why this started. Keep a leash on Suki while you are in the room with them, so you have more control over her. If she acts the least bit aggressive put her in a 3 to 5 minute time out , by herself in another room away from you and the other doggie. This is something else I need to mention and may or may not have anything to do with what is going on. Are both dogs spayed ? could one be coming into heat ? that will often spark fights. Also does the older dog have health problems ? Sometimes when a dog is sick, the other dogs will pick fights with them. This is not completely understood, but it is a fact that stronger, younger, healthy dogs will sometimes start fights with sick dogs. Please make sure that CoCo and Suki are both healthy. I agree that if this keeps happening you might need to have a professional visit your home. I hope this helps. |
08-29-2011, 12:45 PM | #9 |
Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Roseville, Ca
Posts: 31
| Coco was definitely considered top dog. She was the first dog I ever had then before Suki we rescued a dog from the shelter. Coco immediately disliked her and would bully her around. When Suki was old enough and big enough to stand up for mochi, the rescue dog, she would stir coco away from mochi tO stop the fights. I don't know what has come over Suki because nOw she wants to fight with mochi and Coco. This is starting tO get out of hand and I feel like Suki has nO remorse over what she has done.
__________________ 。◕‿◕。 SukiGirl10 。◕‿◕。 |
08-29-2011, 12:46 PM | #10 |
Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Roseville, Ca
Posts: 31
| Thank you so much for trying to bump this discussion topic up I can use all the advice I can get. I really want to understand what Suki is thinking.
__________________ 。◕‿◕。 SukiGirl10 。◕‿◕。 |
08-29-2011, 01:36 PM | #11 |
Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Victoria
Posts: 218
| I've owned yorkies for over 30 years. I see some of the responses refer to one dog wanting to be the dominant one. If you have multiple dogs the top dog or pack leader should be you not one of the dogs. Are you familiar with the Cesar Milan approach? I'm not promoting him or his program and have no financial interest or connection with him. He's simply the best and fastest way you can learn how to become pack leader and restore harmony. You need to determine which of the dogs is the instigator. I don't understand a "time out" approach when it comes to animals as dogs live in the moment and have very little understanding of human language. Establishing that you are pack leader and that such behaviour is unacceptable should resolve your problem. It takes time and absolute consistency however it is well worth the effort. In the meantime you should keep them separated if you are not at home with them. Correct all inappropriate behaviour immediately no matter how trivial it may seem. I train my dogs by sound or touch instead of verbal commands. Inappropriate behavour gets an immediate snapping of my fingers and pointing to where I want them to be. If they still don[t respond they get a snapping of the fingers and a touch (finger poke) in the shoulder area. Only speak to your dog when they are exhibiting acceptable behaviour. Good luck with your little darlings. |
08-29-2011, 01:49 PM | #12 | |
YT Addict Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Ontario
Posts: 273
| Quote:
Dogs don't think like humans, and using a human style approach to correcting their behaviour doesn't make sense. My best advice to you would be to get a professional in to make a proper assessment (it's so hard to understand all the dynamics in a forum situation), and its so important to be able to correct the behaviour quickly, before it becomes more "set" and harder to break. Good luck! | |
08-29-2011, 03:04 PM | #13 |
Resident Yorkie Nut Donating YT 20K Club Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Texas
Posts: 27,448
| No one has suggested that dogs think like humans....but any of you who think that a time out is only for humans, you are incorrect. Dogs learn quickly what is acceptable if you remove them for unacceptable behaviors. They love to be with their humans...remove that privelege for a short time and see what happens. I am not a Cesar Milan fan. I much prefer the methods of Tamar Geller or Victoria Stillwell. We all do things differently. I provide their food and shelter and have a routine for them....they thrive with consistency in their environment.
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08-29-2011, 03:08 PM | #14 |
Resident Yorkie Nut Donating YT 20K Club Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Texas
Posts: 27,448
| Also...if you have ever seen two yorkies fight then you would be well aware that snapping fingers and pointing at where they should be is not going to work. They are not nice sometimes...and need to be stopped immediately. I have snapped them up by the scruff of their necks to avoid being bitten myself... and YES put them in separate rooms for a few minutes. It is called time out...but keep in mind I am not saying "time out" as if I were talking to human children! I have done this and it works...one must be on top of things and be very consistent. The pups quickly learn that they cannot stay with family if they misbehave. Now...in the case of severely aggressive dogs, I recommend a behaviorist as I said previously.
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08-29-2011, 03:13 PM | #15 | ||
Donating YT 2000 Club Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Los Angeles, California, USA
Posts: 12,693
| Quote:
Quote:
This is exactly what I was thinking. Scolding them while they are in a "time out" isn't going to get your message across to them. They might give you a "guilty" look, but that doesn't mean they understand what you are saying. I keep thinking of that episode where Victoria Stilwell had the dog owner place the dog on the ground for snapping, nipping, and biting people who approached the dog's owner. Being on the owner's lap was the dog's reward. Being removed was the punishment for bad behavior.
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