Grrr!!! Rebelious teen? Help!

[D_and_Mandy]

Davis is 9 1/2 months and while I love him to pieces, he is going to give me a stroke!!! He used to be so obedient and well behaved and in the past few weeks he has been a little yorkshire 'terror'!! We've had a few incidents and I'm just a ball of stress!!

Incident #1
Usually when we take him out for his walks we have to coax him down the front stairs with tons of praise, and he would never run out the front door if we opened it for company and whatnot. But 2 weeks ago his daddy opened the door just a crack to see how cold it was outside and he shot out the door and into the street!!! Daddy was right out the door after him and was able to stop traffic and catch him fairly quickly, but I'm STILL having anxiety over it!!!! Mother-in-law came to visit and just let herself in and he bolted for the door again. I screamed "wait!! Stop!!" and I think I hurt her feelings, but I was yelling more at Davis then her. Now I keep the door locked so I know I can pick him up before someone opens it..

#2
2 days ago I was cleaning and he managed to get a water bottle that I dropped. I told him "no! stay!" I tried to get it from him but he stashed it behind the couch. I kept cleaning, and then a few minutes later, he's got it back out again. I quickly grab it from him and see that he's chewed a pieces of the lid right off! I quickly look down at him, and he's chewing on the piece. Before I can grab him to get it out his mouth, he SWALLOWS IT!! I called the vet and I have to take him in so they can force him to throw it up. The vet said it was a good thing I called and brought him in right away or he would've ended up on the operating table. MY NERVES!

#3
He's been nipping toes and whatever else he can to get out attention, even if we are already playing with him. We tell him a stern "no", and he sometimes stops. He's in time out right now for bitting my elbow HARD while I was petting/ playing with him. (we flip the laundry basket over on him and keep him in for 10 minutes).

#4
He's being VERY demanding for his treats. Not whining or barking, but sassing. He looks at where his treats are and and then at us and demands then. Sometimes we give them but he has to do his tricks first. He always has to do his tricks first for treats and now he sometimes tries to refuse to do them..

#5
he's been digging at the carpet. he always gets told "no" and if he keeps doing it, he gets time out.

do we just keep putting him in time out? I dont know what else to do!!! It's like a toddlers terrible twos!! And it seems that he will listen to my fiance much more than he will listen to me. Is it just because he sounds more stern when he talks to Davis? Sometimes he's still my sweet little boy, but he's certainly getting very saucy lately. Any have experience/ advice about this? What happened to my well-behaved little boy??

[MY OSCAR]

Originally Posted by D_and_Mandy

Davis is 9 1/2 months and while I love him to pieces, he is going to give me a stroke!!! He used to be so obedient and well behaved and in the past few weeks he has been a little yorkshire 'terror'!! We've had a few incidents and I'm just a ball of stress!!

Incident #1
Usually when we take him out for his walks we have to coax him down the front stairs with tons of praise, and he would never run out the front door if we opened it for company and whatnot. But 2 weeks ago his daddy opened the door just a crack to see how cold it was outside and he shot out the door and into the street!!! Daddy was right out the door after him and was able to stop traffic and catch him fairly quickly, but I'm STILL having anxiety over it!!!! Mother-in-law came to visit and just let herself in and he bolted for the door again. I screamed "wait!! Stop!!" and I think I hurt her feelings, but I was yelling more at Davis then her. Now I keep the door locked so I know I can pick him up before someone opens it..

#2
2 days ago I was cleaning and he managed to get a water bottle that I dropped. I told him "no! stay!" I tried to get it from him but he stashed it behind the couch. I kept cleaning, and then a few minutes later, he's got it back out again. I quickly grab it from him and see that he's chewed a pieces of the lid right off! I quickly look down at him, and he's chewing on the piece. Before I can grab him to get it out his mouth, he SWALLOWS IT!! I called the vet and I have to take him in so they can force him to throw it up. The vet said it was a good thing I called and brought him in right away or he would've ended up on the operating table. MY NERVES!

#3
He's been nipping toes and whatever else he can to get out attention, even if we are already playing with him. We tell him a stern "no", and he sometimes stops. He's in time out right now for bitting my elbow HARD while I was petting/ playing with him. (we flip the laundry basket over on him and keep him in for 10 minutes).

#4
He's being VERY demanding for his treats. Not whining or barking, but sassing. He looks at where his treats are and and then at us and demands then. Sometimes we give them but he has to do his tricks first. He always has to do his tricks first for treats and now he sometimes tries to refuse to do them..

#5
he's been digging at the carpet. he always gets told "no" and if he keeps doing it, he gets time out.

do we just keep putting him in time out? I dont know what else to do!!! It's like a toddlers terrible twos!! And it seems that he will listen to my fiance much more than he will listen to me. Is it just because he sounds more stern when he talks to Davis? Sometimes he's still my sweet little boy, but he's certainly getting very saucy lately. Any have experience/ advice about this? What happened to my well-behaved little boy??

oh my, you poor thing.
i too would have a cornonary with the dashing out the door thing.
i am glad he did not get hurt.
yep, you are dealing with the terrible two's.
it would probably be a good idea if you could get him into a basic obedience class. if you have a petco or a petsmart in your area.
they are really good.
my oscar is graduating from his class today.
i wish i could be more help.
good luck

[D_and_Mandy]

Thank you for your reply! And congrats to Oscar on his graduation today!
We have a German sheppard club locally that offers classes, but they wouldn't take Davis due to his size. I contacted someone from kijiji, and they wrote me back saying that they use Brad Pattinson's training methods. I did some research on it and he advocates use of the choke collar... I'm a little weary about using one with Davis with Yorkies being prone to collapsed tracheas. He honks sometimes and we walk him with a harness. Was Oscar trained with the choke collar? Can you tell me a bit more about his class?

A friend of mine has a much larger dog than Davis ( A boston/ boxer mix- Simon) and the trainer they used had them using a choke collar on him, but she said she wasn't very comfortable doing it. Simon is a 2 year old rescue and had never been trained, so they (the trainers) said he needed a very aggresive training regimen. My friend said all the dogs in the class were on the collars though.

[Lovetodream88]

Maybe a puppy class would be helpful. I am a fan of saying no and squirt with a water bottle when they nip it worked great for us. Going out the door can be very dangerous I would suggest teaching him sit as well as stay and make him sit and stay while the door is being opened. Puppies chew on lots of things make sure you have lots of chew toys and bones for him. Putting him in a play pen while you cannot watch him is also a good idea. A time out for 10 minutes is to long you are better off doing 5 minutes. Puppies are full of energy and can get into a lot of things good luck.

[MamaZiggy]

LMAO!!! ok, this sound Exactly like my Boy.. I think he is retesting his boundaries as he officially leaves puppy hood (nearly 1 year) Im hoping by just continuing to be firm with him, he will get over it, like a teenager

[MY OSCAR]

Originally Posted by D_and_Mandy

Thank you for your reply! And congrats to Oscar on his graduation today!
We have a German sheppard club locally that offers classes, but they wouldn't take Davis due to his size. I contacted someone from kijiji, and they wrote me back saying that they use Brad Pattinson's training methods. I did some research on it and he advocates use of the choke collar... I'm a little weary about using one with Davis with Yorkies being prone to collapsed tracheas. He honks sometimes and we walk him with a harness. Was Oscar trained with the choke collar? Can you tell me a bit more about his class?

A friend of mine has a much larger dog than Davis ( A boston/ boxer mix- Simon) and the trainer they used had them using a choke collar on him, but she said she wasn't very comfortable doing it. Simon is a 2 year old rescue and had never been trained, so they (the trainers) said he needed a very aggresive training regimen. My friend said all the dogs in the class were on the collars though.

hey thanks..
well oscar was in the beginner class and they teach they such as basic commands: sit , stay, come, watch me , loose leash walking.
you are right you do not want to use any type of collar with a yorkie. it is possible to damage their trachea. oscar wears a harness everywhere we go. what i liked about the petsmart class you start out with puppy class , then beginner, intermediate, advanced. that is if you have the money. we only went to beginner class but we learned a lot. oscar did really well . he also learned how to interact with larger dogs with was very important to me.
if you don't have a petsmart or petco near you maybe you could hire a professional dog trainer to come to your home.
check with your vet maybe they know of a reputable trainer.

[gracielove]

Gee. Sounds like you have a terrier! I went through the same things with Gracie during her first year. Dogs don't train themselves. He is long over due for some obedience lessons. Sit, stay, down, etc. He needs to know you are the boss and he is not. If you have never trained a dog you might need some help by taking some lessons.

[ritapatt]

This thread really hit home with us. Abby is just over 9 months old (july 18) and while she has always been the sweetest dog ever she has been close to naughty lately!
She is barking at the neighbors fence like a wild woman even tho she knows it's a no-no (time out in expen)... Wiggling when I comb her out every morning... Squealing like a stuck pig if someone picks her up when she is where she shouldn't be...crying at 4 am to get out of her crate...Can't wait til the real Abby comes back!

[yorkietalkjilly]

There is one thing that really helps a dog that is now coming into his own and not respecting that he has a pack leader. If you will do some research and read some articles and a couple of books on Behavior Modification, you will learn how to basically modify this behavior by becoming the leader in your relationship and have your dog love it and go right along with what you say. By following the short and simple training techniques on a regular basis, if you truly want a behaving and lovely companion that truly respects you while enjoying the heck out of the training, before long you will not recognize your dog because he's becoming slowly programmed to respond basically to you and what you say moreso than what is happening around him. I am not kidding! It works. Before long, your dog will have a Pavlov's dog response to you - he will automatically do what you say - literally 98 - 99% of the time(he still is a dog & not a machine). It is by choice that he does this at first and after time, becomes an autonomic response. But you will need to do your homework - research these training techniques, learn how to become a very very patient and fun and loving trainer and how to set your dog up to succeed. Your delight and praise begins to be something he works for - even modify his own behavior for, choosing not to dart out the door or run off with a forbidden object but to hold back and please mommie. It is a wonderful drug for your dog, working with you and then glorying in your generous praises and happiness. During the early training sessions, he begins to feed off his successes and feel like an extension of you. It is a win-win situation but it does take time and dedication that many trainers lose interest in if they don't see immediate and dramatic success. And if you are a very very good trainer, you can have that, but if not, the dramatic success takes a while but if you keep at it, it does come even to us mediocre trainers.

I got my Tibbe at 9 mos. after he'd lived only in an outside crate all of his life, was riddled with fears and knew nothing of life outside the cage or how to relate to humans or their strange ways of living, let alone anything they told him to do. He fought me like a tiger during any attempts at grooming, nail-trimming, baths, car trips and screamed like a banshee when I left the room or the house or crated him, stood in his water bowl, pottied anywhere, ran and hid from anything new and barked almost nonstop - tried to escape out the front door every single time it was opened. I seriously looked into having him tested for learning disabilities, thinking he was mentally challenged by the 4th day I had him. He was a mess.

He's now a calm and loving, well-behaved companion that thoroughly enjoys life, is full of energy, attitude & self-confidence with only rare brief fear bouts which he manages to overcome in seconds to only a few minutes, and everybody compliments me on how smart and well-behaved he is, all the while remaining 100% terrier as he goes about his day. Behavior modification training worked the miracle.

[concretegurl]

So familiar only my mini schnauzer will be like this until she;s elderly-when left with too much energy or a lack of mental stimulated they become very destructive...exercise, exercise and mental stimulation through various toys, or new experiences.

Also training for new tricks, agility etc can be not only fun, rewarding for both of you but can curb a lot of this.

[heide210]

Originally Posted by D_and_Mandy

Davis is 9 1/2 months and while I love him to pieces, he is going to give me a stroke!!! He used to be so obedient and well behaved and in the past few weeks he has been a little yorkshire 'terror'!! We've had a few incidents and I'm just a ball of stress!!

Incident #1
Usually when we take him out for his walks we have to coax him down the front stairs with tons of praise, and he would never run out the front door if we opened it for company and whatnot. But 2 weeks ago his daddy opened the door just a crack to see how cold it was outside and he shot out the door and into the street!!! Daddy was right out the door after him and was able to stop traffic and catch him fairly quickly, but I'm STILL having anxiety over it!!!! Mother-in-law came to visit and just let herself in and he bolted for the door again. I screamed "wait!! Stop!!" and I think I hurt her feelings, but I was yelling more at Davis then her. Now I keep the door locked so I know I can pick him up before someone opens it..

#2
2 days ago I was cleaning and he managed to get a water bottle that I dropped. I told him "no! stay!" I tried to get it from him but he stashed it behind the couch. I kept cleaning, and then a few minutes later, he's got it back out again. I quickly grab it from him and see that he's chewed a pieces of the lid right off! I quickly look down at him, and he's chewing on the piece. Before I can grab him to get it out his mouth, he SWALLOWS IT!! I called the vet and I have to take him in so they can force him to throw it up. The vet said it was a good thing I called and brought him in right away or he would've ended up on the operating table. MY NERVES!

#3
He's been nipping toes and whatever else he can to get out attention, even if we are already playing with him. We tell him a stern "no", and he sometimes stops. He's in time out right now for bitting my elbow HARD while I was petting/ playing with him. (we flip the laundry basket over on him and keep him in for 10 minutes).

#4
He's being VERY demanding for his treats. Not whining or barking, but sassing. He looks at where his treats are and and then at us and demands then. Sometimes we give them but he has to do his tricks first. He always has to do his tricks first for treats and now he sometimes tries to refuse to do them..

#5
he's been digging at the carpet. he always gets told "no" and if he keeps doing it, he gets time out.

do we just keep putting him in time out? I dont know what else to do!!! It's like a toddlers terrible twos!! And it seems that he will listen to my fiance much more than he will listen to me. Is it just because he sounds more stern when he talks to Davis? Sometimes he's still my sweet little boy, but he's certainly getting very saucy lately. Any have experience/ advice about this? What happened to my well-behaved little boy??

I would say go to a petsmart or petco to have Davis learn the basic commands.Maybe u can learn these commands online.I feel Davis needs to learn the stay command so he will stop running outside,another big one for me is the drop it command. A very good command just in case they have something dangerous in their mouth.Davis can be taught how to be well behaved.You just need to put in the time daily for his training. Good Luck,looking forward to hearing an update in the near future on what a good boy Davis has become (: