New here and a few questions - YorkieTalk.com Forums

BellaSauce · 07-10-2012, 08:24 PM

Hi All

My parents used to breed Yorkies when I was a teenager and I have always loved the breed. I have been wanting to get another yorkie for years now. I wanted a female and wanted to name her Bella. Just a few days ago my mom found a 4 year old female for sale on craigslist and guess what her name was.... yes Bella

The owners said they didn't have time to take care of her properly, that was a huge understatement. When we went and got her it was obvious that she has been severely neglected and most likely abused.

Her fur was all matted with food and whatnot all stuck to her and her nails were way overgrown and she just smelled horrible. Sometimes when I go to pet her, or if I pick up an object that is near her she flinches like she expects to be hit and it breaks my heart. I have been teaching her to sit for a treat already and she is doing great with it, she seems to be really smart and listens well and she is 100% housebroken. I love her so much and I'm devoting all my time to make her feel happy and comfortable here.
So here is the problem, she has been very aggressive with some people, mostly men and other dogs. My mom has a 2 year old yorkie named Maya who is smaller than Bella and very passive. Bella is constantly nipping at poor Maya and Maya is stressed out and sad looking whenever Bella is around but mostly she just avoids her whenever possible. I spend a lot of time at my parents house and we were all really hoping that they would be friends and good companions for each other. Then today I took her for a walk at the park and there was a very large puppy there about 5 times her size and when he came over to say hi she snapped and bit him on his face and then she tried to go after another dog. She also bit my uncle. Not very hard just like as a warning to let him know to go away. Each time she has done this I have puller her away and firmly told her no. Is there something else I should be doing? I especially need her to get along better with Maya and not be constantly trying to dominate her. I am open to any suggestions you might have, and thank you for reading all this lol

gemy · 07-11-2012, 03:45 AM

I am linking a thread for you, that has a whole lot of good advice, very similar situation to yours:

http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/gen...sparate-2.html

Also there is an article in the library, How to Rehab a Puppy Mill dog. While your dog is probably not from a mill, some of the behaviours are similar.

If you follow the advice share on either the thread or the article, do it consistently and daily. Try 100% for two weeks, then if you are not successful, ask your vet for a recommendation to a good behaviourist trainer.

And Lastly Welcome to YT!

BabyGirl Rosie · 07-11-2012, 04:37 AM

That is great that you got Bella. Sounds like she wasn't taken very good care of by the original owners. With her biting so much I wonder if maybe a trainer needs to get involved. Hopefully others with this experience can give you some better advice. Congrats on getting Bella!

horsnaround · 07-11-2012, 05:51 AM

Her world has been turned around. For the better thank goodness. No advice but thank you for caring enough to help her. And welcome to yt

deonk1 · 07-11-2012, 06:02 AM

It sounds like she's experiencing reactivity due to fear. She's been through a tough time. My little guy is a bit reactive and snaps at other dogs, but has never actually bit. My thoughts are that you need to not punish her for defending herself, but re-direct her attention to something positive and reward her for being calm. It may be as simple as walking somewhere where other dogs are not present until she is more used to you.

When a dog approaches you, inform them that she is rescue and is reactive, then if they approach too close and your dog bites theirs, it's their fault for not listening. On your side, when a dog approaches use a toy or treats to redirect her away from the approaching dog, use your body to block the other dog, possibly ask for a sit or something and reward her every time she looks at the other dog without growling or barking or snapping.

I've gained ALOT of progress with this cause if you punish a reaction based on fear, you are just creating more fear, essentially making the reaction worse next time. You want her to enjoy meeting dogs, people etc. So make it fun for her. If people approach her on the street a good trick to keep people at a distance is ask them if they want to see a trick (this means you need to teach her some

) so then they step back to watch this awesome and adorable trick, allowing you to reward your dog at a distance and assure that she doesn't get upset with the passerby.

Also with Maya, it could just take time. I wouldn't punish Bella for annoying Maya, but your job is to supervise them and if you see inappropriate body language, just step in and remove Bella calmly, when she calms down release her again, and have someone praise Maya. When Bella plays nicely with Maya, then you need to praise her and let her know that's the appropriate way to play. Also Maya may actually be teaching Bella. I know Harley HATES puppies, and he teaches mom's beagle puppy Duke how to play properly. If Duke behaves Harley is nice. If Duke plays too rough he bares his teeth and play bows and tells him to back off, then chases him. If you watch them interact watch Maya, is her tail wagging? If so she could just be playing with Bella in her way. If the tail is between her legs, then remove Maya she's stressed. If her ears are ahead, she's attentive and happy, but if they are pinned she's mad. Is she hiding or is she engaging in a "fight" with Bella. These are all things to watch for.

Sorry for the big book. lol. Hope at least some of it is useful,

Joyce Adams · 07-11-2012, 06:37 AM

Hello and welcome, so glad that you have gave Bella a wonderful and loving home..I think she will come around and just love her new life.

Teresa Ford · 07-11-2012, 07:09 AM

Hello and welcome to YT. Gemy did what I was going to do. I suggest you check out our YT library we have a lot of information. One thought from the Yorkies point of view. She came from a very bad home, where she was just tolerated. Now she is in a home where she is petted, well fed, groomed, given lots of attention and love. BUT then you take her where she 'has' to compete for love and attention with Maya. It will take time and gentle correction to teach her that 'her place' is not jeopardy. She may not have learned how play with others as a puppy. Be patient, reward good behavior. When you correct her, use a firm but not threating voice. Of course you know not to grab at her or hit her. Put your body between her and Maya when she starts to act aggressive. Hope this helps, Teresa

BellaSauce · 07-11-2012, 07:21 AM

Thank you everyone for the advice. I am reading the "Please I am desperate" thread now. I will let you know how it goes

R_Z · 07-11-2012, 07:24 AM

Welcome and thank you for rescuing a Yorkie. There are many trainers that can help you. They will meet Bella and determine what needs to be done by her responses and reactions.

Lovetodream88 · 07-11-2012, 07:32 AM

Has she gotten a vet check yet and is she spayed? My moms yorkie rescue has fear aggression toward other dogs but its was not so bad he bit just growled and snapped. I would suggest a trainer, I think that would be the best thing to do.

gracielove · 07-11-2012, 07:33 AM

So glad you took her out of that awful situation. I'm sure reading that thread and the article in the library will be helpful to you. It sounds like she is doing this to dominate in order to protect herself. It could be a man was quite mean to her in her past and also makes her feel threatened. Don't give up on her. She has had 4 years of living hell.

dinkyweil · 07-12-2012, 06:16 PM

Give her time. She will get better as she settles in. Our DInky has had an easy life, but he still is insecure around other dogs. Our son and daughter in law have a rescue mix(about 18 pounds already) who is very, very well trained. It has taken about 5 visits before Dinky would relax and not bark like a little maniac around him.
So give the dog time. We kept Dinky leashed during the encounters so we could pull him away quickly, and I would recommend you keep her leashed around other dogs for now.

Jacksmom052709 · 07-12-2012, 06:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by deonk1

It sounds like she's experiencing reactivity due to fear. She's been through a tough time. My little guy is a bit reactive and snaps at other dogs, but has never actually bit. My thoughts are that you need to not punish her for defending herself, but re-direct her attention to something positive and reward her for being calm. It may be as simple as walking somewhere where other dogs are not present until she is more used to you.

When a dog approaches you, inform them that she is rescue and is reactive, then if they approach too close and your dog bites theirs, it's their fault for not listening. On your side, when a dog approaches use a toy or treats to redirect her away from the approaching dog, use your body to block the other dog, possibly ask for a sit or something and reward her every time she looks at the other dog without growling or barking or snapping.

I've gained ALOT of progress with this cause if you punish a reaction based on fear, you are just creating more fear, essentially making the reaction worse next time. You want her to enjoy meeting dogs, people etc. So make it fun for her. If people approach her on the street a good trick to keep people at a distance is ask them if they want to see a trick (this means you need to teach her some

) so then they step back to watch this awesome and adorable trick, allowing you to reward your dog at a distance and assure that she doesn't get upset with the passerby.

Also with Maya, it could just take time. I wouldn't punish Bella for annoying Maya, but your job is to supervise them and if you see inappropriate body language, just step in and remove Bella calmly, when she calms down release her again, and have someone praise Maya. When Bella plays nicely with Maya, then you need to praise her and let her know that's the appropriate way to play. Also Maya may actually be teaching Bella. I know Harley HATES puppies, and he teaches mom's beagle puppy Duke how to play properly. If Duke behaves Harley is nice. If Duke plays too rough he bares his teeth and play bows and tells him to back off, then chases him. If you watch them interact watch Maya, is her tail wagging? If so she could just be playing with Bella in her way. If the tail is between her legs, then remove Maya she's stressed. If her ears are ahead, she's attentive and happy, but if they are pinned she's mad. Is she hiding or is she engaging in a "fight" with Bella. These are all things to watch for.

Sorry for the big book. lol. Hope at least some of it is useful,

Two thumbs up! This is excellent advice.

Good luck with little Bella. I hope you are able to help her learn to like things around her and men - have the men (your uncle included) give her treats, maybe bits of cooked chicken - she will associate the good food with them and maybe not be so fearful and lash out.

DBlain · 07-12-2012, 08:50 PM

I have not had time to read all the other responses so sorry if I am redundant but the fact is you brought in to your environment a four year old dog, that as you said might have been abused, you cannot and should not expect her to blend right into a life exposed to other dogs. It might take a year maybe longer maybe less until your pup and your Mom's yorkie can be a happy little group. This is why some choose to get rescues and often others do not. I commend you for taking in a rescue but often that require more work and paticence because not only are you tying to teach good new habits you are trying to work on erasing the past pain, abuse, and fear.

BellaSauce · 07-13-2012, 11:24 AM

Thank you again everyone. I do understand that it will take time. Today is the 5th day she has been living with me and I already see such a change in her. She owns the couch now, where the first couple of days she would just curl up in the corner of the room and I had to keep telling her it was ok to come up on the couch, and every day she inches closer to where I sit. The first few days she would come to me to let me pet her then she would go back to the other end of the couch to sleep. Last night she was laying right up against my leg while I was watching TV. Also she was so scared of the brush the first few times I tried to brush her but now she cries when I stop lol.
To answer an earlier question NO I would NEVER hit her or any animal for that matter.
We went to my moms yesterday and she did growl at Maya once but she was ok the rest of the time. I think most of the problem is that Maya is such a delicate little princess and she gets her feelings hurt easy lol. After Bella growled at her, Maya was just trying to hide and avoid her. My mom & I took both girls for a walk and then we sat outside with them and there was no issue at all. It seems like it might only be an issue when we are in the house??
We are heading over to my moms in a little bit so I will update how it went later.
I am definitely not going to give up on her, I love her so much already. I have not taken her to the vet yet but I have her shot records from the previous owner and she had a rabies shot last september. She was so upset when I got her groomed that she didn't want to get back in the car the next time we went out so I figured I'd wait a few weeks.

07-10-2012, 08:24 PM	#1
BellaSauce YorkieTalk Newbie! Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: New England Posts: 6	New here and a few questions Hi All My parents used to breed Yorkies when I was a teenager and I have always loved the breed. I have been wanting to get another yorkie for years now. I wanted a female and wanted to name her Bella. Just a few days ago my mom found a 4 year old female for sale on craigslist and guess what her name was.... yes Bella The owners said they didn't have time to take care of her properly, that was a huge understatement. When we went and got her it was obvious that she has been severely neglected and most likely abused. Her fur was all matted with food and whatnot all stuck to her and her nails were way overgrown and she just smelled horrible. Sometimes when I go to pet her, or if I pick up an object that is near her she flinches like she expects to be hit and it breaks my heart. I have been teaching her to sit for a treat already and she is doing great with it, she seems to be really smart and listens well and she is 100% housebroken. I love her so much and I'm devoting all my time to make her feel happy and comfortable here. So here is the problem, she has been very aggressive with some people, mostly men and other dogs. My mom has a 2 year old yorkie named Maya who is smaller than Bella and very passive. Bella is constantly nipping at poor Maya and Maya is stressed out and sad looking whenever Bella is around but mostly she just avoids her whenever possible. I spend a lot of time at my parents house and we were all really hoping that they would be friends and good companions for each other. Then today I took her for a walk at the park and there was a very large puppy there about 5 times her size and when he came over to say hi she snapped and bit him on his face and then she tried to go after another dog. She also bit my uncle. Not very hard just like as a warning to let him know to go away. Each time she has done this I have puller her away and firmly told her no. Is there something else I should be doing? I especially need her to get along better with Maya and not be constantly trying to dominate her. I am open to any suggestions you might have, and thank you for reading all this lol

07-11-2012, 03:45 AM	#2
gemy YT 2000 Club Donating Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Huntsville,Ont,Canaada Posts: 12,335 Blog Entries: 2	I am linking a thread for you, that has a whole lot of good advice, very similar situation to yours: http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/gen...sparate-2.html Also there is an article in the library, How to Rehab a Puppy Mill dog. While your dog is probably not from a mill, some of the behaviours are similar. If you follow the advice share on either the thread or the article, do it consistently and daily. Try 100% for two weeks, then if you are not successful, ask your vet for a recommendation to a good behaviourist trainer. And Lastly Welcome to YT! __________________ Razzle and Dara. Our clan. RIP Karma Dec 24th 2004-July 14 2013 RIP Zoey Jun9 th 2008-May 12 2012. RIP Magic,Mar 26 2006July 1st 2018

07-11-2012, 04:37 AM	#3
BabyGirl Rosie I ♥ my girls! Donating Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: With My Yorkies Posts: 18,980	That is great that you got Bella. Sounds like she wasn't taken very good care of by the original owners. With her biting so much I wonder if maybe a trainer needs to get involved. Hopefully others with this experience can give you some better advice. Congrats on getting Bella! __________________ Momma to three sweet Yorkie girls Rosie Marie, Mikki Leigh , and Lily Mae Grace!

07-11-2012, 05:51 AM	#4
horsnaround ♥Trained by my pups♥ Donating YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: with my yorkies Posts: 11,722 Blog Entries: 1	Her world has been turned around. For the better thank goodness. No advice but thank you for caring enough to help her. And welcome to yt __________________ loving life with my furry friends

07-11-2012, 06:02 AM	#5
deonk1 YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Winnipeg, MB, Canada Posts: 1,795	It sounds like she's experiencing reactivity due to fear. She's been through a tough time. My little guy is a bit reactive and snaps at other dogs, but has never actually bit. My thoughts are that you need to not punish her for defending herself, but re-direct her attention to something positive and reward her for being calm. It may be as simple as walking somewhere where other dogs are not present until she is more used to you. When a dog approaches you, inform them that she is rescue and is reactive, then if they approach too close and your dog bites theirs, it's their fault for not listening. On your side, when a dog approaches use a toy or treats to redirect her away from the approaching dog, use your body to block the other dog, possibly ask for a sit or something and reward her every time she looks at the other dog without growling or barking or snapping. I've gained ALOT of progress with this cause if you punish a reaction based on fear, you are just creating more fear, essentially making the reaction worse next time. You want her to enjoy meeting dogs, people etc. So make it fun for her. If people approach her on the street a good trick to keep people at a distance is ask them if they want to see a trick (this means you need to teach her some ) so then they step back to watch this awesome and adorable trick, allowing you to reward your dog at a distance and assure that she doesn't get upset with the passerby. Also with Maya, it could just take time. I wouldn't punish Bella for annoying Maya, but your job is to supervise them and if you see inappropriate body language, just step in and remove Bella calmly, when she calms down release her again, and have someone praise Maya. When Bella plays nicely with Maya, then you need to praise her and let her know that's the appropriate way to play. Also Maya may actually be teaching Bella. I know Harley HATES puppies, and he teaches mom's beagle puppy Duke how to play properly. If Duke behaves Harley is nice. If Duke plays too rough he bares his teeth and play bows and tells him to back off, then chases him. If you watch them interact watch Maya, is her tail wagging? If so she could just be playing with Bella in her way. If the tail is between her legs, then remove Maya she's stressed. If her ears are ahead, she's attentive and happy, but if they are pinned she's mad. Is she hiding or is she engaging in a "fight" with Bella. These are all things to watch for. Sorry for the big book. lol. Hope at least some of it is useful, __________________ Kendra Harley, you were the light in my life, rest peacefully my love!

07-11-2012, 06:37 AM	#6
Joyce Adams Donating YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Kentucky Posts: 2,995	Hello and welcome, so glad that you have gave Bella a wonderful and loving home..I think she will come around and just love her new life. __________________ Have a great day... Mommy to Yoshi and Miss Priss

07-11-2012, 07:09 AM	#7
Teresa Ford Therapy Yorkies Work Donating Member Join Date: May 2011 Location: Central, Florida Posts: 3,863	Hello and welcome to YT. Gemy did what I was going to do. I suggest you check out our YT library we have a lot of information. One thought from the Yorkies point of view. She came from a very bad home, where she was just tolerated. Now she is in a home where she is petted, well fed, groomed, given lots of attention and love. BUT then you take her where she 'has' to compete for love and attention with Maya. It will take time and gentle correction to teach her that 'her place' is not jeopardy. She may not have learned how play with others as a puppy. Be patient, reward good behavior. When you correct her, use a firm but not threating voice. Of course you know not to grab at her or hit her. Put your body between her and Maya when she starts to act aggressive. Hope this helps, Teresa __________________ Teresa & Rubin, Gracie, Abba, Ginny Joy and Julia Rose Act like a dog, be kind, forgiving, and loyal.

07-11-2012, 07:21 AM	#8
BellaSauce YorkieTalk Newbie! Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: New England Posts: 6	Thank you everyone for the advice. I am reading the "Please I am desperate" thread now. I will let you know how it goes

07-11-2012, 07:24 AM	#9
R_Z Donating YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Memphis, TN USA Posts: 1,078	Welcome and thank you for rescuing a Yorkie. There are many trainers that can help you. They will meet Bella and determine what needs to be done by her responses and reactions.

07-11-2012, 07:32 AM	#10
Lovetodream88 Yorkie mom of 4 Donating YT Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: LaPlata, Md Posts: 23,247	Has she gotten a vet check yet and is she spayed? My moms yorkie rescue has fear aggression toward other dogs but its was not so bad he bit just growled and snapped. I would suggest a trainer, I think that would be the best thing to do. __________________ Taylor My babies Joey, Penny ,Ollie & Dixie Callie Mae, you will forever be in my heart!

07-11-2012, 07:33 AM	#11
gracielove YT 3000 Club Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: NY Posts: 6,582	So glad you took her out of that awful situation. I'm sure reading that thread and the article in the library will be helpful to you. It sounds like she is doing this to dominate in order to protect herself. It could be a man was quite mean to her in her past and also makes her feel threatened. Don't give up on her. She has had 4 years of living hell.

07-12-2012, 06:16 PM	#12
dinkyweil YT Addict Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Nebo, NC Posts: 479	Give her time. She will get better as she settles in. Our DInky has had an easy life, but he still is insecure around other dogs. Our son and daughter in law have a rescue mix(about 18 pounds already) who is very, very well trained. It has taken about 5 visits before Dinky would relax and not bark like a little maniac around him. So give the dog time. We kept Dinky leashed during the encounters so we could pull him away quickly, and I would recommend you keep her leashed around other dogs for now.

07-12-2012, 08:50 PM	#14
DBlain Donating YT Addict Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Oakland County MI Posts: 6,190	I have not had time to read all the other responses so sorry if I am redundant but the fact is you brought in to your environment a four year old dog, that as you said might have been abused, you cannot and should not expect her to blend right into a life exposed to other dogs. It might take a year maybe longer maybe less until your pup and your Mom's yorkie can be a happy little group. This is why some choose to get rescues and often others do not. I commend you for taking in a rescue but often that require more work and paticence because not only are you tying to teach good new habits you are trying to work on erasing the past pain, abuse, and fear. __________________ Lola my amazing little yorkie-pom Donna

07-13-2012, 11:24 AM	#15
BellaSauce YorkieTalk Newbie! Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: New England Posts: 6	Thank you again everyone. I do understand that it will take time. Today is the 5th day she has been living with me and I already see such a change in her. She owns the couch now, where the first couple of days she would just curl up in the corner of the room and I had to keep telling her it was ok to come up on the couch, and every day she inches closer to where I sit. The first few days she would come to me to let me pet her then she would go back to the other end of the couch to sleep. Last night she was laying right up against my leg while I was watching TV. Also she was so scared of the brush the first few times I tried to brush her but now she cries when I stop lol. To answer an earlier question NO I would NEVER hit her or any animal for that matter. We went to my moms yesterday and she did growl at Maya once but she was ok the rest of the time. I think most of the problem is that Maya is such a delicate little princess and she gets her feelings hurt easy lol. After Bella growled at her, Maya was just trying to hide and avoid her. My mom & I took both girls for a walk and then we sat outside with them and there was no issue at all. It seems like it might only be an issue when we are in the house?? We are heading over to my moms in a little bit so I will update how it went later. I am definitely not going to give up on her, I love her so much already. I have not taken her to the vet yet but I have her shot records from the previous owner and she had a rabies shot last september. She was so upset when I got her groomed that she didn't want to get back in the car the next time we went out so I figured I'd wait a few weeks.