What's Right for my Yorkie!!:)

[Samsonsfam]

Hi! I've been on this site for a few weeks, and have never contributed much to the forums...have read extensively on them though.

Here's my dilemma! I've been there, done that. Raised 3 kids and lots of childcare for grand kids too. We've had multiple dogs and cats throughout the years. We've had some great breeds and wonderful pets. We currently have a 14 year old Boston Terrier that is a sweet ole lady and we love to pieces.

We got a little yorkie pup who is 5 months old now. His name is Samson (Sammy) and we simply can't get over how sweet he is!! He's gonne be tiny. He is still only 4.4 pounds.

There are so many schools of thought on raising and training that I'm just wanting some takes on here. There is the school of thought that you should never BABY them.

Kennel training verses not... using gentle leaders for training verses not...

Some feel they should sleep with you or they are not going to 'bond' right. Some say if you sleep with them, they will be too dependent on you. Some say if you 'baby' the little ones they will get social issues and that you need to treat them like a 50 pound dog.... no special treatment just coz they are small and delicate and cute and darling!! (Like my Sammy LOL)

So, I'm stuck sorta in between. We really do baby him, but we also kennel trained him and that is his 'den'... he sleeps there peacefully at night and when we cannot take him with us we kennel him then too. His kennel is in the kitchen. He stayed next to our bed at first, and we have 'weaned' him to the kitchen at night now. He didn't skip a beat and didn't cry and get all anxious. He's done just fine with that.

He's wonderfully potty trained with few accidents, is learning to sit and stay. ---- He goes to his first puppy class tonight.

The class we are taking him too advocates the gentle leader.... should I go that route with training him? Some say you will never really train them if you put the gentle leader on them, coz off of them they do not do well.

His main issue is he runs from us, cowers away from us when we reach for him and we usually have to 'catch' him if we want him. So coming to us is a strong desire for me to teach him. I keep him tethered on his leash quite a lot so I can catch him easier!!

He also is hard to walk with on his leash outside. He pulls and stops and seems to act stubborn... is he? Or is this the breed?

So I threw out a lot of stuff here. What's the 'experienced' yorkie owner gonna think of these things I do and don't do. Basically I want to get more opinions so I can get more confused!! HA!!

[chachi]

you can stop the pulling by only giving enough leash that he walks beside you not in front of you

[gracielove]

If he is content with the crate then that is fine. I am concerned that he runs from you. I guess I don't understand why a well adjusted happy dog would run from it's owner. Does he come sit with you when you are relaxing? How do you tether him? Is he tethered to you or hooked to something in the home? Do you use a harness on him? Usually you have good control over a little dog with a harness on. If you keep the lead short they will stay beside you.
I don't "baby" or "spoil" my dog. She knows that she lets me be in charge. She is well behaved but is also a loving lap dog that follows me every where. Has you dog always run away from you?

[deonk1]

There are many schools of thought out there on all the issues you've mentioned.

Personally, here is my philosophy.

-Any type of harness can be used, it's a matter of personal preference. My rule of thumb is absolutely no collars, some people use them as decorative, but personally my boy never wears a collar, he is microchipped, and his tags are on my key chain cause they are too heavy for him. The gentle leader is an option, which many of my friends use, but I wouldn't use it on a yorkie, simply because I prefer to use operant conditioning ie "shaping" to train behaviors and I shaped "heel" in a matter of days.

-As for the babying, they are too little, of course they are going to get babied. We love them and spoil them. But just because my dog sleeps with me, has 6 crates, 20 beds, and 50million toys doesn't mean he's allowed to be disrespectful. I demand that he doesn't bum food (he's allowed no people food cause of allergies), he has to respond to commands (but usually that's followed by a reward), and I want him walking on a loose leash beside me. He also must have manners when greating people and have a re-call.

Anything else, I'm of the thought that if it works for you then it's the right training style for you. Every dog is different.

Best of luck with your baby!

[Samsonsfam]

Gracielove: Sammy follows me around like a shadow....right at my heels when he is loose and free in the house, which is more and more since he is having no accidents. He is gentle and well mannered... excites easily and tends to be somewhat timid compared to his brother, which my daughter is owner of.

But if you 'want' him, he will take off. He'll come for a treat in a skinny minute and if he thinks he's getting a reward. He'll hang out under foot with or my husband and sits with us and sleeps on me when he's tired... all the typical behavior you would expect.

But he will not come to me.... we have to catch him... that's what I cannot figure out.

I'm tending to think I will not use the gentle leader in class..we'll see how he acts around all the other dogs and how destructible he is. I think if we cannot handle a 4-pounder, we have the issues not him!

Someone posted earlier in response to me about keeping his leash short and not allowing him to go ahead of me. But he still pulls at it while we walk. I want to have him walk beside me with a loose leash, not pulling. But I guess that will come with time and consistency and training. HUH?

[Telea]

I have a puller, sometimes when she starts that I just stop until she stops pulling, and try walking again, but she is just geared that way, excited. I saw on some of the training shows on TV to stop and walk the other way. She is 8 now and that is just part of who she is. Our male is the opposite sometimes he gets so slow you almost have to pull him. We have interesting walks sometimes at the park. Gotta love them, Yorkies are very smart little dogs, as for the running from you, maybe try a squeak toy or a clicker and when your baby comes to you, give a small training treat/reward and say good boy/girl. They are very independent and sometimes tend to not do exactly what you want them too. Praise and rewards get better results then scolding. I learned that when I went to puppy classes with my Mia who has gone to Rainbow Bridge. She was a 4 pounder, we just carried her every where, yep all 3 of mine are spoiled but very loving and gentle with everyone they meet and they love kids. That is what I have them for to be my sweet spoiled babies.

[Telea]

Oh yes, stubborn, very, that is just the breed. They have their own idea about how things should be. My female waits on me to come home, she won't eat or go potty for my husband, she waits him out until momma gets home, I tell him that she has him trained well (Daddy)

[JaxsonsMommy12]

I'm reading your replies & it sounds just like my Jaxson. He will go to my hubby just fine but he has me play with him/chase him to get him to come to me. If I have a toy or treat he'll come to me but that's pretty much it! He's a sweetheart though & I spoil him!! I have had no problems training him & think you have to decide what's best for your household/pup. Good luck!

[Lovetodream88]

I feel yorkie's are like no other dog they required more human time than other breeds and they are so intelligent. Treating them like a big dog never works because they are not big dogs. I baby Callie I try not to massively do it but I'm sure I do it more some ways then others like sometimes even if she wants to be picked up I wont always drop whats in my hands and do that, my aunt did with there small breed dog and now she cries and barks constantly if she is not picked up. I think puppy classes are great as long as they do not make you use a collar and a leash, small breed dogs have more delicate tracheas and should never have there leash hooked to a collar but to a harness. I think collars are a must for in id tag but that's it. I am a big fan of yorkie books I have a million different ones but my favorite is probably yorkies for dummys you might want to check it out.

[Lovetodream88]

Originally Posted by Samsonsfam

Gracielove: Sammy follows me around like a shadow....right at my heels when he is loose and free in the house, which is more and more since he is having no accidents. He is gentle and well mannered... excites easily and tends to be somewhat timid compared to his brother, which my daughter is owner of.

But if you 'want' him, he will take off. He'll come for a treat in a skinny minute and if he thinks he's getting a reward. He'll hang out under foot with or my husband and sits with us and sleeps on me when he's tired... all the typical behavior you would expect.

But he will not come to me.... we have to catch him... that's what I cannot figure out.

I'm tending to think I will not use the gentle leader in class..we'll see how he acts around all the other dogs and how destructible he is. I think if we cannot handle a 4-pounder, we have the issues not him!

Someone posted earlier in response to me about keeping his leash short and not allowing him to go ahead of me. But he still pulls at it while we walk. I want to have him walk beside me with a loose leash, not pulling. But I guess that will come with time and consistency and training. HUH?

Your using a harness right?

[Teresa Ford]

Hello welcome to YT. We have many posts about training. I think training is like religion, every kind has something that works for their believers.
As a trainer myself my method is basically to teach a puppy the right things and it will be hard wired into their adult behavior. 1. Socialize 2. Crate train 3. Use one word cues 4. The whole family needs to work together 5. Do Correct and redirect, do not punish 6.Feed on a schedule 7. If it wouldn't be cute for a 100 pound dog to do something, don't let your Yorkie do it. (growling, jumping on people etc.) 8. Never call a dog to you for something bad, coming should ALWAYS be a happy thing. 9. Teach the basics: Come, Sit, Down, Stay, Off, Stand, Lets Go, Potty, Wait, and NO. 10. Love and patience.

[Samsonsfam]

Yes he has a harness. Had a hard time getting it small enough.

Went to 1st class tonight. He did good. He yapped ALOT. Was nervous. But handled it pretty good.

Got groomed today too. Lots of firsts for the little guy.

[Lilymo]

I have 2 6 month yorkies litter mates Lily and Molly. Lily answered to her name, responds to No, leave ,sit etc. but she hates getting ready to go out. As soon as I lift the harness or lead she bolts and hides under or behind anything she can find. She cowers down as if we beat her. Once her harness and lead are on and she is out. She happily walks and runs on her extendable lead. She doesn't like it if we move our hand quickly to her head. she prefers an open hand under her chin or back. She is just a little timid. Molly on the other hand No means if she feels like it she'll stop, sit, only if there's something in it for her and sometimes it looks like she doesn't know her name is Molly cause she ignores us calling her . But lift her lead or harness and she comes running from where ever she is doing her happy dance.
Sorry this is so long. I think the point I'm making is they are all individuals with their own personalities and quirks. My girls have both attended the same puppy class, been raised the same way by the same people and yet they are so different in their responses.Find what works for you and stick to it. They do learn very quickly in my experience but that doesn't mean they always choose to comply. Bribery is great a toy or treat can work wonders. Enjoy you bundle of fun that's the most important thing.

[gemy]

Special treatment for Little dogs? That is a question you asked.

I believe all dogs need "special" treatment, that is treatment designed specifically for your breed and the individual personality of your dog.

For our Yorkies, I believe this special treatment, is more about discriminate safeguarding within a context of a good social rearing of the pup. And yes that means your dog needs to be socialized with other dogs, people, places and things. You are already starting to do this with puppy obedience class.

You have a Yorkie, and dependent upon his temperament needs to be kept safe from himself, and occasionally from other "aggressive dogs".

What does this mean to you as an owner? Well always with any dog you need to be alert to your surroundings when you walk your dog. Prevention is worth a pound of cure as they say. If you see a dog off lead, then I would deter around that dog, if possible. If that dog is making a bee line to you, you snug up on your lead (without jerking up on the harness), you step two steps out in front of your dog, and it is your body that meets that perhaps friendly dog. You are in a position to (if need be) to lever your boy up and out of harm's way.

Example; just today I was dock diving with my two boys. New place, new environment, new people. I was walking Razzle up to the dock diving entrance, and the previous dog who was supposed to be on lead, coming out of the pool, had escaped. This sweet puppy probably 10x Razzle's size, was gambolling merrily free. She was about 20 yards away. I had an excited dog with me, just aching to get to the pool for some ball retreival, so he was very excited and jumping up for the toy.

What did I do? I immediately tucked toy under my far arm, closed up on the leash, and watched the female pup. And I stopped movement. She in the end did not veer over to us, but happily after a bit of a run came to her owner. But yes I was very alert, cause in her puppy exuberance could have bowled over Razzle, and quite frankly hurt him.

A different example; my large boy on one of our walks to the pool, got free of me. And ran excitedly towards the pool, trying to find a way in. What did all the other folks do? Immediately stayed still; didn't try to catch him; and trusted that I would call him back. Which I did of course. That was a very wise choice in that situation. He couldn't hurt himself out in the acres of country property. And it was very obvious what he was after... the POOL.

Finally I would say, for me I want each one of my dogs to enjoy a full life; and like humans there are always risks. A rich and enjoyable life is so much preferable to mere existence.

[gracielove]

Originally Posted by Samsonsfam

Gracielove: Sammy follows me around like a shadow....right at my heels when he is loose and free in the house, which is more and more since he is having no accidents. He is gentle and well mannered... excites easily and tends to be somewhat timid compared to his brother, which my daughter is owner of.

But if you 'want' him, he will take off. He'll come for a treat in a skinny minute and if he thinks he's getting a reward. He'll hang out under foot with or my husband and sits with us and sleeps on me when he's tired... all the typical behavior you would expect.

But he will not come to me.... we have to catch him... that's what I cannot figure out.

I'm tending to think I will not use the gentle leader in class..we'll see how he acts around all the other dogs and how destructible he is. I think if we cannot handle a 4-pounder, we have the issues not him!

Someone posted earlier in response to me about keeping his leash short and not allowing him to go ahead of me. But he still pulls at it while we walk. I want to have him walk beside me with a loose leash, not pulling. But I guess that will come with time and consistency and training. HUH?

My experience with obedience training has been with larger dogs. We would use a choke collar but it was always kept loose except for a light quick correction. That is how we taught the larger dogs to "heel." Since the Yorkie is known to have problems with weakened trachea I would not use a choke collar on a Yorkie or any small dog for that matter. I have found that you can do the same sort of correction when the small dog tries to pull. You just do a quick jerking motion on the harness and say "no!" Stop and go no further. Put the dog in a sit and start again. It takes some practice but once he gets what you are trying to tell him he will do it. I understand the concept of the gentle leader but I don't know how it is going to create a long term trained dog.
Maybe you could practice the "come" with treats until he becomes more consistent. Most tricks or commands you teach with a treat will become routine and the treat will not be necessary after a while.