Terrified Yorkie

[XOjay]

Please help me yall. I have a Yorkie/Shih Tzu mix. His name is Chevy, he is 9 months old and I've had him since he was 2.5 months old.
He is a very terrified dog. I'm going to give yall some examples.
We'll be playing and next thing I know, he will get scared and his ears go back and his tail will tuck under. He doesn't squeal. He doesn't hurt himself he will just get scared out of nowhere.

Also, he doesn't eat. I've tried walking him around the neighborhood beforehand, leaving a food trail to his bowl, change his bowl etc but nothing works. He will go to the bowl, smell the food and run away from it once again cowering over, ears back and tail tucked.

I'm at my wits end. There's more he does but I know yall don't want to read every incident but can yall help me??? I'm thinking about only feeding him once a day but I don't think that's a good idea. He eats in the morning between 6-7 am and 6-7 pm. I leave the food down 15 minutes then take it up. I feel like I'm doing everything right but......WHATS WRONG WITH HIM?!

[yorkietalkjilly]

He's having panic attacks from something and his self-confidence is nil, it sounds like.

You can readily help him but first of all, what have you been doing or saying to him since he started doing this?

How long has he been doing this?

What else is going on in the home when he panics?

Tell me what his typical day is like also and who else share the home.

[yorkietalkjilly]

P. S. As a new member, your first few posts may be held until the moderator has a chance to check them over so don't despair if you don't see them for a while. After a few posts are checked, the posts will show up immediately.

[Lovetodream88]

Has he had a complete vet check recently? Is this new or has he always been this way?

[XOjay]

Thanks for the heads up on the thread posts.
So his typical day is wake up at 6 am with me. We walk around the neighborhood then he eats. I get ready and go to work at 8 am. At 1 I'm back home for lunch and we take a short walk. Then at 5 I'm back home, we take a long walk and he eats at 6 then we play until 10. Take a short walk and come in to go to sleep. This is everyday. Now on the weekends everything is the same except that I'm here more of course because I don't work on the weekends.

When he does this when we are playing I won't say anything. I will shake my head and then do what I need to do around the house. I read to not 'baby' them or he will think it's ok.
When it's time to eat I say 'eat eat nummy mummies Chevy' and he doesn't of course. I'll pick up the bowl and put it back down and he won't eat it. This evening he ate about three kibbles then got scared and started running away from the bowl again cowering over.
Now he's sitting here staring at me. The windows are open and when the wind blows he gets scared. I don't know what to do. The vet said he's in good health and she recommended me to a neurologist :-/

[XOjay]

He went to the vet April 5. He's perfectly healthy and this is new. He's been doing it for about a month and a half. Nothing new has changed. It's just me and him in the home.

[Lovetodream88]

Originally Posted by XOjay

He went to the vet April 5. He's perfectly healthy and this is new. He's been doing it for about a month and a half. Nothing new has changed. It's just me and him in the home.

Has anything happened to him before this started?

[XOjay]

No. Nothing has happened to him. When I say it came out of nowhere yall...it really worries me.

[Lovetodream88]

Originally Posted by XOjay

No. Nothing has happened to him. When I say it came out of nowhere yall...it really worries me.

I would be worried to. Is there anything common in the times like is he always chewing on something or anything like that? Is he shaking?

[yorkietalkjilly]

You need to watch him and observe exactly the sounds, smells and things you are doing or are on TV or your music player or if you phone rings - things like that - that happen when he starts to panic. My Tibbe dislikes hearing odd sounds on TV - such as the doorbell on the old sitcom Frasier. In the past, he would immediately panic and run from the room when he heard that TV doorbell. So watch and listen for and observe exactly what you are doing with her just before the panic session - something is triggering it. It could be a dog barking from outside or something you are doing or some other sound or smell.

Video your play sessions if you can and try to sit and watch what goes on with her just before she panics.

Also, what have you said or done when she panics? How do you react or attempt to calm her?

[XOjay]

I did a post reply but it's not showing up. The only thing showing up are the quick replies. But No shaking. He isn't chewing on anything. He acts happy when I'm pouring the food in the bowl. He jumps up and jumps on my leg but when I put it down he sniffs it and runs away scared. I haven't changed his food or bowl or anything.

[Lovetodream88]

Originally Posted by XOjay

I did a post reply but it's not showing up. The only thing showing up are the quick replies. But No shaking. He isn't chewing on anything. He acts happy when I'm pouring the food in the bowl. He jumps up and jumps on my leg but when I put it down he sniffs it and runs away scared. I haven't changed his food or bowl or anything.

Well as far as food goes he has to eat. Have you tried a like a paper plate?

[yorkietalkjilly]

When you are playing next time, note all that was going on sound-wise and things you were doing before she panicked. Try to think back and see if some sounds were coming in from outside.

Maybe you could see if she's fearful of her bowls or the site where she eats. I'd prepare her food on the kitchen counter in a small saucer or plate and set it down in a new spot, far away from the old bowls or try hand-feeding her and see what happens. She could fear the bowls, a not uncommon reaction for some dogs.

Is her food new & different? Could it be the smell of new food or are you preparing it a new way?

What do you do when she panics?

I realize all your posts are not making it through right now but they will and if you've answered some of these already, don't fret - they will show up later tonight or early tomorrow. Thanks!

[barneysmommmy]

This is may not be the case, but I think I read that puppies go through a fearful stage around 6 months old. Could it be possible that he has entered this stage?

[Lovetodream88]

My yorkie broke her tooth last year and after it was fixed she had terrible anxiety with my bedroom and we tried everything even calming sprays and nothing worked so I told the vet our problem and she checked out Callie very well and found nothing so she suggested an anxiety medicine for awhile. Callie was on it for about 3 months and she was better so we weaned her off and have had no problems sense. I would monitor his episodes and if you really can't find anything at all in common in them I would let the vet check him out and then talk to them about anxiety medicine.