Angry Yorkie

[NSquared]

Today I took Koda to get his shots, the vet said he seems a bit aggressive. He's been amazing at home up until I put a collar on him yesterday, now anytime you go near his neck or collar he gets mad! I know the collar isn't too tight and its a pretty soft collar, I think he's just not happy with it because he keeps scratching at it. also, after I put it on him it's like he's mad at me... he no longer follows me around or comes when I call him. Should I just give up and take it off? the vet said to leave it on and he will get used to it.

One more thing, he doesn't want to train anymore. He was doing really well and pretty much learned how to sit and fetch in a day... now he won't even sit with me long enough to teach him anything.

HELP!!!

[Leroy]

Leroy liked his collar from the beginning and gets excited whenever I put it on. He started with a breakaway cat collar with a bell on it. I think that maybe he didn't mind it, as it was thin, had a bell and he liked the sound of it. I suggest maybe adding a bell to his collar or getting him a breakaway cat collar and see if he likes it.

As far as training goes, he is young and young puppies have a really short attention span. Leroy still gets easily distracted by anything that he thinks is more interesting than training and he is 5 months old. He knows a couple of commands despite that. I think that with patience it's possible. I suggest keeping the training sessions short and looking at how he reacts with the amount of time you spend training him and use it to stop the session or go on. For example, if he seems bored stop it there and continue later on in the day or the next day.

[Lovetodream88]

Gotta love the yorkie attitude How old is he? How thick is the collar? I am a fan of dogs having a collar on at all times with an id tag especially pups who can dart out the door fast. Are you using a yummy treat when training?

[TeresaM]

Since this is a new behavior, I would think there has to be a reason. Do you attach the leash to the collar or to a harness? If to the collar, please stop and use a harness. These little dogs don't have enough body & muscle around their necks to protect their trachea's.

If you are using a harness, and just have the collar on for id tags, it's possible he got it caught on something and has made his neck sore. Can you gently message his neck and see if one area is more tender.

What area was the shots in? Could he be sore from them.

Bottom line, if he was my pup, I'd keep the collar off until I knew why the sudden change in behavior. Please keep us posted.

[Maximo]

Did your vet really use the word "aggressive"? I would change vets.
1. Koda is a puppy
2. How long did the vet have to observe Koda -- 20 minutes in a small exam room?
3. Vet visits are stressful for many dogs

Sounds like the vet was trying to blame Koda for his/her inability to make Koda feel more comfortable.

Regarding Koda's resistance to the collar, this is not uncommon. Many dogs will shut down when something unusual is placed on them, like collars, clothes, hair bands and bows. They require acclimation time. Use treats, praise, and encouragement to help Koda like the collar. Distraction is also helpful.

Is Koda old enough for walks? I used walks to help my boys like harnesses, hair bands, and clothes. They learned quickly that wearing these things meant going outside for fun!

For training, keep the sessions brief and always fun. If Koda views it as a chore, he won't be interested.

[Maximo]

Originally Posted by TeresaM

Since this is a new behavior, I would think there has to be a reason. Do you attach the leash to the collar or to a harness? If to the collar, please stop and use a harness. These little dogs don't have enough body & muscle around their necks to protect their trachea's.

If you are using a harness, and just have the collar on for id tags, it's possible he got it caught on something and has made his neck sore. Can you gently message his neck and see if one area is more tender.

What area was the shots in? Could he be sore from them.

Bottom line, if he was my pup, I'd keep the collar off until I knew why the sudden change in behavior. Please keep us posted.

Good points. Did the vet take Koda out of the room, or was he with you at all times?

[pstinard]

I use a collar with the ID information embroidered on it. My Bella hates tags and will chew them up, even the metal ones.

To get the dog used to the collar, start by putting a treat on the collar and let the dog eat the treat off the collar. Do this a few times, and then start giving a treats when you put the collar on. Soon he will associate the collar with good things. Rewarding good behavior is the way to go.

Like others have said, use the collar for ID and beauty purposes only. Use a body harness for attaching the leash for walks.

[kjc]

I wouldn't leave it on him unattended. Collars can be a choking hazard. He may rub against something and the collar becomes stuck, and a Yorkie will fight to the death to get free. If you get a breakaway collar, check it to be sure it functions as intended, before having the pup wear it.

[gemy]

Originally Posted by Maximo

Did your vet really use the word "aggressive"? I would change vets.
1. Koda is a puppy
2. How long did the vet have to observe Koda -- 20 minutes in a small exam room?
3. Vet visits are stressful for many dogs

Sounds like the vet was trying to blame Koda for his/her inability to make Koda feel more comfortable.

Regarding Koda's resistance to the collar, this is not uncommon. Many dogs will shut down when something unusual is placed on them, like collars, clothes, hair bands and bows. They require acclimation time. Use treats, praise, and encouragement to help Koda like the collar. Distraction is also helpful.

Is Koda old enough for walks? I used walks to help my boys like harnesses, hair bands, and clothes. They learned quickly that wearing these things meant going outside for fun!

For training, keep the sessions brief and always fun. If Koda views it as a chore, he won't be interested.

Umm in terms of the bolded part, I think I would ask the vet (a phone call will do) why he seemed to think the puppy was aggressive. His statement as relayed to us has qualifiers in it, so the vet was keeping open his opinion. Keep in mind depending on how long the vet has practised he sees hundreds upon hundreds of dogs and breeds and all ages of development.

If the vet can't or won't explain their rationale then I too would seek a vet elsewhere. Also keep in mind even folks that ought to know better often use interchangeably the word aggressive for dominant. These characteristics are quite different.

Nevertheless I would want to know more of "why" or what was it the vet saw that led them to their comment.

[Wylie's Mom]

Originally Posted by NSquared

Today I took Koda to get his shots, the vet said he seems a bit aggressive. He's been amazing at home up until I put a collar on him yesterday, now anytime you go near his neck or collar he gets mad! I know the collar isn't too tight and its a pretty soft collar, I think he's just not happy with it because he keeps scratching at it. also, after I put it on him it's like he's mad at me... he no longer follows me around or comes when I call him. Should I just give up and take it off? the vet said to leave it on and he will get used to it.

One more thing, he doesn't want to train anymore. He was doing really well and pretty much learned how to sit and fetch in a day... now he won't even sit with me long enough to teach him anything.

HELP!!!

Maybe the vet meant aggressive in such a way like "he's sure an aggressive little fella" - like not so much in a negative way, but more like expressing that he was seeing a little Alpha puppy...? Puppies are so spazzy - lol - so maybe he was just to spazzy for the appointment . No biggie. I too would be curious as to what, exactly, the vet meant by that.

With the collar issue...I'm not surprised. Like Kristin said, sometimes dogs will really go into shut down mode when something new is put on their bodies...remember, they're not used to that feeling *at all*...so it can really throw them. Since he's kind of fighting the collar right now, make sure you don't leave him alone w/ it on as he could get a paw caught in there or something else. Take it off when you're not present. Maybe take it off too just to give him a break. Make sure you get down on the floor and get goofy w/ him when he has the collar on so he learns to forget about it. It WILL get better and be fine, trust me.

[Maximo]

Originally Posted by Wylie's Mom

Maybe the vet meant aggressive in such a way like "he's sure an aggressive little fella" - like not so much in a negative way, but more like expressing that he was seeing a little Alpha puppy...? Puppies are so spazzy - lol - so maybe he was just to spazzy for the appointment . No biggie. I too would be curious as to what, exactly, the vet meant by that.

With the collar issue...I'm not surprised. Like Kristin said, sometimes dogs will really go into shut down mode when something new is put on their bodies...remember, they're not used to that feeling *at all*...so it can really throw them. Since he's kind of fighting the collar right now, make sure you don't leave him alone w/ it on as he could get a paw caught in there or something else. Take it off when you're not present. Maybe take it off too just to give him a break. Make sure you get down on the floor and get goofy w/ him when he has the collar on so he learns to forget about it. It WILL get better and be fine, trust me.

Maybe I am over-reacting to the use of the word aggressive, but I think vets need to be careful with their word choice. To me, that is a serious word relative to dogs. My boys are "aggressive" in the sense that they have the terrier instinct -- Teddy would kill a mouse given the chance. Max would try to bark the mouse to death. But I would be upset if they were dubbed aggressive by our vet or anyone else, implying there is a serious behavior problem.