Newly Adopted Aggressive Yorkie

[Martha Beachell]

HELP! I'm new to this forum as well as new to Yorkies. Three weeks ago I adopted a supposedly 6yr. old Yorkie/Silky terrier mix from a lady unknown to me. She adopted him from a shelter only three weeks before advertising him for re-homing. I have discovered he is very aggressive (which she didn't divulge this info) and when I try to discipline him, he shows his teeth, growls and doesn't back down. I'm at a total loss as to how to proceed in reprogramming this bad behavior as I do not know his history. I don't want to cause further aggression but he definitely needs to know this is not acceptable behavior in my home. I love animals and have two special needs dogs besides him which are super sweet, calm dogs. He definitely is a little "devil dog", cute as a button, but this behavior has got to go. I really can't afford special training for him at this time as I just spent $1,240.00 on dental care for my other two rescue dogs. Any help would so be appreciated. I don't want to have to find another home for him as it seems he's gone from shelter to a new home and now to my home which I'm sure has him a little confused. Thanking you in advance for helping me help him.

[Wylie's Mom]

Hi and welcome to YT . I so hope you can find a way to make this work for this poor little guy who has been poorly trained and shuffled around .

How are you trying to "discipline" him, btw? What is happening there?

You may want to try something like the Bark Genie, as it does work wonders for some dogs.

[Jkpal]

When does he require discipline? Is he loving toward you most of the time? I know it's been three weeks, but does he need more time and attention and reassurance...?

[Yorkiemom1]

I "adopted" a yorkie that had essentially been abandoned at the vet by an owner that had very little/no time to interact with the dog because of her extensive traveling with her job. She asked to vet to be sure the dog got a good home....he mentioned it to a doctor that I worked with and I felt so bad for that unfortunate little dog, I jumped at the opportunity to provide a wonderful little dog a home and yard and other dogs to play with.

Well, this was a Devil Dog.....he tore into my poor little girl and almost killed her before I could snatch them apart....that was after cautious introductions, blah, blah, blah....so he could not be trusted with any of my other dogs. My mother had just moved into my home....and that dog would see her coming out of her bedroom and chase her back into her room......he would not allow her to come out of her end of the house, blocking her passage in the hall! Feeding time was an exercise in wild animal behavior....once that bowl hit the floor, it was HIS and you had better not DARE pass within 5 feet of that bowl or he would guard and growl and bare his teeth in warning....reach down for that food and risk loosing your arm up to the elbow.....

That dog had to go. Only dog I ever "got rid of" in my entire life....but this was the most mal adjusted, vicious dog I had ever tried to help....an anesthesiologist I worked with also trained dogs, so I let her have that vicious animal, with a complete and honest disclosure about his disposition, bad manners, and horrific attitude. She worked and worked with that dog, and while she SAID she was not going to give up on him and would keep him forever, she never was able to completely work thru this unfortunate creatures vicious disposition and according to her, they compromised in several areas.....it was either that or rehome the unfortunate dog and she refused to send that dog away again. She had no husband, no old people around, no children...it was just her and that dog, and I guess they worked out boundaries that neither crossed.

Good luck with this dog....dont get your face down where he can bite you in the face....watch him around your other dogs as he may try to kill them to establish dominance and Alpha position. I am not sure you can ever completely trust this dog....keep that in the back of your mind and take no chances....

I agree with you completely....you can not allow this dog to be Alpha in your home...THAT is YOUR position....I am not a proponent of shock collars, but drastic behavior often calls for drastic training measures, especially when you can not pay a professional trainer to work with that dog on a regular basis. Realistically, you can NOT sweet talk and coddle and kiss a vicious dog into being nice, and you had better not ever completely trust his behavior.

If I was in your position, I think I would contact a hunting dog club. They effectively train hunting dogs to retrieve birds, etc and they will be able to tell you how to effectively utilize a training collar.....please keep us posted with your dilemma....I am so hoping you can effectively help this little dog, whose horrific behavior is partially poor genetics, partially lack of training, perhaps some cruelty at an early age, and may benefit from behavior modification techniques.

[Martha Beachell]

Hello. I have been researching training techniques for Yorkies and it seems praise for good behavior is very effective. When he's bad (snarling, growling, etc.) I scold him, send him to his bed and ignore him for a short period. Then i call him over and "talk to him" and when he's nice, I praise him and call him by name, which he responds to. I've discovered quite by accident that he knows some commands like "sit, down and stay".I truly think he has never been given the proper training for learning he's not in charge but seems to slowly understand I'm the boss, not him. He is fine with my other two dogs and cats and is not aggressive with food. It's only my discipline that he's nasty about. He occasionally wants to challenge me when I scold him. I definitely will continue to work with him and his behavior problems and give it more time. Thanks to everyone and any and all suggestions are greatly appreciated.

[Martha Beachell]

Hi. Yes, he's loving most of the time but testy when I scold him about his growling, occasionally chasing the cats, or getting off the bed when I walk into the room. I feel I might be making some progress as he doesn't bark and growl at every little sound and once he feels secure around my husband, myself and another new home, he may settle down. I will continue to work with him and his biggest challenge is learning he's not the boss. Thanks for your comment.

[KairaPup]

Oh this poor soul.

I am going to expose myself here as a "bad person". I do not permit biting in my home. I have two dogs with bite histories. If they try to turn their teeth toward me they are punished. Not harshly of course, and not if they are frightened.

When he goes to bite at you, if he were my dog, I would put on a pair of heavy leather gloves, gently roll him to his back, and hold him there. No movement, no speech except for "NO." every time he bites at your hands. The goal is stillness. Once he is still he can get up, tell him he is a good boy. DO NOT hurt him and if he becomes very scared stop right away. This technique only works on dogs that are truly trying to dominate situations, have learned to control with their teeth- if they are biting from fear you must approach him with kindness and patience and soft voices.

It sounds mean and the "positive only" training world will tell you that it's evil and won't work. It does work if you use it on dogs who are trying to gain control, most dogs are NOT trying to control and are behaving poorly from fear. But for the select few who are- and it sounds like this dog is one of them, it does work very well.

[Martha Beachell]

Thank you for your input. He definitely knows what "no" means and yesterday and today I'm slowly seeing some improvements in his behavior. I'm hoping he's just confused and scared because of the shakeup of numerous homes in the past couple of months. Time will tell and I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt and continuing to work with him. He is a real challenge to recon with which has made me even more determined to teach him he's not the boss. ha ha.

[yorkiemini]

He certainly sounds like he is very anxious. It also,sounds like your patients is winning. He may have had to "be in charge" to survive and you may be the first human who has treated him well.

I would guess that this is going to take a while, but your are on a positive road. Being aggressive back to him will not work and will reinforce that behavior in him. It sounds like you are doing a good job with this pup -- meanwhile, don't turn your back

Keep us posted!

[Martha Beachell]

Thank you Yorkiemini. I think you are 100% right...he is anxious. He has been growling, barking, running around at the least little sound, acting very anxious. For the past two nights, he's been quiet all night and when he hears the other dogs/cats move during the night, he mostly ignores it. I think he's getting used to the sounds and new surroundings of a new home and hopefully realizing he doesn't need to be so defensive. He's minding me better without all the aggression he's shown in the past, so I think I'm making some progress with him. Onward and upward because I'm determined to succeed in changing his negative behavior into a positive. I am so appreciative of all the responses I've received and will keep everyone updated with time.

[Jellymint]

Congratulations on your newest little buddy! i am so happy to read that your newest is coming around. What's his name?

My Monty was shuffled around and spent most of his young life in and out of a pet store so I tasted a tiny bit of that aggression/fear/anxiety/whattheheckisgoingon kind of behaviour. It took him many weeks to learn to trust me and love me and want to please me by being his best (LOL - he's the king!!)

No but really, he does have his own mind and when he doesn't wanna ... <insert action> ... he has to be coaxed. There has never been a growl toward me or my partner since he learned that A. I won't hurt him. B. I won't let him get away with it. C. I am learning his language so my desires are within his range (if that makes sense?) So in other words ... teaching a Yorkie to "come" isn't the same as teaching a Lab to "come." So I don't get confused when he sits there and looks at me ... hahaha.

[Martha Beachell]

Hi jellymint. My "problem child's" name is Charley and thank you for your comment. I'm learning that Yorkies are a breed all unto their own and very cocky little creatures. My other two dogs are very quiet, loving and calm, so Charley was a total shock to deal with. He's definitely coming around and hasn't attempted to show any aggression in a couple of days. He still likes to growl when he hears a sound at night, but I just tell him to shush and he usually settles down but not until he gets in his last little growl. ha ha. I'm feeling a lot more secure about him and that I can eventually eliminate that unacceptable behavior he was displaying. Thanks to all for your kind comments and encouragement. Charley and I have learned a lot about one another and will continue to push towards positive behavior.

[Martha Beachell]

Oh lordy.....I am really being tested by this little creature. He's being pretty good except.... he growls, snarls and almost bit me when I go anywhere near the bed in my husbands "man cave". My husband always takes a nap in this extra bedroom and Charley will attack me if I come anywhere near the bed. I used a squirt bottle with water to get him to back down and that definitely did not work. Had I not used the bedspread to make him get down, he would have bitten me for sure because he attacked the bedspread. The strange thing is, my husband has almost nothing to do with him, so not too sure why he's so possessive of him. I've got to find some way of eliminating this behavior. I told my husband Charley is no long allowed in his room. I sure wish I knew this dogs history...... sigh.

[Yorkiemom1]

Originally Posted by KairaPup

Oh this poor soul.

I am going to expose myself here as a "bad person". I do not permit biting in my home. I have two dogs with bite histories. If they try to turn their teeth toward me they are punished. Not harshly of course, and not if they are frightened.

When he goes to bite at you, if he were my dog, I would put on a pair of heavy leather gloves, gently roll him to his back, and hold him there. No movement, no speech except for "NO." every time he bites at your hands. The goal is stillness. Once he is still he can get up, tell him he is a good boy. DO NOT hurt him and if he becomes very scared stop right away. This technique only works on dogs that are truly trying to dominate situations, have learned to control with their teeth- if they are biting from fear you must approach him with kindness and patience and soft voices.

It sounds mean and the "positive only" training world will tell you that it's evil and won't work. It does work if you use it on dogs who are trying to gain control, most dogs are NOT trying to control and are behaving poorly from fear. But for the select few who are- and it sounds like this dog is one of them, it does work very well.

I agree with you....it is the select few that will benefit from this type of training....MAYBE.....I would caution this owner "dont get your face down close it this dog, just always have it in your mind, this is a biter, and if it is not out of terror from a situation but a behavioral issue, just recognize it for what it is".....

[Jellymint]

In "learning his language" though ....

When I got my Monty when he was 8 months he would growl and snap if he had a toy and I went to touch him. Right away I broke him of that by doing a very firm "no" while holding him down until he stopped growling. Eventually began petting and whenever he growled would push down again with a "no." He learned that I wasn't going to take his toy or his bone or his food. Now I can take food out of his mouth.

My friend had an 8 month malti-poo and Monty would growl and snap if Loki came near when Monty had a toy. Ummm... no. So I sat on the couch with Monty beside me with his toy. I called Loki up and when Monty growled and snapped, I kinda snapped my finger close to his skin with a bit of fur in the snap. Kinda like a little bite and then immediately pressed down with the same "no" and then a rub. I called Loki back up and this continued for about 10 snaps and Monty learned that it was okay for Loki to be near him when he had a toy. He learned that it was okay to play Monty would bring toys to Loki to play tug. He didn't know how to be a puppy and Loki and I made it safe for him to learn.

That's the firmest I have ever had to be with him and it was firm because biting is a serious business isn't it. I hope you find a way to help Charley know that you are not his enemy and that biting is unacceptable for any reason.

Unfortunately with some dogs that switch can't be unswitched which is why they wind up being a single pet in a loving home. Yep. I love one of my other friend's dog to bits and he is sooooo loving and happy and sweet .... but he is single and always will be. And Monty will never be his friend and we are all okay with that. Nod nod.