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09-27-2007, 06:53 PM | #1 |
YorkieTalk Newbie! Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: hilton head
Posts: 3
| at the end of my rope Hi, this is my first post and I am hoping to get some advice from all the yorkie lovers out there. we have a new addition to our home, an 11-week old yorkie puppy, and although we love her dearly we are finding her very difficult to handle. We have seen all the "dog whisperer" shows and read every Yorkie book we can find but our puppy is very aggressive and even vicious at times. When she demonstrates this behavior we remove her from play, we have tried using a water bottle, a noisy can, positive reinforcement....you name it we have done it. Still no change. What I want to know is whether anyone else has had a yorkie with this type of behavior and aggression or whether she is a bad breed. I realize that sounds terrible because it is not Macy's fault but we do have an 11-year old child and she is in fear of the 1-pound yorkie! It is crazy. Please help! |
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09-27-2007, 06:56 PM | #2 |
Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: May 2007 Location: Virginia
Posts: 232
| Vicious how and when??? Like is it just when there's food or is she agressive all the time? She's probably just scared but I know how hard it can be to have an agressive dog- my 40 lb mutt is scared whitless of strangers and has been known to bite- we have to muzzle her or keep her locked up when we have company- it's hard. Maybe try taking her to a trainer? Also are you sure it's agression and not just chewing? Roo used to chew on me all the time when she was a pup so did Taya- it definitely hurt and she would do it ALL the time- but they both grew out of it. Good luck- I hope your pup starts behaving! |
09-27-2007, 07:03 PM | #3 |
Donating Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Cambridgeshire, England
Posts: 1,208
| 11 weeks old is very young and all puppies use thier teeth in play. Does this puppy growl, show teeth and snap when there is food involved or does he use his teeth while he is wanting to play. They do hurt and can be a little crazy while playing but this is normal for a young puppy. I would remove the puppy from the situation for a few minutes. When he bites say ouch! and eighther turn away or put the puppy in a time out for a couple of minutes. Kim
__________________ Please help save Lennox! http://www.savelennox.co.uk/ Let your voice be heard so Lennox can go home |
09-27-2007, 07:06 PM | #4 |
YorkieTalk Newbie! Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: hilton head
Posts: 3
| It is usually the worst in the evening (like a naughty toddler) but it does not involve food or toys. If she is playing and I pick her up she will bite and growl but in a very aggressive way. It is not just biting or teething....it is definitely more than that. If I walk into the kitchen and she is in this highly energized state she will attack my feet (I wear my uggs into the kitchen for fear of getting bitten). I tried to constantly give the "leave it" command and then reward her for good behavior but she soon figured it out and would bite me then stop to get a treat. As soon as she got a reward she goes right back to the behavior. To give you an idea she sounds like a wild cat when she attacks and tries to bite. Are there yorkies out there that are calm and sweet or is aggression part and parcel with the breed? |
09-27-2007, 07:09 PM | #5 |
Slave to My Rug-Rats Donating Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Long Island
Posts: 7,247
| How long have you had her? |
09-27-2007, 07:10 PM | #6 |
Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Minnesota, USA
Posts: 96
| I would contact a animal behaviorist or a trainer ASAP. You need to take care of this right away. It will just escalate until she bites someone seriously. If it's fear aggression, or resource guarding, or whatever, it doesn't matter - there are things you can do to get control. Kathy |
09-27-2007, 07:18 PM | #7 |
YorkieTalk Newbie! Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: hilton head
Posts: 3
| We have had her for 4 weeks....which may be part of the problem. I am sure she should have been with her mother for longer I agree about the behaviorist - I will try and find one. We have been going to the petsmart training but I am not sure how effective that is? Never having had a yorkie I have no frame of reference and it is difficult. I am used to larger breeds and feel at a loss. I do know that we need to get this under control quickly but I have been trying very hard to do that. Obviously it needs a professional because I am out of my depth. Does anyone have an opinion about bad breeding or whether there is a chance she will always have a bad disposition? |
09-27-2007, 07:24 PM | #8 |
And Rylee Finnegan Donating Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Metro Detroit, MI
Posts: 17,928
| I think that it is because she was taken from her mom too soon. If she is attacking you, you need a behaviorist. Ellie was taken from her mom too soon and we do have lots of behavioral issues to show for it.
__________________ Crystal, Ellie May (RIP), Rylee Finnegan, and Gracie Boo🐶 |
09-27-2007, 07:24 PM | #9 |
Slave to My Rug-Rats Donating Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Long Island
Posts: 7,247
| Ok, I think her age of when you got her is really the main reason this is happening now. You are correct that she should have been with her Mother and liter mates for a few weeks longers. Most breeders keep Yorkies until they are 12 weeks to ensure proper socialization skills. Don't give up hope, I do believe this can be corrected, but not at Petsmart. I think you need to invest in a 'better' trainer. No I don't think this is bad breeding - like genetics - it's bad breeding b/c they let her go at 7 weeks old |
09-27-2007, 07:33 PM | #10 |
Donating YT 2000 Club Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: North Carolina
Posts: 8,317
| I think you figured out part of the problem. Ideally, your puppy would have stayed with her mom until twelve weeks old. Puppies learn very important lessons from their mom and littermates during those weeks, including bite inhibition. It does sound like your puppy may have a temperament problem, though. I think you are wise to get her evaluated by a behaviorist asap. Hopefully by dealing with the problem now, you can avoid serious problems later on. |
09-27-2007, 07:42 PM | #11 |
Donating Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Cambridgeshire, England
Posts: 1,208
| I do still believe that puppyhood playing has a lot to do with it. When Teddy was a baby whenever anyone would come in the kitchen where we kept him gated in and he was reved up he would attack thier feet growling, biting and playing. The girls would go in and sit down to play and when he attacked the would cross thier arms and turn thier head away until he stopped. When he stopped they would start to play again. This went on for a long time and we also used bitter appe on our feet and hands. He did grow out of this and is now sweet, loving and very calm at 14 months old. Don't give up on him, he's very young. If you were to take him to a shelter saying he is aggresive they would likely just put him to sleep. I would get some good training and be patient Kim
__________________ Please help save Lennox! http://www.savelennox.co.uk/ Let your voice be heard so Lennox can go home |
09-27-2007, 07:49 PM | #12 |
Donating Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: May 2006 Location: West Virginia
Posts: 366
| I have two full grown yorkies, Ozzie and Selby. I got Selby when she was 6 weeks and Ozzie when he was about 14 weeks and have raised them together. I never had a bit of a problem with Selby, but Ozzie does not like young children for some reason. Especially when they run; I really watch him closely. But I agree too that something is not quite right and I would do something about it right away. Good Luck! |
09-28-2007, 04:17 AM | #13 |
Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: May 2007 Location: Virginia
Posts: 232
| It is not a breed thing I don't think- if she is indeed agressive it must be a specific thing- my puppy doesn't growl at all and she's 7 months. The feet attacking thing is probably a playing thing NOT an agressive thing. my puppy used to like to chew on shoe laces a lot- she'd sit with us under the table at dinner and chomp on my dad's laces but she grew out of it. I agree with everyone else though- get a trainer asap! |
09-28-2007, 04:42 AM | #14 |
Piper & Sebastian Donating Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: florida
Posts: 14,495
| I'm going through the same thing with my 6 month old Penny. I'm the only one in the house she does not bark at. She barks, but doesn't attack my family. She barks and attacks the other dogs, and it drives me crazy. I put her in the crate for time out, and she'll calm down for a while, but then she get's a wild hair and is going at it again. I can sympathize with you totally.
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09-28-2007, 06:13 AM | #15 |
Donating YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Texas
Posts: 1,423
| i would just keep saying ouch an a stern voice and replace your foot with a toy toy get crazy on. make it look like tons of fun .when lacey was a baby i found that when she would attack she just wanted to play.and if we had a toy in hand to distract her from our hands or feet she was fine. it only took a couple of days before she realized if she wanted to play she went and got a toy and didnt want to play with our feet. and lacey totally sounds like a wild cat when we paly to this day, we nic named her wild cat lacey.it sounds like she is being mean but i think yorkies are just more expressive then other dogs. i have gotten dogs as early as 6 weeks and as late as 3 months and they all need to learn what they can and cant do in our family. for me its easier now because i have 4 dogs who love to mother so when i got lacey at 8 weeks my other dogs helped to let her know what she should and shouldnt do.
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