How do I get my Yorkie SOCIAL on walks? - YorkieTalk.com Forums

vegasrush · 06-06-2008, 06:07 PM

Taz does not bite anyone, but he barks and growls whenever someone crosses our path. Most everyone wants to say Hi to him and he barks & growls. If they put their hand out, he will sniff them and then let them pet him. Then he barks or growls as they walk away. I just want him to be more sociable when we go for walks!! If someone has their shoes on the front porch, he even barks and growls at them!!! LOL

Does anyone have any suggestions?

Mayas Mommy · 06-07-2008, 12:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vegasrush

Taz does not bite anyone, but he barks and growls whenever someone crosses our path. Most everyone wants to say Hi to him and he barks & growls. If they put their hand out, he will sniff them and then let them pet him. Then he barks or growls as they walk away. I just want him to be more sociable when we go for walks!! If someone has their shoes on the front porch, he even barks and growls at them!!! LOL

Does anyone have any suggestions?

I think he is protecting YOU ...... have you tried to take treats with you and reward him ...... it should work with a firm .... 'No Barking' ..... and if he does what you say reward him right after ...... TREATS work wonders ... he he he

Good Luck ..... I hope this help a little ....

jadecomputergal · 06-07-2008, 04:13 AM

Many dogs do what you're describing. Sometimes it's "protecting" their "person," and more often it's asserting themselves. I have many pets and have had many I've lost (natural death) over the years, and I can tell you that Yorkies are the biggest small dogs you'll ever run across. They have no concept of their size. It doesn't matter to them in the least. Our best friends have two large dogs (mixed breed), and one of my Yorkies chases them all around when we go for cookouts. (We take our dogs everwhere with us.) These sixty pound dogs RUN from her, and she weighs THREE POUNDS.

She still occasionally barks at other dogs when we're walking her. I don't think there's anyone in our neighborhood who doesn't have at least one dog, so there will always be someone else out with their dog. It was a battle to break her of that. At three months old, she would growl and bark and try to get at everything she saw, from cats to Poodles to German Shepherds. What worked for me was to point at her and do a very stern, "SHHHHH," when she did it. Yorkies are notoriously stubborn, but they do eventually get it. They're very, very people-oriented, and they want to please you more than they want to assert their personality. Just use some standard command when they're exhibiting unacceptable behavior so they realize that's what the command means, and never use that command otherwise.

Best wishes. Sounds like you have a strong-willed winner, and they're a lot of fun! They're just a little hard to convince about who's in charge

vegasrush · 06-07-2008, 05:36 AM

He is a winner alright, but sometimes he thinks he is a rottweiller!

I have been working on the "heel" command and I do take treats with me. I also try to distract him with another command if I see someone before he does. I can tell this is going to take some time.

Last night we went for a walk, we live in an apartment complex, and this woman saw him and smiled. That was until he saw her, then he went on a 3 minute barking spree. Her smile turned to a frown and she crossed way away from him. Treats DID NOT work, he wanted to only bark at her. I was so mad he wouldn't pay attention to me in the least. (It was like I wasn't even there). Good thing I have LOTS of time to spend with him.

Thanks for your suggestions!

jadecomputergal · 06-07-2008, 05:51 AM

He'll be fine. He probably does think he's a big dog. Most Yorkies do. I sometimes find it helpful to kneel down when Tea starts doing that, and put my hand under her chin, and say a firm, "Stop." That gets me down to her level rather than the, "SHHHHH," from almost six feet over her head. It also allows me to redirect her attention. You might try doing that, and just gently putting your hand under his chin and making sure he's looking at you. I don't mean snap his head around a give him a whiplash. It's kind of like with a child when you have to make sure their attention is focused on you.

Remember you're dealing with a two-year-old child mentality right now. You probably don't remember it, but I bet you were a terror at two years old. I know I was

izzy816 · 06-07-2008, 07:14 AM

I feel your pain with the walks.

I try to avoid walking past the houses with dogs and when I see another person with a dog...I go the opposite direction. Izzy will bark like someone is strangling him! Its so loud and dramatic! Ive tried making him sit and telling him "no bark". But he is so focused he doesnt listen. I am going to try to take treats with me next time. Do they ever grow out of this? Other than that he is a sweetheart!

wemple2 · 06-07-2008, 10:48 PM

Great thread...subject. Winston is not a social butterfly...he is not mean at all, he just simply avoids others. On our walks, if another is approaching us...he just keeps on walking...then makes a big circle around them...and continues walking. It's sad, because I want him to like others, besides my husband and I. But he doesn't bark at them either...unless he is in his own yard or house...then all heck breaks loose. I see this as being protective of his home and family....but while out and about, he chooses to totally ignore...snub others. Maybe he's a stuck-up snob? Regardless, I love him and will continue to take him on outings...but he's 4 years old, is this too late for him to be more socialized?
Wish I had some words of wisdom to offer..but sorry, I don't know how to stop this insanity.

Verna · 06-07-2008, 11:16 PM

I encourage Max to meet every dog we run into on walks big or small. He seems to only bark at dogs that are really excited and jumping around. I just take my finger and tap him on his back and say no barking. It kind of snaps him out of it. I practice with my friends with treats to sit for visitors to pet him. So when we come across people on our walks, I ask him to sit so he can be petted. He loves the attention. If it's an excited child though, he feeds off their excitement and won't listen to me.

kyancer · 06-08-2008, 03:40 PM

Sebastian has had this problem for a long time. Especially with children running by the house. We are working on the Quiet command. It is taking a lot of time and patience, but he is slowly getting better about listening to me. I think you just have to be patient and consistent.

chachi · 06-08-2008, 04:37 PM

If you are patiient and consistent you can teach him not to bark. We taught our two. At first we would blow a whistle or clap our hands loudly and say no bark. Now we can just say stop the barking and they stop

vegasrush · 06-08-2008, 05:21 PM

I have gotten him to not bark when people walk by our car when we are waiting for my son to get off of work. He works at a hotel so there is alot of foot traffic where we wait. The first few days he barked and growled at everyone. Now he will only growl or bark if someone gets too close to HIS car. Sometimes people want to walk over and pet him and I know he is being protective, I just tell him no barking. He is improving a little bit. As for the walks, not too much has changed. Treats don't phase him in the least. I have tried to get down to his level to get his attention, but he really could care less. (and I thought he wuved me)

I am not giving up though! I look at it as a challenge. One day he will be the social butthead, I mean butterfly I want him to be. lol.

llane24 · 06-08-2008, 05:29 PM

We used to have this problem, but I saw this on the show "It's me or the Dog" and can't believe how quickly they got the message. When you're going for a walk, the second that they start barking at another dog (or person/whatever), you turn around and start walking the other way. When they stop barking, you can turn around and start walking toward the other animal again. It ony took about 4 times for Lola to figure out that she needed to be quiet to get what she wanted(to see the other dog). Of course I praise her TONS when she gets quiet too (left that part out!). Oh yea, the neighbor that you're walking toward might think you're a little nutty...but if you're a Yorkie owner, then you probably ARE a little nutty! Oh yeah, and definately don't raise your voice at the dog while they are barking. They said that the dog thinks that you are "joining in" and that it actually helps to reinforce the behavior!

livingdustmops · 06-08-2008, 05:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by llane24

We used to have this problem, but I saw this on the show "It's me or the Dog" and can't believe how quickly they got the message. When you're going for a walk, the second that they start barking at another dog (or person/whatever), you turn around and start walking the other way. When they stop barking, you can turn around and start walking toward the other animal again. It ony took about 4 times for Lola to figure out that she needed to be quiet to get what she wanted(to see the other dog). Of course I praise her TONS when she gets quiet too (left that part out!). Oh yea, the neighbor that you're walking toward might think you're a little nutty...but if you're a Yorkie owner, then you probably ARE a little nutty! Oh yeah, and definately don't raise your voice at the dog while they are barking. They said that the dog thinks that you are "joining in" and that it actually helps to reinforce the behavior!

Don't you love that show! I watched the same one you did and think this lady does a fabulous job with understanding dogs and not using negative training.

llane24 · 06-08-2008, 05:42 PM

Yep, I love that show. It also makes me feel good that my dogs aren't THAT bad!

06-06-2008, 06:07 PM	#1
vegasrush Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: May 2008 Location: Las Vegas Posts: 127	How do I get my Yorkie SOCIAL on walks? Taz does not bite anyone, but he barks and growls whenever someone crosses our path. Most everyone wants to say Hi to him and he barks & growls. If they put their hand out, he will sniff them and then let them pet him. Then he barks or growls as they walk away. I just want him to be more sociable when we go for walks!! If someone has their shoes on the front porch, he even barks and growls at them!!! LOL Does anyone have any suggestions? __________________ Linda & Taz

06-07-2008, 04:13 AM	#3
jadecomputergal Donating Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: May 2008 Location: West Chester, PA, USA Posts: 322	This isn't abnormal behavior. Many dogs do what you're describing. Sometimes it's "protecting" their "person," and more often it's asserting themselves. I have many pets and have had many I've lost (natural death) over the years, and I can tell you that Yorkies are the biggest small dogs you'll ever run across. They have no concept of their size. It doesn't matter to them in the least. Our best friends have two large dogs (mixed breed), and one of my Yorkies chases them all around when we go for cookouts. (We take our dogs everwhere with us.) These sixty pound dogs RUN from her, and she weighs THREE POUNDS. She still occasionally barks at other dogs when we're walking her. I don't think there's anyone in our neighborhood who doesn't have at least one dog, so there will always be someone else out with their dog. It was a battle to break her of that. At three months old, she would growl and bark and try to get at everything she saw, from cats to Poodles to German Shepherds. What worked for me was to point at her and do a very stern, "SHHHHH," when she did it. Yorkies are notoriously stubborn, but they do eventually get it. They're very, very people-oriented, and they want to please you more than they want to assert their personality. Just use some standard command when they're exhibiting unacceptable behavior so they realize that's what the command means, and never use that command otherwise. Best wishes. Sounds like you have a strong-willed winner, and they're a lot of fun! They're just a little hard to convince about who's in charge

06-07-2008, 05:36 AM	#4
vegasrush Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: May 2008 Location: Las Vegas Posts: 127	He is a winner alright, but sometimes he thinks he is a rottweiller! I have been working on the "heel" command and I do take treats with me. I also try to distract him with another command if I see someone before he does. I can tell this is going to take some time. Last night we went for a walk, we live in an apartment complex, and this woman saw him and smiled. That was until he saw her, then he went on a 3 minute barking spree. Her smile turned to a frown and she crossed way away from him. Treats DID NOT work, he wanted to only bark at her. I was so mad he wouldn't pay attention to me in the least. (It was like I wasn't even there). Good thing I have LOTS of time to spend with him. Thanks for your suggestions! __________________ Linda & Taz

06-07-2008, 07:14 AM	#6
izzy816 YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Washington, D.C. Posts: 889	I feel your pain with the walks. I try to avoid walking past the houses with dogs and when I see another person with a dog...I go the opposite direction. Izzy will bark like someone is strangling him! Its so loud and dramatic! Ive tried making him sit and telling him "no bark". But he is so focused he doesnt listen. I am going to try to take treats with me next time. Do they ever grow out of this? Other than that he is a sweetheart! __________________ Peace and Love, Karla and Izzy! Check out Izzy on Dogster: http://www.dogster.com/dogs/433985

06-07-2008, 10:48 PM	#7
wemple2 Wee Winston Wiggles Donating Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: ILLINOIS Posts: 6,335	Great thread...subject. Winston is not a social butterfly...he is not mean at all, he just simply avoids others. On our walks, if another is approaching us...he just keeps on walking...then makes a big circle around them...and continues walking. It's sad, because I want him to like others, besides my husband and I. But he doesn't bark at them either...unless he is in his own yard or house...then all heck breaks loose. I see this as being protective of his home and family....but while out and about, he chooses to totally ignore...snub others. Maybe he's a stuck-up snob? Regardless, I love him and will continue to take him on outings...but he's 4 years old, is this too late for him to be more socialized? Wish I had some words of wisdom to offer..but sorry, I don't know how to stop this insanity. __________________ As Ever, Kathy My: Winston and Spencer RIP My Sweet Angel Last edited by wemple2; 06-07-2008 at 10:49 PM.

06-07-2008, 05:51 AM	#5
jadecomputergal Donating Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: May 2008 Location: West Chester, PA, USA Posts: 322	He'll be fine. He probably does think he's a big dog. Most Yorkies do. I sometimes find it helpful to kneel down when Tea starts doing that, and put my hand under her chin, and say a firm, "Stop." That gets me down to her level rather than the, "SHHHHH," from almost six feet over her head. It also allows me to redirect her attention. You might try doing that, and just gently putting your hand under his chin and making sure he's looking at you. I don't mean snap his head around a give him a whiplash. It's kind of like with a child when you have to make sure their attention is focused on you. Remember you're dealing with a two-year-old child mentality right now. You probably don't remember it, but I bet you were a terror at two years old. I know I was

06-07-2008, 11:16 PM	#8
Verna Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Irving Posts: 230	I encourage Max to meet every dog we run into on walks big or small. He seems to only bark at dogs that are really excited and jumping around. I just take my finger and tap him on his back and say no barking. It kind of snaps him out of it. I practice with my friends with treats to sit for visitors to pet him. So when we come across people on our walks, I ask him to sit so he can be petted. He loves the attention. If it's an excited child though, he feeds off their excitement and won't listen to me. __________________ Maximus & Maggie

06-08-2008, 03:40 PM	#9
kyancer Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Maryland Posts: 237	Sebastian has had this problem for a long time. Especially with children running by the house. We are working on the Quiet command. It is taking a lot of time and patience, but he is slowly getting better about listening to me. I think you just have to be patient and consistent. __________________ Kristina Mommy to Sebastian

06-08-2008, 04:37 PM	#10
chachi I Love My Yorkies Donating Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Indianapolis, Indiana Posts: 26,865	If you are patiient and consistent you can teach him not to bark. We taught our two. At first we would blow a whistle or clap our hands loudly and say no bark. Now we can just say stop the barking and they stop __________________ Chachi's & Jewels Mom Jewels http://www.dogster.com/?132431 Chachi http://www.dogster.com/?132427

06-08-2008, 05:21 PM	#11
vegasrush Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: May 2008 Location: Las Vegas Posts: 127	I have gotten him to not bark when people walk by our car when we are waiting for my son to get off of work. He works at a hotel so there is alot of foot traffic where we wait. The first few days he barked and growled at everyone. Now he will only growl or bark if someone gets too close to HIS car. Sometimes people want to walk over and pet him and I know he is being protective, I just tell him no barking. He is improving a little bit. As for the walks, not too much has changed. Treats don't phase him in the least. I have tried to get down to his level to get his attention, but he really could care less. (and I thought he wuved me) I am not giving up though! I look at it as a challenge. One day he will be the social butthead, I mean butterfly I want him to be. lol. __________________ Linda & Taz

06-08-2008, 05:29 PM	#12
llane24 Yorkie Yakker Join Date: May 2008 Location: gainesville Posts: 39	We used to have this problem, but I saw this on the show "It's me or the Dog" and can't believe how quickly they got the message. When you're going for a walk, the second that they start barking at another dog (or person/whatever), you turn around and start walking the other way. When they stop barking, you can turn around and start walking toward the other animal again. It ony took about 4 times for Lola to figure out that she needed to be quiet to get what she wanted(to see the other dog). Of course I praise her TONS when she gets quiet too (left that part out!). Oh yea, the neighbor that you're walking toward might think you're a little nutty...but if you're a Yorkie owner, then you probably ARE a little nutty! Oh yeah, and definately don't raise your voice at the dog while they are barking. They said that the dog thinks that you are "joining in" and that it actually helps to reinforce the behavior!

06-08-2008, 05:42 PM	#14
llane24 Yorkie Yakker Join Date: May 2008 Location: gainesville Posts: 39	Yep, I love that show. It also makes me feel good that my dogs aren't THAT bad!