YorkieTalk.com Forums - Yorkshire Terrier Community - View Single Post - help my dog just runs around and barks alot

Hamoth · 09-26-2005, 11:20 AM

You should enroll in a training class immediately. I suggest you take a class that offers clicker training in particular. It sounds to me like you have a dog who has grown independant of you and may have some dominance problems. May I venture a few guesses as to what your life with this dog is like?

Is this you?

Every time you sit to do some quiet activity (such as reading this page), your dog solicits you to play. A lot of times its just so cute that you have to drop what you are doing and chase the little bugger about the home, or enjoy a nice tugging game. When you don't, they run into another room and start barking like crazy. God help you if you left your purse out, or a cell phone in reach. It's when they get quiet that you REALLY start to worry! Strangers get the most barking, but when they come in, your dog rushes to greet them with a wiggling tail, but defies being pet. Your dog sleeps in your bed, because crate training was impossible. You probably also have quite a few toys laying around (more than 5, I would guess), becuase you are hoping that exitement over a new tow will stop the chewing. Perhaps you pen the dog in a small room when you can, but I kinda suspect that's not the case. You call the dogs name when they are being bad, over and over, but the dog pays you no mind and continues barking, and barking, and barking. You start scolding "No! Hush!", and sometimes they flinch but mostly they hide behind something and keep barking, or just stare at you and keep barking. Tricks that you KNOW he knows, such as sit, become increasingly hard to get him to do...

Does that sound like you? If so...You are lucky you asked this now. This is pretty common for an independant terrier breed that hasn't the propper structure in its life to understand who the boss is, and what the boss's rules are. Your dog is currently a late teenager in human terms. They are trying everything they can to get control over you and to assert their will. This is a time where structure is most critical. Your dog is about 1 month away from seriously solidifying their personality and becoming much harder to retrain. Not that it's impossible, but it will be a longer ordeal if you wait.

If you can't find classes that will teach you basic obedience (or a 'better maners' class) yet, then I suggest you get a video or books on teaching your dog basic obedience using the clicker method. Search the web for info on "Dominance Agression" if any of the above struck a familiar chord.

Some important things to note are that punishment for barking and undisciplined behavior that includes any kind of intimidation, striking, yelling, or otherwise expressing anger, is a sign of weakness to a dog. If he gets you pulling out your hair, he's won -- that's one way to think of it. Another way of thinking of it is like this:

Puppy: Mom's boring. I need something to do.
Mom: Leave me alone.
Puppy: BARK.
Mom: Hush
Puppy: Bark bark bark!
Mom: Now i'm going to chase you and give you attention.
Puppy: BARK! BARK!
Mom: When I catch you, you are in trouble!
Puppy: I better not get caught! BARK!

Most trainers these days discourage punishment for undesirable behavior. Instead they now recomend the use of opperant conditioning to convert an insticual reaction to bark, into say....a desire to run around in circles. Another example is that my dog class is working on associating the door-knock with laying down quietly on a mat. This really does work!

If you let your dog provoke you to a reaction, then the dog is training you. A good training class and advice from a trainer will get you in control of your dog just in the nick of time. This is a common problem with Yorkies it seems to me, since they are so small and cute, people think they aren't really wolves inside every bit as much as a rotweiler, malamute, or great dane. Yorkies are dogs too, and they will get aggressive without the propper training and structure.

If I'm mistaken in my estimation of your situation, I hope to let this post stand for others who may need the advice as I surely did a few months ago when Chewy starting doing all the same things! Now he is laying quietly in his bed at my feet and being a perfect angel as I write!

09-26-2005, 11:20 AM	#2
Hamoth YT Addict Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 358	You should enroll in a training class immediately. I suggest you take a class that offers clicker training in particular. It sounds to me like you have a dog who has grown independant of you and may have some dominance problems. May I venture a few guesses as to what your life with this dog is like? Is this you? Every time you sit to do some quiet activity (such as reading this page), your dog solicits you to play. A lot of times its just so cute that you have to drop what you are doing and chase the little bugger about the home, or enjoy a nice tugging game. When you don't, they run into another room and start barking like crazy. God help you if you left your purse out, or a cell phone in reach. It's when they get quiet that you REALLY start to worry! Strangers get the most barking, but when they come in, your dog rushes to greet them with a wiggling tail, but defies being pet. Your dog sleeps in your bed, because crate training was impossible. You probably also have quite a few toys laying around (more than 5, I would guess), becuase you are hoping that exitement over a new tow will stop the chewing. Perhaps you pen the dog in a small room when you can, but I kinda suspect that's not the case. You call the dogs name when they are being bad, over and over, but the dog pays you no mind and continues barking, and barking, and barking. You start scolding "No! Hush!", and sometimes they flinch but mostly they hide behind something and keep barking, or just stare at you and keep barking. Tricks that you KNOW he knows, such as sit, become increasingly hard to get him to do... Does that sound like you? If so...You are lucky you asked this now. This is pretty common for an independant terrier breed that hasn't the propper structure in its life to understand who the boss is, and what the boss's rules are. Your dog is currently a late teenager in human terms. They are trying everything they can to get control over you and to assert their will. This is a time where structure is most critical. Your dog is about 1 month away from seriously solidifying their personality and becoming much harder to retrain. Not that it's impossible, but it will be a longer ordeal if you wait. If you can't find classes that will teach you basic obedience (or a 'better maners' class) yet, then I suggest you get a video or books on teaching your dog basic obedience using the clicker method. Search the web for info on "Dominance Agression" if any of the above struck a familiar chord. Some important things to note are that punishment for barking and undisciplined behavior that includes any kind of intimidation, striking, yelling, or otherwise expressing anger, is a sign of weakness to a dog. If he gets you pulling out your hair, he's won -- that's one way to think of it. Another way of thinking of it is like this: Puppy: Mom's boring. I need something to do. Mom: Leave me alone. Puppy: BARK. Mom: Hush Puppy: Bark bark bark! Mom: Now i'm going to chase you and give you attention. Puppy: BARK! BARK! Mom: When I catch you, you are in trouble! Puppy: I better not get caught! BARK! Most trainers these days discourage punishment for undesirable behavior. Instead they now recomend the use of opperant conditioning to convert an insticual reaction to bark, into say....a desire to run around in circles. Another example is that my dog class is working on associating the door-knock with laying down quietly on a mat. This really does work! If you let your dog provoke you to a reaction, then the dog is training you. A good training class and advice from a trainer will get you in control of your dog just in the nick of time. This is a common problem with Yorkies it seems to me, since they are so small and cute, people think they aren't really wolves inside every bit as much as a rotweiler, malamute, or great dane. Yorkies are dogs too, and they will get aggressive without the propper training and structure. If I'm mistaken in my estimation of your situation, I hope to let this post stand for others who may need the advice as I surely did a few months ago when Chewy starting doing all the same things! Now he is laying quietly in his bed at my feet and being a perfect angel as I write!