Quote:
Originally Posted by FlDebra  This is really a dangerous mistake to make -- thinking toy breeds are the same as larger ones. People may have experience with a larger breed dog and then think everything they learned for that dog is exactly the same for a toy dog like a Yorkie. I know you now have a yorkie but it was 2 years old when you got her so you have never dealt with a Yorkie puppy and all that entails. There is a HUGE difference in a Samoyed and a Yorkie! Samoyeds are working dogs that wind up being about 10 times the weight of a yorkie as adults! (35-65 pounds instead of 4-7 pounds average)
The advice you are giving could well be fatal for a yorkie puppy. They cannot be expected to go from 3 pm one day until the next morning without food or drink. They would be very susceptible to dehydration and hypoglycemia with that sort of treatment! Then ignoring them if they did whine, could lead to them dying overnight with no attention to their poor pleas. Even if they do make it through the night, drops in their sugar level and even mild dehydration can do unseen damage that shows up later in life.
No one doubts your Samoyed breeder knows her stuff -- for a Samoyed. But I think you need to step back and reassess before suggesting someone follow the same advice for a tiny, 8 week old Yorkie puppy. In this case Rachel is getting enough advice not to follow what you told her and she is already aware of the dangers of dehydration and hypoglycemia .... but what if another new owner read that before seeing any counterpoints and lost her little one during the night from one of those conditions? Think how awful you would feel.
I know you offered your advice with good intentions, but when giving advice as drastic as that, you really need to be sure the advice is going to apply to a tiny Yorkie puppy. Maybe even check a few references before typing it out. I also had a problem with your "treats for whines" idea and the suggestion to ignore/leave alone/etc. I think Yorkies, even more than most breeds, need a LOT of nurturing attention when they are puppies especially. They are more people-oriented, loving, and require more hands on attention than a lot of breeds. They sure know how to pay it back a thousand-fold though! I have never known a breed more loving, attentive, and so obviously in need of play and cuddling. That's why we love them so much!  |
I think this post was well put, i hope that it is taken to heart and that it is not taken the wrong way. i'm glad that i did learn about dehydration and hypo before getting Sadie, and i agree with you that yorkie puppies need different things than other dogs, they are little and they need more attention and people time than most dogs do.
i hope that mnewco doesn't take offense to your correction, and i hope no one takes offence to her either, she was trying to help and had good suggestions for a larger breed dog!!
Thanks to you both for being so helpful and willing to teach YT viewers about those two breeds and tricks and tactics that work well with each type.
I will add that all dog breeds are very different, and not only breeds, but all dogs are different. what works for one yorkie doesn't always work on another, for instance, pinning my girl makes her more angry and hyper, it doesn't calm her down and show me as leader. the best trick for her is to end playtime by ignoring her and removing myself, or if on the couch, removing her from the area. it seems that doing this along with NO BITE works best for her. yelping makes her bite more and harder, she doesn't get it, and pinning or holding her up to get her to settle makes her crazy.
thanks again for the advice!!
Update: Sadie and I had a pleasant evening yesterday. I finally got it into my head that she is only a baby, and that i can't honestly expect that much from her yet. i will keep training and working on her biting and nipping, but that takes time, patience, and love. she's a very sweet girl, she cuddled with me a lot and even lay on my chest and snuggled in our fleece tie blanket together. i adore my little girl, i just needed to realize she was just that and not an adult capable of knowing better. my attitude change has improved her moods as well. she's learned to sit almost 80% of the time on command and we're still working on down which takes longer to get. i tried "sit pretty" and showed her how to, in between chewing my hands. she didn't seem to want to try or get it, and then i said it one time without helping her and she tried it and got it. she hasn't done it again since, but knowing she is still there learning through the chewing is impressive. she enjoys treats and training time and i ask her for a sit now before meals and to get a toy. she's really smart!!
she also lays down on command in her crate and that helps put her to sleep at night a lot better. she just likes attention and wants to be near us all the time, she can't stand to be pinned up in the same room as us when she could be playing, i use a blanket over her crate if i absolutely have to pin her up.
anyways, she's getting much better with my patience now!
See you all later for more updates