[Britster]

Originally Posted by ARCHIE

I know some Yorkies are afraid of everything. It sounds like Capone may
be one of them. Perhaps the noises in the house that you know will
upset him you can handle like this. When you turn on the dishwasher
be prepared to give him his favorite treat. Whenever you know a noise
will disturb him be prepared to reward him with something he likes.
In time he may just connect the noise as good because he's getting
a treat. Just a suggestion. When a dog is stressed for whatever reason
we have to figure out a way to make a negative a positive in their minds.
I hope this helps you.

Originally Posted by yorkieusa

Trainers say that is the wrong thing to do. The reason why is that it reinforces their belief that they really do have something to be afraid of. The supposedly correct thing to do and I have done this in the past is that everytime they show fear - use the same phrase - like, "It's all right." You should go on and act like everything is fine. Repeatedly tell him that "It's all right." Eventually they will learn that it really is all right. I would also recommend exposing him to lots of different types of situations outside the home as well as in the home. Socialization in all types of settings is very important to do.