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bruisernrocky · 03-12-2010, 08:51 AM

Hi everyone,

This is my first post, and I'm sad it has to be about my out of control Yorkie pup.

We have two 16 week old Yorkie puppies, Bruiser and Rocky (hence the username), who we've had for a little over a month now. Rocky is an absolute dream...he goes #1 and #2 on the puppy pads, he knows how to sit and stay, he is totally a loving dog (will lick you til his tongue falls off hahaha), and in general just understands that he is to obey what his parents (my boyfriend Jake and I) say is okay and not okay.

Bruiser is the polar opposite. He is absolutely NOT potty trained, and goes everywhere in the house. We praise Rocky when he goes on the pad, and Bruiser seems to understand "good boy" when we are showering Rocky with praise, but Bruiser just doesn't seem to care/get it. We also try to correct him when he begins to go in the wrong place, but he stops going at that point, waits until he has the opportunity, and goes in the wrong place again, like he's trying to rebel against authority or something. Also, he is very aggressive when it comes to toys, food, pretty much anything. I was trying to fit him with a harness today and he bit my hand. When he gets aggressive with food, Rocky is afraid to eat...they don't share a bowl, but they are in the same room, and Rocky is afraid that Bruiser will attack him if he sees him eating. I've tried verbal commands, holding his mouth closed, putting him in time out...it only seems to make him more aggressive. He is just as aggressive with Jake, which blows my mind, as you'd think that he'd maybe at least obey one of us. He also chews on anything and everything he is not supposed to (power cords and such) and will get extremely aggressive if we try to pull him away from whatever he isn't supposed to be chewing on.

I've been using the same training techniques (treats, praise, cuddles...and I'm pretty patient and will take my time with training) with both dogs, but Bruiser just seems like he is completely out of control. Rocky was already neutered when we got him (he had a congenital defect in his abdomen that needed to be fixed shortly after birth, so they neutered him while under anesthesia), and I'm wondering if this has something to do with the fact that Bruiser has not been neutered yet. We plan to get him neutered in the next month or two, before we start bringing them to the small dog park around the corner from our place. Will this change his demeanor to be a bit more submissive? We love his excited personality, but cannot deal with him being so aggressive and quick to bite. If neutering won't change it, what can I do to teach him to be less aggressive?

Thanks to everyone!

03-12-2010, 08:51 AM	#1
bruisernrocky YorkieTalk Newbie! Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Chicago, IL, USA Posts: 2	Yorkie is out of control! Hi everyone, This is my first post, and I'm sad it has to be about my out of control Yorkie pup. We have two 16 week old Yorkie puppies, Bruiser and Rocky (hence the username), who we've had for a little over a month now. Rocky is an absolute dream...he goes #1 and #2 on the puppy pads, he knows how to sit and stay, he is totally a loving dog (will lick you til his tongue falls off hahaha), and in general just understands that he is to obey what his parents (my boyfriend Jake and I) say is okay and not okay. Bruiser is the polar opposite. He is absolutely NOT potty trained, and goes everywhere in the house. We praise Rocky when he goes on the pad, and Bruiser seems to understand "good boy" when we are showering Rocky with praise, but Bruiser just doesn't seem to care/get it. We also try to correct him when he begins to go in the wrong place, but he stops going at that point, waits until he has the opportunity, and goes in the wrong place again, like he's trying to rebel against authority or something. Also, he is very aggressive when it comes to toys, food, pretty much anything. I was trying to fit him with a harness today and he bit my hand. When he gets aggressive with food, Rocky is afraid to eat...they don't share a bowl, but they are in the same room, and Rocky is afraid that Bruiser will attack him if he sees him eating. I've tried verbal commands, holding his mouth closed, putting him in time out...it only seems to make him more aggressive. He is just as aggressive with Jake, which blows my mind, as you'd think that he'd maybe at least obey one of us. He also chews on anything and everything he is not supposed to (power cords and such) and will get extremely aggressive if we try to pull him away from whatever he isn't supposed to be chewing on. I've been using the same training techniques (treats, praise, cuddles...and I'm pretty patient and will take my time with training) with both dogs, but Bruiser just seems like he is completely out of control. Rocky was already neutered when we got him (he had a congenital defect in his abdomen that needed to be fixed shortly after birth, so they neutered him while under anesthesia), and I'm wondering if this has something to do with the fact that Bruiser has not been neutered yet. We plan to get him neutered in the next month or two, before we start bringing them to the small dog park around the corner from our place. Will this change his demeanor to be a bit more submissive? We love his excited personality, but cannot deal with him being so aggressive and quick to bite. If neutering won't change it, what can I do to teach him to be less aggressive? Thanks to everyone!