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Originally Posted by spalione  Hi and welcome to yorkie talk! I know I am going to get yelled at for this advice, but it worked! My yorkie, who is the love of my life, is 3 now and never bites anymore. She did the same as a pup and actually was a little vicious, it wasn't always playing. I did get her at 2 months old. I was afraid to let kids pet her, as they always want to do, because she would nip at them. A trainer told me to take a rolled up newspaper and everytime she nips - wack her (she said anywhere, but I wacked her on her bottom) - she said never use your hand, always the newspaper roll. I hated doing this, but you know what? It worked! It worked after about 4 times. Then all I had to do is show her the newspaper during a growl and she would calm down. She knew very quickly that was bad behavior. The trainer said you have to stop the biting early or it can be a very bad habit not to mention dangerous. Bailey doesn't nip people anymore (but she saves her agression for other dogs - afterall at 4 lbs. she feels she is the alpha dog!) Good luck.  |
You're right, that is horrible advice. Depending on the yorkie's personality, or in this case a little baby morkie, it might "work." Why the quotes? Because you don't teach the dog anything other than fear. For a submissive dog, a whack will let him know you're displeased and to fear you and your moodiness. They'll stop a behavior because you snapped them out of it, and redirected their attention to the awful creature that smacked them. Did they learn not to bite? No. Would they dare bite you? No, but they wouldn't want to come near you either because you're scary to them now. 1/2 an hour, to an hour later they might, but they've already learned to fear you.
For a more dominant dog, after a while the rolled up newspaper is going to get it, and to an extension so will you. It may work for now, but one day your dog is going to snap and attack that which hit him, and if your hand is there, your hand will be attacked too. It will build up.