Originally Posted by kalina82  ok, so i think we've all come to the conclusion that hitting the dog is the wrong thing to do. I know you were angry because the dog bit you but please try to refrain from using a physical reprimand next time. Lesson learned (hopefully) and moving forward!
I don't doubt that you can train a dog to do what you want (hopefully with positive re-enforcement) but I'm guessing these were all larger working type breeds since you lived on a farm. Those types of dogs were bred to listen to people and do a job. A yorkie on the other hand is not a working breed, they are now a companion breed. A long time ago they were ratters, I believe, and most still retain the need to chase down critters and kill them (even if that "critter" is now a piece of paper on your table). Also, yorkies are known for being very hard to house break and it takes a long time for them to be 100% successful. That is why some people opt to have potty pads in the house or in the dogs pen so they have somewhere to potty if needed when nobody is home.
I believe you can train your fiancee's yorkie but both people in this relationship have to be working on the same page. You cannot be doing one thing, and your fiancee another. You two need to sit down and write up a schedule for feeding, walking, playing, etc... I understand you do not want to be looking after the dog while you are studying because you need to concentrate on your work. There is nothing wrong with that. However, i do think attention should be given to her when you come home from work/school for at least a half hour before you start your studying.
Also, about the food, since she is not housebroken she needs to be on a feeding schedule which correlates with a potty schedule. No more free feeding and no more over feeding. She's pooping so much because she's getting way to much to eat (unless she is a very large yorkie). You need to treat your adult yorkie like she is a new puppy. Here is a schedule you should adopt and make work with your situation.
Morning:
-When you wake up in the morning the FIRST thing you do is take the pup outside. At this point she will probably only pee which is fine, but if you think she has to poop then stay out there with her on a leash until she does her business.
- After a successful morning potty she gets free rein for a little bit. Then its into her enclosed area for breakfast time. During this time you should be getting ready for work while she eats and digests. After you're finished getting ready but before you leave for work you need to take her back outside to potty again. This time she most definitely should poop and pee.
-When you leave for work and no one else is awake or home to watch her she needs to go back into her enclosed area.
Late morning/afternoon:
-During the day she'll need to go outside every few hours. If she's in her area for a while and someone wakes up or comes home, she needs to be taken outside at once. If she has a successful potty then she gets free rein for a little while as long as she can be watched. This way accidents can be prevented. If she does manage to have one, then its your fault because no one was paying attention to her. Clean up the mess and move on. Do not scold her, hit her, or rub her face in it. She's already done it and won't associate the yelling with her peeing/pooping on the floor a few minutes ago. If you catch her while she's doing it then you can correct her. Clap your hands and say "No" to startle her, then quickly take her outside to finish.
-Basically she needs to go outside after being in the crate for a few hours, after eating, after playing, and after sleeping. Dogs are just like babies for the most part. they eat, sleep, poop, and play.
Evening:
-Dinner is the same as breakfast.
-Free rein after potty time after dinner until bed time. Depending on what time she eats dinner and what time you go to bed she may need to go out a few times.
-Right before you go to bed she needs to go outside, then put in her crate for bed time.
-when fiancee comes home at midnight she should probably take her outside again because she will be woken up from sleeping and probably have to pee again
Crate/Ex-pen Time:
-She needs to be given as much attention as possible when you are home because both of you work and/or go to school. play with her, walk her, cuddle with her, tire her out basically...
-If you are home and cannot watch her for whatever reason (studying) she should go into her enclosed area. This way she won't have an accident. Set her up for success, not failure.
Tips:
-Buy an ex-pen to give her a larger area to spend all those hours in while no one is home. This way you can put a wee wee pad in there that she will hopefully use. Also put a bed, some toys, and a bowl of water in there.
-Take her for long walks. If she is exercised properly she will be happy and tired, which will make her less likely to get into mischief.
Now for the biting issue. What were you doing right before the dog bit you? Were you trying to get close to your fiancee while the dog was sitting with her (bed, couch, kitchen table)? Were you just walking by and not even paying attention to her? Were you trying to leash her up to take her outside? There is a reason she bit you, even if you can't figure it out. Tell us what happened and maybe we can shed some light. I agree that a trainer is a great investment. You BOTH need to see the trainer with the dog so that you will both be using the same methods of training.
The situation right now between your fiancee, the dog, and yourself is not a good one, but you already know that. If you BOTH can commit yourselves to finding a solution then you can make it work. However, if you BOTH can't agree with what needs to be done then PLEASE, for the dogs sake, give her to a yorkie rescue. They will be able to find her a home with people who have more time for her so that she can be properly trained and have a happy life.
Oh and as for the dog biting children, i agree that it should NOT be acceptable. Even if the child did something to provoke the bite (intentionally or unintentionally), the dog should be re-homed because it is an unsafe living situation for both the child and the dog. Yorkies are little and some kids just cannot be trusted with tiny creatures.
That is my honest opinion. Make of it what you will. |