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Originally Posted by butchpoodle  My yorkie pup is 7 months now and doing very well for the most part. But she has this thing - every time I put a harness or a sweater - anything new really - on her, she becomes "disabled" and refuses to walk upright, stand upright, or play - for as long as FIVE DAYS at a time!!
I have never given in to this. She has done this from day one. Never taking her out of her pen when she whined - not once - taught her not to whine in her pen, but every new collar or harness or anything ... five days of fine pouting is to be expected.
She will scoot, low to the ground, keeping her butt on the floor. She will scuttle across the room then shrink into a ball of pouting puppy. She won't look you in the eye, but looks down, looking pitiful. She won't play, won't take treats, won't do anything but sulk 'til it gets so old that even she can't take it anymore!!
The day I brought her home at 8 weeks, the rescue person put a collar on her. We went back to see the puppies and she was doing this same behavior. The woman was so freaked out, she wasn't going to let her go home with me that day. She took the collar off and - voila! - she was perfect. Put it back on her and she went back to slinking and sitting and pouting.
I took her to Puppy II a week ago, and the trainer asked if the harness was new - 'cause she was scratching at it a lot. I told her, "No. In fact, I put it on her 3 days ago so she would be able to walk tonight." I was not joking. That harness got too tight on her, so tonight I put the exact same harness on her in a slightly bigger size. They are identical. I'm guessing it will be a quiet weekend here, no roughhousing, no playing - just pouting puppy ...
She came in December, and it was COLD. Jackets, sweaters, collars, harness - they all got the same response. I can't imagine what she'd do if we put her in a cone!!! I never would, actually, because of her behavior.
Is this a yorkie thing?? Or do I just have the most sensitive dog in the world?? |
I would say this is definitely not a 'yorkie thing' - I have 4 and when I say "come get pretty" they will fight each other to be first in line - for clothes, for hair accessories, comb outs, baths, ears & butts shaved, etc., etc. We finally had to get a routine down: oldest goes first, second to oldest goes next, etc - down the line. Gracie (our oldest) just has a tizzy if one of the others gets dressed before her (but she's a spoiled brat!!! lol)
For whatever reason your dog doesn't like the feel of apparently anything on it...it may very well have extremely sensitive skin (???) - I would just keep at it with very light weight harness vest type apparel...always follow with a treat, lots of praise...or whatever it loves (a walk? a short car ride?) - it will start associating clothes with positive things and if it isn't a skin issue it should come around eventually I would think.