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Originally Posted by mdawns18  Hello everyone, I have a 1 year old yorkie and he does not like anybody besides me!! If anyone comes over he barks at them and will not go anywhere close to them even if they are very calm. If I take him outside he barks at anyone at my apartment complex. It is extremely irritating that he is like this. I have taken him many places with me hoping that socializing him will help out and he just hates everyone. Any advice??? |
Welcome to Yorkie Talk. This problem sounds too big to handle on your own. If you can, I would consult a private trainer or go to a training class.
Have a friend help, as suggested above. Meet outdoors (neutral territory). Have the friend take a position not too close to you and your leashed dog. Have him on the ground, not in your arms. Maybe sit on the ground with him. Let your dog bark until he quits. Stay quiet and still and have your helper do the same. No staring at the dog. It may take a long time, but once he quits barking, reward him. Give him a treat and praise him. If he is treat or toy motivated, use those to reward him. Keep repeating the exercise and have the friend move closer.
The important part of any training exercise is to remain calm and confident. If your dog senses you are anxious or frustrated, he will mirror that feeling.
When doing these exercises, you could also try a Thundershirt, which can be calming for dogs in these types of situations.
Does your dog know basic commands like sit, stay, down? Basic obedience and trick training can be useful in focusing the dog in anxiety-fueled situations. Practice indoors alone and then try outdoors.
A lot of people have had great success with clicker training. Make sure you read up on how to do it before buying a clicker.
Hope some of this helps.