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Originally Posted by Yorkiemom1  I am sorry, but in my personal opinion, any breeder that would encourage you to buy a Yorkie, knowing you have small ( under 6) children, esp. a 2 year old toddler, is someone that is only interested in "selling dogs". You were misled.
The good news is, he is not a little 4-5 lb dog, he has a little size on him....listen to those that have told about snacks and what the kids may feed him....you have to be very careful about that. Make the kids lay on the floor quietly, and let the pup explore around them....if they are more down on his level, and they are quiet, he will get familiar with them and it will eventually work, IF YOU DO THIS SLOWLY. Reading to him is NOT as ridiculous as it sounds...the dogs love it... I have a learning disabled son...he has to be in a quiet room and read out loud or he can not retain what he is reading. I have many pictures where he is sitting in a room, alone with the dogs sitting and lying on the floor all around him, listening intently as he "reads to them"....they love this quiet time with him and to see this, you would think they are taking in everything he is saying!!! Have your kids sit on the floor, and read quietly, out loud....just keep them down on the floor..that limits the quick movements that youngsters are prone to, and will be less intimidating and frightening to him. Work SLOWLY AND PATIENTLY and I think he will get used to them. YOU are replacing his momma, and he is bonding with YOU, in the place of his other momma, that he can not find. |
Everything she said...the vibrations of the human voice have profound effects on animals and plants and...
Plus, do not also forget, until he calls your house "his home"...until he "owns" it and you and your family...YOU are also his LINK BACK to his former home...his former momma...and he will want to be with you mostly always in case you go...in which case he will/may think/hope he is going back. It's not an insult on his part...he just doesn't understand he's in a new
forever home and thinks this is temporary and it's confusing to him. As he is with you longer, and learns to like you, your family, and what you ALL do WITH HIM, and
be accepted for who he is by you and your family, if you do it 'right' he will hopefully PREFER the 'new' life and things should be less stressful all around...and within only a few weeks or months.
Do pay close attention to the 'being on his level' part...be on the floor with him, or if the kids are bounding around, PICK HIM UP!!! You can get a little carry pouch for him to make it easier. Mine love to just be carried around the house in a purse...believe it or not...or in arms, but they find sitting in the purse very comfy and are calm and quiet and observant. They are PART OF EVERYTHING that way, and they LOVE IT!
Small animals become very aware of feet and the towering size of moving objects...people, etc., and will try to stay out from under foot...which basically means they will guess where you and your children are going and choose a different direction...which may put them in exactly the wrong place when the foot comes down. This is always a danger with small dogs, Yorkies, and cats. To keep from stepping on the cats, I years ago quit wearing hard shoes in the house...barefoot, initially...so I could 'feel' them and not step on them or even their hair. This may be an option for you as well...at least until everybody gets used to everybody.
When I brought Brody home, I oriented him to a 'home base'...the rug in our living room. I set him on it, then laid down beside him, talked to him, caressed him, kissed him, etc. for a while. Then, having no little dog toys but having 'bout the same size cat toys, I got him the big mouse/rat from the bottom (yes, I dug all the way down for it...whew!) of the kitty mice bag (Yorkies ARE 'ratters' so I figured it would be a natural toy for him) and some balls he could fetch and carry...and he played some with the toys but mostly he corralled them into one area and cuddled with them...he LOVED his mousey guy...still loves (but de-stuffs
) mousey guys!...but he wasn't really 'into playing because his whole world was upside down and he was with strangers in a strange place. We'd sit with him, then let him have some space, then sit with him, play with him, give tummy rubs, then...etc., but he still spent a good amount of time looking kind of forlorn...waiting to retuurn home, or interested in everything we were doing.
He gradually branched our from there, exploring a little bit of the house at a time, looking back at me as if to say, "Is it okay if I look around?" and I would say, "It's okay...it's your home...go explore." and he seemed to completely understand. But, you have to remember, that I 'wrenched him from the hands of his former owners' even though they gently handed him over. I would carry him throughout the house showing him around as well...he needed to learn the layout.
I think your situation is completely doable...with some forethought and effort on your part, and cooperation from your children. Do for him what you'd want a stranger to do for your toddler if your toddler was "wrenched from your loving arms and taken elsewhere" for the rest of his life. Help the dog acclimate and get used to everyone and everything...show him everything, tell him what it is, let him sniff it or not, if he resists or seems apprehensive or fearful leave that for some other time. Try to anticipate what HE might be thinking or feeling and try to alleviate his fears and make him feel welcome, wanted and loved.
I understand your children want to immediately play fetch etc. with him...and if you had brought home my Honey (approx. 50 lb. Shep/Lab mix) home for your kids, she'd have been playing as soon as she saw the first ball...Brody wouldn't...but Toby has a good chance of learning how to play with your kids
if he is allowed to at HIS pace.
Good luck...I think you are on your way and trying to make this work.