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Originally Posted by Britster  I'm sooo sorry you've had to deal with this. The result of bad breeding is so sad sometimes. But sometimes even good breeding can get a dog like this, so it just depends really.
He sounds pretty OCD and neurotic and to be honest, I'd consider medicine at this point. They do make doggy xanax, etc, and it may just take the edge off.
However, it also does not sound like to me he's getting enough exercise for the kind of dog he is.
Honestly this would do nothing for Jackson. Playing a little bit inside one on one will tide him over, but he needs to RUN or walk far distances or swim to become truly tired. If I just put him in an expen outside and told him to go potty or expect him to wear himself out, he would think I was crazy and just look at me and want out and want to be with me. You may just have a super active little guy.
I can guarantee that exercising him HARD will wear him out both mentally and physically like you've never seen and probably take a lot of that stress away.
Take him on a 4 mile walk, or find a dog park with a huge fenced in area and let him just run, or if you have anywhere to swim him, that would be even better! It's not like you need to do this every day, but I know from my personal dog that if we went more than 2-3 days with just staying in the house and playing inside and him following me around a small garden, he would drive me up the wall with boredom. I mean he's not neurotic, he has a good "off switch" and enjoys to sleep in with me, and lay around a bit, but he will find trouble to get into if he's not given a GOOD work out. |
Brit, while I agree that exercise is good for a dog, you would not want to start most Yorkies with a 4 mile walk. This could be deadly! You have to work up to this amount.
To the OP, I suggest you get a vet check up and make sure that there are no underlying issues. I'm concerned about the pacing, and I did want to tell you that my little rescue paces, if his tummy is upset. Are you feeding anything besides the dog food that could be upsetting his stomach? Sometimes even a healthy dog treat can cause upsets. Also, remember that dogs are very intuitive, and if you are nervous, they are going to sense that. It may help if you can find ways to relax. Do you have time together where you just chill? Anyway, glad you are calling a behaviorist, let us know if anything is helping.