[yorkietalkjilly]

Welcome and congratulations on getting a Yorkie. I am sorry he is a highly nervous, unstable and insecure dog but with patience and love and knowing what to do, you should be able to steer him toward a life of coping.

Get a good vet exam and be sure there is nothing painful or an illness causing this. The dog could have a medical problem the breeder and her vet didn't find.

You can consider some mild medication if the vet recommends it at first until you have had a chance to work with your baby. But be highly cautious about the correct dosing and when to give it. Likely your dog won't need that if you start him off right and keep him busy learning and working his body and mind.

First, don't ever reinforce his fear by soothing him when shaking or reacting to fear as you would a person. To a dog this will merely seem as reinforcing behavior if you say "it's okay" and things like that as he's shaking and feeling fear. He will think it is good to act that way. Rather, try to distract him with a high-value treat, fun squeaky toy, tossing a ball and actively redirecting him into action. The activity will help bleed the tension from him and get his mind off his fears.

Don't greet him when you first arrive after being gone or first thing in the morning. Just go about your business and ignore him and let him accommodate to your being around gradually on his own terms. Make him work to get your attention - putting him in charge of these times for the time being.

Give him a place to de-stress. Place his crate up against the wall on one side of the room and you can even blanket 3 sides of it to enclose his private den where he can access it to have times in his safe-house. Don't allow children to kick it or bang things against it while he is in there - keep it a safe den for him to go into. Now, be careful not to allow him to cloister there for too long. Lure him out with toys or treats and get him to playing and rough-housing.

A strict schedule for a dog like this so he will know what comes next and can come to rely on the same thing at the same time will settle him sooner than a happenstance way of living. Get him outside for play sessions and then walks as soon as his vax schedule allows. Frequent outdoors exercise can be a godsend for these nervous little ones - anything to keep their minds and bodies active and destressed.

Early on, Google YouTube videos about obedience training, read books and become a good dog trainer. One of the easiest ways to help overcome anxiety and fright is to work with a dog getting them busy with the job of learning basic obedience tricks. It is hugely rewarding and gives the dog a sense of accomplishment and pride. He learns how to overcome and suppress his impulses and do what you request. He learns that learning is fun, rewarding and a wholly positive experience and it makes you happy. He learns that making you happy gives him his best life and will work hard to keep on pleasing you by doing what you say. You two become a strong and happy team.

Read all that you can about positive-rewards behavior training and reshaping.

Any good positive-reinforcement obedience training video or written instructions on the internet would be good to use as long as it doesn't encourage use of collars, aversives or discipline in training. Dogs learn fastest when they learn that they receive rich rewards and treats for doing your request and both of you wind up happy that way.

During thunderstorms or other great noise times, distract your dog with tossing balls, tossing treats to fetch and playing togowar or other rough-house games but don't coddle him - keep him busy and keeping that tension away.

Those are just a very few things to get you started. More later and good luck and thank you for wanting to learn how to help your baby.