Quote:
Originally Posted by ShowGirlLola  alishasmom- That's basically what I'm going through. I lost my poodles, who didn't chew anything (except wire twist ties, ugh of all the things to like...), and now I have a puppy who wants to chew everything.
~~~~~~~~~
Gracielove- I know yorkies are energetic, Lola is my 2nd yorkie (but he was older by the time I was born) and my family had 3 others that died before I was born. Only one of them was as bad with the chewing, and that was a very long time ago.
I would never describe anything Lola does as vicious. When she growls it’s either like a grumble or quickly followed by a bark.
At this point I can’t walk her. However, I do have a fairly big house with an open floor plan; she can run the length of 3 rooms without stopping or turning.
-she’s getting her last puppy shot on Monday
-there’s a dog/people aggressive dog across the street
-my yard needs a lot of work before it’s puppy ready
-she won’t walk on a leash yet, working on walking her in the house
-I have medical problems that cause severe pain and fatigue, so I can’t do long walks anyway and defiantly can’t run. No one else can do it with her either.
-I’m also having trouble getting a harness small enough for her. The one she has kinda fits but sometimes her paw comes out of it.
A few weeks after her last shot I’m going to try to find a safe place to walk her once in awhile. I won’t be able to do it every day or for very long though.
I’m working on teaching her to play fetch, but she’s not really into it. Right now our play consists of chasing each other or moving a fabric toy around and letting her hunt it.
I don’t let her bite on me, I tell her No and stop playing with her or ignore her, I also crack a paper if I have one. She doesn't respond when I say ouch loudly.
I won’t buy bully sticks due to bacteria; she has her Himalayan chews and toys to chew on.
She has gotten better with the biting; she’s doing it less often when she’s hyper and much less often when she’s calm.
I don’t have problems keeping her calm except when she wants to play, she’s usually happy following me around and sitting with me.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Gillykat- I'm hoping most of this is just her being a puppy. Hiding treats is a good idea, but I might try it with her dry food instead.
I'm giving her merrick puppy food. She gets a tablespoon or so of wet food 2x a day and she has access to dry food all the time. |
Fetch has helped us a lot for when we can't go out due to weather. Maybe try a softer ball to gain her interest? Gracie has a couple of hacky sac balls that she loves. We also have some 2" balls that fit in her mouth nicely. When we are done playing I have to take the fuzzy balls away or she will chew them. The Himalayan chews are just as useful for chewing if your pup likes them. Either are going to have bacteria on them.
Gracie was never really vicious but her idea of play is a good play fight. Although she is much better than when she was a pup she still likes a good game of chase at least once a day as well as the walks and playing fetch. I don't think all Yorkies are like this but it is an inborn instinct for many of them. It is part of the terrier gene and they just need to learn their boundaries. They truly have that desire to rip and tear like a terrier normally would so we have to direct that desire to another outlet. As babies they just don't understand yet what to do with those instincts.