[Alexa_And_Oscar]

Hello Everyone


I'm Alexa, I am 24 and from Scotland!
I'm Mummy to a nearly 8 Month old Yorkshire Terrier (Full Breed, no mix) Called Oscar. Oscar is my first Dog, so I've been a bit of an over protective Mother. I have no Children, but my Maternal side kicked in right way. I have a few questions that I would like to ask you all, I hope you don't mind?


1.) Oscar, HATES it when I leave him. I've been trying to leave him almost every day for 10-15 minutes and have recorded each session with my Webcam, so that I can see the progress. Unfortunately, all he does is bark (Very loudly) And howl. He tends to stay at the door. He doesn't play with his Toys, or even eat or drink (Until I come back) The reason I am having to fix this issue, is because I have a very nosey Neighbour who is in her 70s and loves to complain. She has knocked on my door repeatedly and told me:
"If you don't get THAT horrible Animal under control I will report you to the Housing Association and get you kicked out of here!"
I tried to explain to her that I need to leave him, so that he get's used to me leaving him. But she just yells over me and says she doesn't care, she will not put up with his barking.
If she complains enough about me, she could actually manage to get me kicked out and become Homeless! :|


I am a well behaved Neighbour, I don't have Parties, I don't play Music during the day, or at night. I don't have lots of Friends over. For a 20something year old, I am quiet and sensible, and if all she has to complain about is Oscar, then I should be laughing. But she has made my Life Hell.


2.) When he was younger, and I took him off the lead in the Park, he always came back when I called him. Recently he started ignoring my calls and just did his own thing. The last straw, was when he ran out the Park and ran into the Road. I just about had a fit. Without thinking, I just ran out after him without looking. You know how fast Yorkies can be, so I struggled to grab him. I just managed to chase him off the Road, for him to just run back on it! My Partner, luckily managed to grab him and no one was hurt. I cried for over an hour. I was in shock, thinking he could have died. The pain was unbearable. Oscar, of course was just sitting on my lap, licking my face, not really understanding why his Mummy was crying. It took about 2 Months for me to let him off the lead again. This time, I was with my older Brother, and he was fine for the first hour, playing and coming back to us. Then, he saw another Dog up ahead and was off. He ran over to the Dog, played with him for a few minutes, still ignoring our calls, and then ran off away from the Dog and started heading towards the Road again. I haven't let him off the lead again since then. And that was just after Christmas. I am just so terrified that he's going to keep running back, towards the Road and get killed. I don't know what to do! I feel cruel having him on the lead, because he loved to run about and chase other Dogs. Has anyone else been through this? How do I get him to come back again like he used to? I've tried having treats and all his favourites Toys with me. But none of that brings him back


I'm sorry for the long, and probably very boring Post. I look forward to hearing from you all


We are sending our good thoughts your way,
Alexa and Oscar