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Originally Posted by debMtalk812  Hello all,
My Yorkie was just a year old and I got him at 12 weeks...always been very sweet, lovable and absolutely loves people...he doesn’t see people much. When someone comes over he acts like he is half nutty...doesn’t seem loyal like other dogs I’ve had. Also, he is very head strong.... |
Hi DebMtalk812,
Your Cody sounds like he is a handful. I can not speak for all yorkies, but my late little one matured into a well-behaved dream dog. As a pup, she was an energetic squirmer.
A couple of my tricks are below. Your mileage may vary.
1. Walk on the leash. Our walks were meandering and casual. We took them three times a day (sometimes more), each for about the same length of time. I took a water bottle and some treats with us. For the most part, I let her set the pace. She'd sniff EVERY bush, stone, etc. We mostly saw bunnies and lizards in our neighborhood. It didn't take long for her to master the leash, and so eventually we went to parks, where she saw lots of other people and met other dogs.
2. As a puppy, Katy didn't really have much opportunity to get in trouble. She had been crate trained by her breeder, but didn't use it very much. Instead ...
a. At home, she was always welcome and had a place to sit next to me, especially when she was young. Her "place" on the bench or sofa was often marked by a small doggy bed, a thin pillow, etc. As a puppy, her chew toy "lived" on one of her spaces. She wasn't large enough to jump up or down from the seating. I had a large desk and there was a Katy-spot on the desk too. Patio table--Katy had a spot there. Once we had worked out the different seating arrangements, I don't remember her getting into trouble. I'm sure she did....
b. I had a couple of doggy buggies--one was kept inside. If I was busy, such that she couldn't sit by me for for a spell, she could sit in the buggy and still be close to me.
c. Katy slept in our bed.
So, she was "up" on a chair, sofa, bench, desk, bed or buggy a lot. As she got older, Katy had more or less free run of the house. She then had some floor beds and open crates. In truth, she never really lost her desire sit by or be close to me.
3. Lots of positive reinforcement. I really think these little one WANT to please. Katy just loved being praised (and I loved praising her).
Don't know if any of my tricks will work for you, but do stick with it. There's just nothin' like a yorkie buddy!!
My best to you and Cody. --KatysMom