Aggression in 3 yr old Yorkie is scaring us. Advice?
 

Hello all. We have a 3 yr old female Yorkie (Kelsey) that lately has exhibited some very aggressive behavior that has us very concerned, particularly given we have a 20 mo. old son and another on the way. I'll try to be brief.

We've had Kelsey since she was 8 wks old. Overall, she has been a wonderful pet. Her only formal training was a puppy class when she was 6 months old or so. She did well. She is exercised frequently. Much of the recent behavior issues seem to have coincided with two things: the arrival of our son and moving to a new home about a year ago.

Here are the issues:

She has gone after our son on a few occasions, growling fiercely and biting at his hands. Fortunately she hasn't hurt him. The behavior seems to occur either in the morning or evening and I'm guessing when she wants to be left alone although he doesn't provoke her in any way except that I presume she feels he's in her space.

She will sometimes "attack" me in a similar fashion if she is laying on me and I disturb her. This is not playful biting in any way, it is aggressive and willful and quite startling. Typically happens in the evening.

She has virtually no tolerance for strangers or other dogs. She barks constantly at people she sees out the windows. When someone comes to the door she goes ballistic. I can't even answer the door without locking her in another room. On walks she is better, as long as people or dogs don't get too close. I won't let children try to pet her because I fear she may bite them.

I know Kelsey is a fearful dog. My wife and I are increasingly becoming scared of her behavior, particularly toward our son. I suppose we will opt for professional help, but any advice will be appreciated. Thanks.

welcome to YT...i hope you can find the answer you are looking for. I am sure someone on here can help you.

I am not an expert so I could be blowing smoke. I have seen this behavior discussed in a couple of dog TV shows. Kelsey is demonstrating behaviors of an alpha dog. She is trying to protect you from others and the chore is so overwhelming to her, because she is so small and the world is so big. Because she feels she must protect you and her "den" the burden is making her anxious and this is leaking out in other areas of your life.

I definitely agree that a professional is warranted. You and your wife's actions, in the past and present (although unconscience) has actually contributed or created this situation. You will need an objective person to observe how you treat kelsey in everyday life and determine what actions you and your wife are doing that has elevated Kelsey to Alpha status.

Once she is in her proper place in the pack, the overwhelming burden will be removed and she will become more relaxed and take her cues from you, so that when strangers or children enter the picture, she will not be so aggressive towards them and she will be a happier dog and not be so aggressive towards you and your son.

Just my thoughts.

Wow... You definately have reason to be concerned, especially when it comes to your children. What do you all do when she acts this way? Is she told a firm NO or put on "puppy time out" (as I call it) when she acts out? Do you assert your authority as the "alpha" dog in your home? If not, then this is why she acts this way... But, Im not the expert and I havnt had a pup act this way. I would definately try to get a trainer if you can afford it... Or even perhaps a book that addresses this behavior in dogs, might help get you in the right direction. Sorry for your troubles & hope this helps :)

Aggressive behavior I hear you! My silver yorkie was nicknamed Chain Saw by friends. My dog is so mean that I have to put a muzzle on him around kids and most people. We spent 2,000 dollars for a personal trainer and all my dog can do is sit heal come...

The trainer says my dog needs to be out in public but when I take him out he is a nightmare. If people see me coming they turn around and go back the way they came.

Soon after being attacked by another larger dog Bruce began showing this behavior, but never attempting to actually bite, mainly the barking and the posturing. I was beside myself, so I took him to a trainer and behaviorist...While he is still that way at times it is improved to the point that it is seldom and he is actually considered one of the friendliest at his daycare...This is what we learned to do...Mimic alpha dog behavior and TAKE HIM DOWN when he acted this way...DO NOT WORRY HE HAS NEVER BEEN HURT AND I WOULD NEVER HURT HIM!!! When he became aggressive I was taught to first grab hold of the scruff of his neck then pick him up (not by his neck, picking up his body don't worry) and flip him onto his back and hold him down looking him directly in the eye. About a week of this and he got the hint.

Do not know what the solution to your problem is, but I know there has to be one, and I feel your frustration!

Thanks for everyone's thoughts. I agree that we are primarily responsible for her behavior and I feel awful that we have in some way let her down by our actions. I just can't figured how we went wrong. Money's tight, and while professional help is warranted, it may have to wait. In the meantime, I'll read up as much as I can for insight.

You are right about the fearful part. My Lexie is a very fearful dog. I did work with a professional trainer and he helped us tremendously (although it was VERY expensive!) The biggest thing to remember is that YOU have to be the leader- if you aren't demonstrating strong leadership, she will take over and assume that role. Lexie has come a VERY long way but every now and then, her old self will surface. You have a reason to be concerned- especially with the baby. Please don't feel guilty because it isn't always the owners fault when dogs act this way!!! What IS important is that you recognize that there is a problem, and do your best to address it. GOOD LUCK- please PM me if you need to talk furthur!!

I am thankful for this thread just to know we are not alone. We brought Penny home at 5 1/2 months old, and she has always been an anxious dog. Her behavior has just worsened as time has gone by, and at almost four we know we have to do something soon. We have spoken by e-mail with a well-known local trainer who suggested we start her on a gentle lead halter. She is now used to it (though she dislikes it), and we plan to get her in for one-on-one training as soon as we can afford it.

She does the same ballistic behavior when someone comes to the door, out on walks, etc. She will occasionally growl if she is lying down and we nudge her or sit too close. That gets her moved immediately as I won't put up with it. We've tried the alpha behavior back to her but it makes no difference.

I will be watching this thread for suggestions and will share any other advice we receive.

I know it can be hard to see your baby behave this way. Any other time, Penny is the most lovable, sweet, cuddly dog. It's hard to believe that she's the same animal some days.

I have two females that will fight periodically. Especially when in heat. We did the alpha thing (hold them down, put my face in their neck and growl really, really loud!). It worked for me. Now when they look even the least bit interested in starting a fight, I just have to snap my finger and say 'No'. They immediately back off and are best friends again.

As noted above in previous posts, sometimes this will work and sometimes it doesn't. It's certainly worth a try. You may have to do it several times before the biting ceases. Just make sure that you do it consistently, even if all you see is that 'look' that says he's thinking about it. Catch it before it escalates and nip it in the bud!

Good luck, girl! PM me if you want more info.

And, good thoughts they are. :goodpost: Thanks, Sheila.

We've had Abigail since she was 8weeks, also. And, we've made some mistakes with her, apparently. I've allowed others to 'pretend' attack me, because they thought it was so cute how this little package protects me. Well, now, dh can't even enter the room without her growlng a warning, if she's in my lap. And just forget it if I'm asleep - she snarls, growls and snaps at him. And she does not dislike him! He's very good to her, and she gets all excited when he comes in from work. She will even curl up and sleep in his lap - but, it must be on her terms. I've taken to telling her "no" when she warns him away; and if she continues, I just put her down - no fuss, no fanfare - just ignore her. It breaks her bitty heart :( . It never occurred to me that she might actually feel the weight of 'the protector'.

may help
 

I have no experience in this but ive seen it done. Just try it out and see what happens. next time your yorkie gets aggressive with you or anyone else take her down. pin her to the floor with yur hand firmly around her mouth keeping it shut and totally dominate her. keep her like that for about 5-10 minutes and do it everytime she goes nuts. firm NO's are in order as well. you need to dominate her in a different way than in the past. make her remember who is the boss and dont ever let her get away with it. light smacks on the nose and doing what i said above are not going to physically hurt your yorkie. violence is not the key but sometimes in the right doses it could be the right medicine.

hope you can fix this

I am not an excpert but have raised yorkies as well as many of the protection breeds. The above 3 posts on being Alpha are your only chance. A trainer will be costly! Both you and your wife must buy into this, both of you will have to be able to roll her(describe in above posts) and get her in her place. If she even looks at your son wrong roll her, it will take paying attention, consistency and timing. You would not stand for this in a big dog and you sure shouldn't from a small dog but you have allowed it to happen and it WILL get worse.You will have to get over the fear of being bit, because she will try to bite you when you do this. If done right she will not be able to, but can you mentally do this? With the baby on the way this must be done, or it will not be, if she bites the baby but when! I am not trying to scare you but this is serious and it is the truth.. You may have to think of rehoming if you can't accomplish this. Just my opinion.
Sean

I am not sure if I am allowed to do this but CESAR, he has a book out I think it would be great to get it and take a look at it. He is amazing and his show is even more amazing. I have seen him work with dogs just like this and in a matter of a few hours they act completely different. The one thing I have learned is being the leader of the pak and not allowing the dog to as they say "rule" the house! I sure hope this helps and good luck with it all!!

Her behavior is very serious as you know and you really do need to get a behaviorist come to your house and work with her. Even little dogs can do serious damage to a child's face. A receptionist at my doctor's office adopted a Maltese who bit her husband in the face when he accidentally rolled over in bed into "her space". He needed stitches.

Until you can afford a behaviorist, you could try the Nothing in Life is Free program. I know many people who have had success using this method early on, before the behavior has escalated to the point Kelsey's has.

http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/nothingfree.htm

http://www.hsus.org/pets/pet_care/ou...echniques.html

http://www.k9deb.com/nilif.htm

Welcome to YT. You may have to work with a behaviorlist.

same problem here
 

You know i have had the same problem here. My little Buster is the cutest most loveable dog there is EXCEPT when we are walking him or at first when someone comes to the house OR if someone takes him from my arms. Obviously, he feels like he has to protect me. I got him a few years ago from the shelter and i have been trying to clicker train him, the "gentle leader" leash for walks and the "nothing for free" thing from the advice of a behavioralist in my area from Tufts University. I felt like this was good advice from a respectable place but it hasnt been cutting it. he hates the gentle leader and i havent been consistent and to be honest i just gave up on that. We just moved to a house from a condo so he is LOVING the yard and because i am 7 months pregnant and working full time the poor little guy doesnt get walks much. The clicker training eh is ok. Again i havent been consistent. He does listen to me but when he is in the zone and becomes like a Cujo with strangers or other dogs all i can do is pick him up and say no. But i just LOVE the advice of taking him down. Never thought of that before. I have seen Caesar do it on big dogs but i didnt think of using it on my little Buster. Hmmmm, DEFINTELY have to try that. He gets so nervous around kids that it makes me nervous and i know i need to correct that pronto. Our neices are good with him but sometimes when they are playing jumping around he lunges and that is not good. He doesnt bite but kind of scares them. I know he does this out of fear and feels he is the alpha protector. With a little one on the way i need to take action.

This is Penny to a T. She does the lunge thing with kids, too. We are saving to visit a local trainer for one-on-one. I know it will take many sessions to help all of us work on this behavior.

The take down doesn't work on Penny. She'll lie there and deal with it, but that doesn't mean she won't repeat the behavior in 5 minutes. Sometimes she'll even growl (half-heartedly) as she gets back up. Always has to have the last word!

Oh boy...hopefully he wont have that reaction! He is usually very submissive to me though so i tend to think he wont. Should be interesting! I cant wait to try it jsut to see how he does!
BTW Miss Penny- your little ones are the CUTEST! I just love Yorkies!

We have two alpha females. Luckly they are only 3.5 and 4 pounds. Me-Me will jump up and pull on peoples pant legs. Cupie tries to rush and bite anyone hands that she does no know when they come in. Cupie has snapped at strangers since she was a year old. Try reading the book "How Dogs Think" and "Dog Whisper". Great help in them. Good luck.You need to become the alpha in the house.

This is my Abbie also. And she is only 1/2 Yorkie! The other 1/2 is Bichon Frise, so I thought perhaps this aggressive Yorkie trait would be diluted out but it isn't. She is soooo sweet and loving... UNTIL she is sleeping in my lap or next to me in bed, then no one can come near, not even my husband. My other dog is a very mellow Shih Tzu and we've had her much longer than Abbie but she cannot even come near me without "asking permission" from Abbie or else Abbie lunges towards her and grabs her by the mustache. I fear for her eyes. Anyway I've been doing the Rolling thing, I hold her on her back until she subdues. It takes a long time with her! She must be very "alpha". Her little teeth (actually her teeth are quite BIG for such a little dog!) are exposed and she's snarling. All this just because someone woke her up, or came close to me! if she's sleeping in my lap, I cannot pick her up or then even I suffer this wrath.Mine has no problems with strangers, and is extra loving towards them... its just us her family she does this to. For a little thing she is scary!!! But I'm getting where I will start setting her down on the floor when she does this. My problem is consistency. I need to do this every single time! I always hold her back, but I don't always roll her or put her down. But I will start as of now being consistent.

I am glad (well not "glad") to hear others have this problem too, I'll be watching this post.

What you are doing is called the "Alpha Roll" and is very likely making her aggression worse. It is a technique developed by the Monks of New Skete back in the 1970's, but is now considered obsolete and even dangerous.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpha_roll

No the munks did not develope it. It has been around since man first had a dog. Obsolete? Any person that can talk(whisper) dog uses it. The main problem with all the toy breeds is that we let issues go by, we are slack on them do to there size. A little dog can bite BIG! They need to know they can never even think of biteing us, there owners. All parties invoved, mom,dad,kids,boyfriends and girlfriends.
What is you answer to said problem? I m very open minded when it comes to training our dogs and would always want to communicate better with them but to this day, nothing works for our family as well as the Alpha style. I'm alpha, my wife is my mate and our girls are babbies of the alpha pair. It is talking dog to dog which in our house keeps it very simple. Outsiders is a diffrent story it will be my job to set those rules.
Sean

Please google "alpha roll" and "Monks of New Skete". You will see that the alpha roll came from the 1976 book "How To Be Your Dog's Best Friend" by the Monks of New Skete. The Monks later on apologized for introducing the Alpha Roll when they realized how it was misinterpreted and misused.

I would say she is dealing with some serious jealousy issues b/c of your son. I would call a good trainer and have them work with your baby. It IS possible to work with a dog so the transition of a new addition to the family and a new home can be easy for her and she can learn that she too is still loved just as much as before.

I would reccomend the book -- The Loved Dog by Tamar Gellar.

I was taught that "alpha rolling" was the correct way to train when I brought my puppies home, but I've since discovered that I much prefer to handle all training in a positive reinforcement way.

I think the alpha roll scenario just isn't the proper way about dealing with bad behavior anymore, nor do I think that being seen as the dominant one works either. I believe truly that dogs will work for rewards and positive reinforcement as opposed to reacting to fear or dominance.

My only suggestion until you can afford professional help is to not allow your yorkie near your child at all. Don't give your yorkie an opportunity to act aggresively. Put her harness on and tether her to your belt with a leash so you have a constant eye on her and can nip any aggressive behavior in the bud before it happens.

Good luck!

It's such a shame that the outdated Alpha Roll is still used by some people as a training method. It can make an aggressive dog even worse and is very dangerous:

Alpha rolling is dangerous and unnecessary. By performing what seems like an attack to a dog, humans leave themselves vulnerable to a bite to the face and lower the trust and respect their dogs have for them. An alpha roll can have dire consequences for dominant or fear aggressive canines. An alpha roll can increase aggression in an already dominant dog. In a submissive dog, the alpha roll will add more feat to the dog's psyche and can lead to submissive urination, loss of trust and possible fear biting. The alpha roll is not a good way to build a sound, healthy relationship. A stable leader shows his dog the rules in a fair, gentle, and firm manner, built on clear communications and mutual respect.

In the dog world, the only reason one dog will forcefully flip another dog on its back is to kill it.

http://dogs.lovetoknow.com/wiki/The_Alpha_Roll

I don't know what to say, i've worked with 2 different trainers, both used the rolling on the back technique. I used it on Tink when she was younger and it did work wonders for us. All of my dogs will roll on their back when they meet other dogs as well, i've been told that is what they are supposed to do, it is a non aggressive position.

I should have copied the rest of the paragraph:

In the dog world, the only reason one dog will forcefully flip another dog on its back is to kill it. In the alpha roll over, physical force is used. We see many dogs flip over on their backs of their own accord to show submission, but this action is not the same as the alpha roll. It is completely voluntary. Confusing the two acts is like comparing apples and oranges

That is what I read also, that's what changed my mind on the alpha roll. Mckenzie is very submissive and she will flip right over to her back for the other dogs, but they never force her to do so -- she does it herself.