New puppy owner...discipline question

[Stormypoot]

hey thanks, this was a very good thread to read with my first yorkie puppy

[yorkietalker]

Originally Posted by Stormypoot

hey thanks, this was a very good thread to read with my first yorkie puppy

I truly think the only thing physical discipline accomplishes with a dog is aggression. (I'm no expert either!) Just watch your dog's body language and I think you can prove my theory. Puppy rearing - just like child raising is a long and often frustrating process. I tried socialization class - which was great when I first brought Bennett home. I tried Petco training - which was a joke. Now - Bennett is enrolled in boarding school/boot camp for training. Sometimes - you have to leave it up to the experts! I owned a Yorkie (now - that is never/ever possible!!) 30 years ago with no problems at all! Fit right in to the family - never a problem. Bennett was born with a love for life that is a bit overwhelming - but I surely don't want to squash that special qualify. But - just as children - dogs need limits. Keep us posted on your progress!

[Stormypoot]

thank you, and yes i know the problems with new puppies, and that they are very differnt, this little one is a little doll, just having the puppy rough play issues right now, but Zoe seems to be trying to do her best for me, so i will continue with her training as best i know how, and i am sure with help from the experience of others here, we will be ok, have a great day

[JoeyP]

You're gonna get MUCH better results with positive training rather than negative training
Just correcting him and telling him no ... no matter how loud or sternly you say it isn't going to do much
in fact he's going to think... HEY Mom makes noise and does this funny jumping up thing when I do this
Maybe I oughta do it some more

Instead calmly say no
and when he does what you want him to .... pet him and praise him and tell him what a good boy he is

[Cheller_]

They key is consistency to anything that you decide is best for your yorkie. I personally don't believe you can say " No" too many times, as long as you're putting "believable energy" into it. Dogs know your energy.

[JoeyP]

If you say that word NO .... twice


You've lost the battle
Once and correct ..... Dogs don't have conversations with their masters

[Baxters Mommy]

Thanks for this thread! It's really helping out with the way I discipline Baxter.

I never hit Baxter. I agree that that will only cause aggression and I don't want to teach him bad things. The only trouble I'm having right now is him biting my fingers, ears, and hair. He likes to lay on my pillow in the bed, and chew on my hair. I don't mind him biting my hair, but then he'll find my ear and start nibbling at it. Sometimes he bites it too hard and that's when I get mad.

I guess I should not let him do any of this, and that's what I've been doing lately. If he starts biting my fingers I say 'No Biting' and then get him a chew toy. It seems to be working, but occasionally he will revert back to biting my fingers. Any suggestions or input?

[Nancy1999]

Originally Posted by Baxters Mommy

Thanks for this thread! It's really helping out with the way I discipline Baxter.

I never hit Baxter. I agree that that will only cause aggression and I don't want to teach him bad things. The only trouble I'm having right now is him biting my fingers, ears, and hair. He likes to lay on my pillow in the bed, and chew on my hair. I don't mind him biting my hair, but then he'll find my ear and start nibbling at it. Sometimes he bites it too hard and that's when I get mad.

I guess I should not let him do any of this, and that's what I've been doing lately. If he starts biting my fingers I say 'No Biting' and then get him a chew toy. It seems to be working, but occasionally he will revert back to biting my fingers. Any suggestions or input?

I did what you are doing with Joey, and since they are teething he continued to occationally bite. Those little puppy teeth are sharp, and I read that you should just take your hand and push it further into their mouth and say "no." You are trying to acomplish a slight gag reflex. This was all it took, he never bit again.

[sandy watson]

When I first got my little yorkie girl, "Sophie" I didn't know alot; however, I did know that I wanted a calm , patient , approach. I was 62 yrs old when I got her and she is now 3 yrs old and comes to work with me, travels with me and there are no disicpline problems.

The first thing I did was hire a personal trainer to come out and train me. I learned so much. Then, I read " Cesar's Way" by Cesar Millan and bought his CD's and watched his show. I learned that all problems were caused by me not teaching the dog what I wanted. Everything that I learned from the Dog Whisperer worked! I didn't need language, I needed to meet her needs as an animal and that meant two to three walks a day, initially getting a comfy crate/house ( I use it at work, it is open and she goes in by herself) feeding regularly, and teaching her by association and with much patience what I wanted her to do . After hundreds of hours and rarely raising my voice, just using praise, she will go "pee Pee potty" on cue and "Poopy potty" on cue, she will walk without a leash in a heel and will be off heal when I say, "ok", she will not come to me or anyone to play with toys at work, playing is when we get home, she sits quietly in her car seat which enables her to see out of the window ( not the safest). She does not do yappy barking, when she started barking at things outside, I would get up, go to her and praise her for letting me know, then sit down. Now she runs to me when there is an animal outside or a person. She is not allowed to be aggressive with the cats and this was done with a constant interfering of her space, not yelling or ever hitting her. She will also, off leash, not go after squirrels, groundhogs or anything else unless I say. She has a signal that I use with my hand that means it's ok to play with my hand and nip, then it's "all done." and another signal. They are so smart. One last thing ....when I eat, she does not come near me because she is not allowed to. I have never fed her from my plate ( one exception means months of undoing) When I finish my last bite , she comes running and sits to hear me sa y it's ok to come up.

so.....exercise, teaching, affection. Watch tone of voice, they don't understand English or German or Chinese but they do understand tone. When I leave the house, I tell her I will be back and wait, when I get back, she used to be so excited because I was using an excited voice. Now, I just say, "good wait." This dog is the joy of my life and it has been very painful to acknowledge that my ineptness was the cause , at times, of her not learning. Sorry to go on and on. Good luck!

[Stormypoot]

this is amazing the things you get her to do, and not do, i know training is the key, but the correct trainning is also very improtant, you have done a wonderful job,

[Nancy1999]

Originally Posted by sandy watson

When I first got my little yorkie girl, "Sophie" I didn't know alot; however, I did know that I wanted a calm , patient , approach. I was 62 yrs old when I got her and she is now 3 yrs old and comes to work with me, travels with me and there are no disicpline problems.

The first thing I did was hire a personal trainer to come out and train me. I learned so much. Then, I read " Cesar's Way" by Cesar Millan and bought his CD's and watched his show. I learned that all problems were caused by me not teaching the dog what I wanted. Everything that I learned from the Dog Whisperer worked! I didn't need language, I needed to meet her needs as an animal and that meant two to three walks a day, initially getting a comfy crate/house ( I use it at work, it is open and she goes in by herself) feeding regularly, and teaching her by association and with much patience what I wanted her to do . After hundreds of hours and rarely raising my voice, just using praise, she will go "pee Pee potty" on cue and "Poopy potty" on cue, she will walk without a leash in a heel and will be off heal when I say, "ok", she will not come to me or anyone to play with toys at work, playing is when we get home, she sits quietly in her car seat which enables her to see out of the window ( not the safest). She does not do yappy barking, when she started barking at things outside, I would get up, go to her and praise her for letting me know, then sit down. Now she runs to me when there is an animal outside or a person. She is not allowed to be aggressive with the cats and this was done with a constant interfering of her space, not yelling or ever hitting her. She will also, off leash, not go after squirrels, groundhogs or anything else unless I say. She has a signal that I use with my hand that means it's ok to play with my hand and nip, then it's "all done." and another signal. They are so smart. One last thing ....when I eat, she does not come near me because she is not allowed to. I have never fed her from my plate ( one exception means months of undoing) When I finish my last bite , she comes running and sits to hear me sa y it's ok to come up.

so.....exercise, teaching, affection. Watch tone of voice, they don't understand English or German or Chinese but they do understand tone. When I leave the house, I tell her I will be back and wait, when I get back, she used to be so excited because I was using an excited voice. Now, I just say, "good wait." This dog is the joy of my life and it has been very painful to acknowledge that my ineptness was the cause , at times, of her not learning. Sorry to go on and on. Good luck!

Great post!

[Stormypoot]

any helpful hints for those oif us that no personal trainers near by??

[JoeyP]

The biting of your hair isn't such a good idea
Dogs don't know where you end and your hair begins
to them it's you because it smells like you
I have puppies ... so I know you have to deal with a certain amount of mouthing
They get hyper and will start to bite too ahrd sometimes
But if they bite too hard just go AH! ... and pull you hands away
and I say NO BITE! and put my palms into the air
and thats the end of the game
when they bite you .... thats when the game ends
they'll get the idea y y

[Stormypoot]

thank you, very good info, that will be very helpful

[MollysMum54]

Originally Posted by JoeyP

You're gonna get MUCH better results with positive training rather than negative training
Just correcting him and telling him no ... no matter how loud or sternly you say it isn't going to do much
in fact he's going to think... HEY Mom makes noise and does this funny jumping up thing when I do this
Maybe I oughta do it some more

Instead calmly say no
and when he does what you want him to .... pet him and praise him and tell him what a good boy he is

I agree completely..i feel there is NEVER a reason to hit a dog. All the experts will tell you that positive reward is a much better way to train dogs.
i seem to have mentioned Jan Fennel a lot lately, but her book and DVD called 'the dog listener' is the only training book i have needed. My first rescue dog was very disturbed after a life of beatings. After following Jans methods, my little dogs life was transformed.