I need some HELP!! This behavior is getting way out of control....

[PhoebeK]

Phoebe is a sweet, nice affectionate little dog. I walk her in the morning, afternoon and night. She goes to daycare 2x a week she is played with a lot. Of course this winter the walks have been shorter or not as much we have had a cold snowy winter here. My problem is that when Phoebe gets mad she gets mad!! Sometimes I am not even sure what she is getting mad at she barks and bites not playful biting. Sometimes I could even describe her as vicious. The only people she does this with is my husband and I. She is as sweet as pie around other people and they can't believe when I tell them how she is acting or when they hear in the back round. I have taken her to obedience. She knows the basics when she loses it she WILL NOT listen to me. I walk away from her and ignore her when she acts like this. That doesn't do much. The trainer also suggested that I give her a time out in the crate until she calms down. We do that and sometimes it works on the 1st try and sometimes it takes 3 or 4 times. She used to sleep in her crate my husband allowed her to sleep in the bed and it was going o.k. but recently she has started barking insesesntly at night ALL NIGHT. I got one of those bark collars that beeps and she could care less. I have tried spraying her with water, shaking a can everything I have seen suggested. Last night she kept me up all night. I put her in the bathroom but when she gets really worked up she drools and then I heard her choking on her drool so I felt bad. I dropped her off at daycare today and they are always shocked when I tell them she acts like that because she is a perfect angel all day she doesn't bark or bite. What do I do?

[JJC]

Have you taken her outside when she starts barking at night? She may just need to go potty. If she is behaving badly or innappropriately tell her no and put her in her kennel. Be consistant and she will get the idea. No means no and if I persist I get a time out in the kennel. They are so funny and so much like children. Be patient with her but firm and consistant. She will catch on.

OH and BTW... I have the exact same problem with my 4 year old daughter... she's sweet as pie when other people are around but you never know what your gonna get when it's just you and her. lol

[QuickSilver]

What kinds of things set her off? Is it certain times of day, or when you or your husband try certain things?

My guess is that she thinks she is running the household and is trying to direct you and your husband. Do you think this is possible?

[PhoebeK]

Originally Posted by QuickSilver

What kinds of things set her off? Is it certain times of day, or when you or your husband try certain things?

My guess is that she thinks she is running the household and is trying to direct you and your husband. Do you think this is possible?

It's not any paticular time of day but if I had to choose it would be at night. People, Dogs, Squirrels, Skunks, Cats (even though we have one) sets her off. When we go on walks and she sees people and dogs she just really wants to greet them because she loves people and loves meeting other dogs. She doesn't really bark on walks. Its just at anything and everything that comes by the house.
Phoebe is my first dog and I know that I have some learning to do. I make her sit before we go out, before she eats, I make her work for things. She will bark at either of us when she wants to play and I ignore her because I know it has to be on my terms. But yeah I do think that she thinks she runs things. However like I said sometimes she is very well behaved. When I set her food down she looks me in the eye and waits until I say O.K. Or even to go out on the porch she will sit and wait until one of us says "O.K. Phoebe go ahead"
So sometimes I feel we have control and sometimes I feel like she has all of the control. She has two different sides and I want to try to get a handle on the bad behavior before it gets even worse.

[PhoebeK]

Originally Posted by JJC

Have you taken her outside when she starts barking at night? She may just need to go potty. If she is behaving badly or innappropriately tell her no and put her in her kennel. Be consistant and she will get the idea. No means no and if I persist I get a time out in the kennel. They are so funny and so much like children. Be patient with her but firm and consistant. She will catch on.

OH and BTW... I have the exact same problem with my 4 year old daughter... she's sweet as pie when other people are around but you never know what your gonna get when it's just you and her. lol

She is pee pee pad trained and she can also hold it so I am not worried that it is that. I feel like I am being consistent and it's just not working although I know that it may need to be done 100s of times.
And yes she is very much like a child and no one ever believes that she a barker or a biter.....

[QuickSilver]

Okay, so it sounds like she is guarding your house and the inhabitants. Does that sound right? Actually, I wouldn't say it's a dominance issue in that case, she just takes her job of protecting the house very seriously. When you say she bites, what is she biting?

I don't have any great suggestions... Thor used to bark a lot, but he stopped almost the second I started shaking pennies in a can at him. Maybe try searching this site's history?

[Brodi mom]

Well sounds like to me she needs a buddy when she is at day care she is playing and having fun..Yorkies sometimes are no different then children.. they are trying to tell you she wants to play and you all dont...I suggest you to get another.... for her to play with ..

[PhoebeK]

Originally Posted by QuickSilver

Okay, so it sounds like she is guarding your house and the inhabitants. Does that sound right? Actually, I wouldn't say it's a dominance issue in that case, she just takes her job of protecting the house very seriously. When you say she bites, what is she biting?

I don't have any great suggestions... Thor used to bark a lot, but he stopped almost the second I started shaking pennies in a can at him. Maybe try searching this site's history?

I actually found this website when I was looking for suggestions about this. It seems like I have done just about everything that has been suggested. Nothing really bothers her the pennies in a can never even phased her. When I say biting, I mean she bites my husband and I no one else. I don't know if this is a coincidence or not but she was actually never a barker until I was trying to find a doggie daycare that I felt comfortable with. I tried one that was just not for her because it was a free for all ALLL day long no breaks and when I would pick her up she was crazy way too over stimulated and that’s when the barking started she wasn't quite 1 yet. I bring her somewhere else now, it works out well, and they tell me she doesn't bark when she is there. It does seem like she is protecting us and I think that’s great but at this point if there was an intruder or something we wouldn't really even know because she barks at everything

[PhoebeK]

Originally Posted by Brodi mom

Well sounds like to me she needs a buddy when she is at day care she is playing and having fun..Yorkies sometimes are no different then children.. they are trying to tell you she wants to play and you all dont...I suggest you to get another.... for her to play with ..

Yeah maybe that would help although its not an option right now space wise. Also, the funny thing about that is my mother has a dog about Phoebes size and although she loves him and loves to play, she gets fed up with him wanting to constantly play and tries to leave or go somewhere he can't get to. My mothers dog just LOVES her so much Phoebe is a little older but sometimes "Mickey" is too much for her or I would take turns with my mother having them togethet throughout the week. Idunno.....

[Gigi485]

Sounds like she's taking the Pack Leader role. As soon as you let a dog on your bed it confuses them into thinking they are the pack leader. The bed and most comfortable spot is always reserved for the highest in the pack. Maybe get a doggie bed or an old blanket and let her sleep on the floor NEXT to your bed. This will re-establish yours and your husbands role as the Pack Leader.

Also, the Pack Leader's job is to protect the pack and correct the pack. Hence the biting. She thinks she's correcting you for something. Check out Cesar Milan books - dog psychology. Worked for me!

[QuickSilver]

This behavior sounds confusing to me. I don't know why an otherwise mild mannered dog would bite her owners, unless it's re-directed fear-based aggression. If she were just nipping you, I'd say it's because she's the boss. If she were biting a bunch of people, I'd say it was possibly some kind of physical problem.

I guess if it's fear-based aggression, something else scary like pennies in a can might key her up more.

What did the trainer say was driving her behavior? Also, how old is she?

This is just general advice, but maybe you can try 'Nothing In Life Is Free'. If you teach her to Sit/Down/Stay, maybe you can put her in position when she starts to get agitated. When she's Stayed for a given period of time, she gets a nice treat (distract and reward).

Does she have chew toys?

[PhoebeK]

Originally Posted by QuickSilver

This behavior sounds confusing to me. I don't know why an otherwise mild mannered dog would bite her owners, unless it's re-directed fear-based aggression. If she were just nipping you, I'd say it's because she's the boss. If she were biting a bunch of people, I'd say it was possibly some kind of physical problem.

I guess if it's fear-based aggression, something else scary like pennies in a can might key her up more.

What did the trainer say was driving her behavior? Also, how old is she?

This is just general advice, but maybe you can try 'Nothing In Life Is Free'. If you teach her to Sit/Down/Stay, maybe you can put her in position when she starts to get agitated. When she's Stayed for a given period of time, she gets a nice treat (distract and reward).
Does she have chew toys?

She loves Bully Sticks so she chews those a lot. The trainer thinks she is just getting herself too worked up over excitement. Also, when she bites it because we take something away she is not supposed to have or we won't play with her when she wants. Or I guess when she is not getting the attention that she wants. Or when certain dogs walk by and she stats going NUTS and we have to pick her up and take her inside and she is mad aboiut that she will bite. Its not like I don't see the reasons why she might be biting I just wish I knew what to do about it. When she is really worked up she disregards any commands that I give her She doesn't fear much. I was talking to the people that I bring her to daycare at and they are dog trainers as well; I explained that the barking is really getting out if hand and they suggested that maybe since the spring is here and there are a lot of little animals out she may be hearing more then she is used to at night. Makes sense. When she bites or barks I have been putting her in a room until she calms down. Maybe this will work eventually? She will know "If I get to loud or bite fun is over" I don't know. I was hoping the beeping collar would work but she could care less. She just turned 1 in September.

[katiekid]

Is she spayed? I wonder if that would help? Music playing, burning lavender or peppermint to calm her down?

[PhoebeK]

Originally Posted by katiekid

Is she spayed? I wonder if that would help? Music playing, burning lavender or peppermint to calm her down?

Yes she is spayed..

[QuickSilver]

Okay, so it sounds like she is biting for different reasons. Biting when you take something fun away is "resource guarding". When you pick her up to prevent her from tangling with other dogs, she is probably redirecting her fear and aggression onto you.

There are some established methods to reduce resource guarding. You can google this, or search YT for this term. I think there are some other active threads going on about how to fix this behavior.

The fear-based aggression - it's all about distract and reward. I know it's difficult. I never allow Thor in front of me on walks, and even after months and months of practice, he STILL runs ahead of me to growl at other dogs. It takes a lot of patience and persistence.

I would work on the resource guarding first, because this behavior is easier to fix. The work you do with her there might spill over into her overall demeanor. The key to both is to catch her before she's worked herself into a frenzy. Easier said than done, I know.

I would also recommend more exercise. Whatever she gets now, add 15-30 minutes more per day of a strenuous activity, like fetch or keep away.

As challenging as it is, I urge you to work hard on this, because it's not really acceptable for her to bite you. I think this probably does indicate a problem with the chain of command in your house. That might also be exacerbating her aggression problems - her belief that she's in charge may be causing her a lot of anxiety, which keys her up to bite more.