shock collar?
 

hello all,

me and my wife have a 1 year old female yorkie. she is the daughter of my parents two yorkies. she was the only surviving pup of her litter, so she grew up as an only child.

she has never been very good with children or other dogs. everytime we pass a little kid or another dog on a walk, my first reaction is to turn around and walk the other way because she always causes a scene, barking, growling and trying to attack the kid/dog.

whenever we take her with us to visit my parents and her mom and dad, she will randomly attack her mom, viciously, usually when her mom is trying to get attention from myself or her wife. she has done the same thing to my wife's parents daschund, attacking him to the point that she left a bleeding gash in his nose.

im posting here cause we don't know what to do to get her to act up. we don't know what the cause is behind her behavior, we think its mostly a combination of growing up being pampered as an only child and being jealous of other dogs/little kids that might steal our attention away.

our vet suggested that maybe we try getting a shock collar for her. has anyone here ever used shock collar training? im basically just looking to get some feedback on it, to see if its the right solution or if i should try something else first

I would NEVER put a shock collar on a Yorkie (nor any breed, but especially a small breed like a Yorkie). I think they are inhumane.

Someone may have some advice for you on the situation, but a shock collar should be a definite NO.

I would invest in one on one training with a trainer. I would never use a shock collar on one of my dogs. It seems cruel to me. I'm sure others on here will have lots of good advice to offer regarding positive reinforcement. Victoria Stilwell is a trainer who uses this method with success, try looking at some of her episodes (Its Me or the Dog) on Animal Planet. In the mean time, good luck.

It is vital to socialize your dog when she is a puppy... Expose her to children and other dogs at a early age so she gets use to it and comfortable. It is harder to do it when the dog is older:eek:
I am surprised that a vet would recommend a shock collar. IMO those things are terrible. Especially for a small breed. I would be looking for a new vet ! NO, I would never consider using one of those :mad: Instead , gradually , work with your dog in short intervals , as soon as she "acts up" remove her from the situation . She has to build confidence and trust.. Use consistency and a whole lot of patience with her. If and when she does respond well , reward her with a small treat. This is very time consuming, but she will eventually catch on .

Never use a schock collar!
Seems she never learnt proper behaviour when meeting dogs or small kids. How does she react when adults approach her? Or bigger dogs?
I would consider training classes, be it one on one with a trainer, obedience class or even the dog park. She needs to socialize.
It will take time and patience; praise when she does well, be very strict when she acts up.
I wish you well.

I have 2 dogs that are not the most well trained. So, the only advice I could give you is run like hell to a new vet.

:thumbup:

I would love to know the thinking of this vet. How would shocking the crud out of a dog get rid of aggression towards other dogs? All it would do is create more of a fear response.

She needs to work with a good trainer who can get to the root causes of the problem and work on a specialized plan to deal with it.

Please DO NOT use a shock collar- they are inhumane- there are ways around it- why don't you try rewarding her good behavior with treat- every yorkie I know is food motivated. Please keep us posted

First off I would suggest that you spay her. The aggression could be due to hormones and the reason that you have 2 females fighting. Females whether they are mother and daughter could and have fought to the death!

As for using a shock collar I would not suggest that route. But I would suggest that you try using the Bark Repeller. It works really well with ultrasonic sound waves. If you do a search on YT there are a lot of good feedback for using it for barking. Recently, I have tried it for behavior when Bogey and Doodlebug like to bit at my feet when I am in the yard. For the $15 including the shipping is might help. But I would also spay her and get her into some training classes.

Dog REPELLER BARK Trainer STOP BARKING! Dog Training! - eBay (item 360300878604 end time Sep-21-10 22:59:40 PDT)

Sounds like the vet needs a shock collar so he/she can be "trained" not to give such advice.
Honestly, the fact that you said that when you see a dog on the street, you turn and walk away, tells me that you have reinforced your dog's behaviors.
I think that instead of a trainer, it sounds like your pup would benefit from an evaluation by a behaviorist.
Good luck!

NO I would never put a shock collar on any dog much less a tiny yorkie..I too would suggest a trainer or training class...they are very smart .. I would also run not walk to a new vet!:(

What about that bark off machine. The one where you put it on the desk and it sends out signals. I don\'t know if that works but I saw it on a commercial. :confused:

I agree with the responses you have already been given.

Spay her, socialize her & take her for training! I would also look for a new vet.
I would never service a vet that would suggest a shock collar for a Yorkie! :eek:

No Shock Collar on a little neck like that. If you consider one, buy a large one, and wear it, and give yourself a few shocks at the highest level. Socialize, correct, invest in some one and one obedience training. Some Yorkies just do not like Kids. You may want to get a Large Mastiff so the kids have a dog to pet and stand around when you are out and about. No Shock Collar.

shock collar
 

I agree with all of the comments that have been written, and definitely do get a new vet!