Yorkie attacks windshield wipers (and other vices)

[MissFlora]

Hello, I'm new to the forum and I hope you don't mind me asking for some advice right off the bat.

My sister and I have recently acquired a Yorkie from a co-worker. Lily is about 2. She has some vices, the worst being she is obsessed with attacking our windshield wipers when we are driving in the car and use them. She also tries to attack other dogs, men, and people on bicycles. I group them all together because her aggressive behavior is the same in each situation.

I'm at wit's end!! I thought about sitting in the car and feeding her treats (a la Sophia Yin's behavioral methods). If we put her in the back seat she tries everything in her power to return front and get on the dashboard. However, in the back seat she isn't aggressive and doesn't bark or whine.

During her moments of vice - whether dog, human, bike, or windshield wiper - she doesn't pay attention to me at all, no matter how much I try to get her attention even if I try luring her with treats. When it comes to people and other dogs, I end up picking her up so she won't chase them and seem aggressive.

She knows 'sit' and 'down' but only likes to obey when there's a treat. Otherwise, she is choosy about when she listens to me and my sister.

We have had her four weeks. Do any of you have suggestions? She really is a sweet cuddlebug most of the time. I just would like her to be calm and well-behaved in public and the car.

[Maximo]

Welcome to Yorkietalk. Questions are always welcome.

Put Lily in a car seat that has a hook for her harness. That will solve your car problem and keep her safer.

My boys bark at bicycles, but we are working on it. Desensitization is the best method to alter behavior. Don't pick her up when you encounter the triggers. Maintain a calm, confident demeanor. You can't fake it. Keep in mind that a dog has keen senses and picks up signals from you that you don't even realize you are transmitting. If you tense even slightly or breathe differently when you approach a barking trigger, you will inadvertently encourage Lily to engage in the undesirable behavior.

I have found that scolding does absolutely no good and only makes the dog more excitable, more likely to bark. Enlist friends or neighbors to do training exercises with treats. Work on passing people on the street. Start out with the person passing at a distance and gradually move closer if Lily is comfortable. Give praise and treats for good behavior. For undesirable behavior, turn around and make her walk in the opposite direction.

Training takes lots of repetition and time. YouTube has loads of great positive reinforcement training videos.

Another great way to desensitize is to take the dog to crowded places or different places. My boys get territorial when we walk only in our neighborhood and don't go on any special outings to other places. That is when they start barking at all of the interruptions on our walks.

Hope this helps. Good luck and congratulations on the new addition to your family.

[SWHouston]

You appear to have gotten an animal with some bad habits...
and you're not going in the right direction as I see it.

First of all...
IF restraints are good for you in a vehicle, then they're good
for your dog !!!
Get a Harness, NOT a Collar, use a short leash to make a Tether
where you can restrain the dog in the back seat. Just make it long
enough to where the animal can stand and move some, but NOT be
thrown into the back of the front seat if there is an emergency stop.
And always have the dog restrained when the vehicle is moving !!!

Yorkies are creatures of habit, and once they have a habit, it's very
hard to retrain them.
DON'T GIVE IN, and start letting the animal loose in the car. Make the
back seat "it's" place to be, and play down the aggressive posture, by
NOT giving it a treat to stop, and use a firm corrective voice, with a
firm jerk on it's tether when it becomes aggressive.

This is just a start in retraining it, you got a ways to go yet.
but make that Dashboard totally OFF LIMITS always !

[MissFlora]

Thank you for the advice. We will start restraining her in the backseat.

As for walks especially, she does have a harness. But I have found even when I give her a firm jerk on her leash, it does no good. After an especially trying walk where I was constantly having to get her attention and giving her a tug reminder with her leash, she seemed almost fearful and wouldn't come to me when we got home.

I don't want to make her fearful or afraid. But I also hate that she won't respond to my commands and directions. Is it possible she is sensitive and I need to use another training method with her?

I wonder if I should get a gentle leader or martingale collar just for training purposes.

[SWHouston]

Ha, Ms. Florra, you got a tough road ahead of you !

With Yorkies, Collars are for...
Fleas, Bells, or Shot/ID Tags, and that's IT !
Yorkies have rather sensitive throats, and problems can be
aggravated when using a Collar for restraint or training.

Isn't that GREAT, that she reacted like that, to you tugging
on her Harness !!! Her reaction (when you got home) told you
she definitely understood she'd done something wrong !

Problem was, that you didn't follow through, and when she retreated
or relaxed the tension on the leash, you MUST praise her, right THEN !
These frequent Tugs with Praises, focus her attention, and still can
relax her, knowing she eventually did the right thing.

Make sure when you get home, to hold, Pet and soothe her, telling her
what a great job she did. (actual fulfillment of that will come later
go ahead and lie to her for the time being )

[Maximo]

Originally Posted by MissFlora

Thank you for the advice. We will start restraining her in the backseat.

As for walks especially, she does have a harness. But I have found even when I give her a firm jerk on her leash, it does no good. After an especially trying walk where I was constantly having to get her attention and giving her a tug reminder with her leash, she seemed almost fearful and wouldn't come to me when we got home.

I don't want to make her fearful or afraid. But I also hate that she won't respond to my commands and directions. Is it possible she is sensitive and I need to use another training method with her?

I wonder if I should get a gentle leader or martingale collar just for training purposes.

No martingale collar. You definitely don't want a Yorkie with the deadly condition of collapsing trachea.

Gentle Leaders -- Yorkies have escaped from them. Exercise caution if you go that route.

I don't believe in dominating dogs or tugging at their leashes. If your dog shows fear of you, that is a problem in my book. Positive reinforcement training is much more effective in my opinion.

Work first with your dog inside your home without any distractions. She should know basic commands of sit, stay, and down. Then teach "watch me."

Outdoors, work with her in a place without many distractions. Be positive and confident. If you are frustrated and jerking on her collar, this will do nothing to calm her or make her focus.

Look for a good class or private instructor who believes in positive training methods. You and your dog will be much happier.

[MissFlora]

How do I teach "watch me"? We have been working on a lot of things. I have noticed that she doesn't like to make eye contact with me very often. She kind of lives in her own bubble. Not to say she ignores us entirely - she just doesn't look at me like the lab I used to care for. And she doesn't pay attention to me when I walk her. She is definitely in her own world.

We are keeping her strapped in the back seat and that has taken care of her reaction to windshield wipers, so long as she isn't allowed up front. Still not making progress with "heel" or barking at people, bicycles, and other dogs when we walk.

So... I'm thinking of getting a couple of private training lessons. There is a highly recommended trainer in my area. If I can afford it that is the next step, I think.

[Bentleys Momma]

Originally Posted by MissFlora

How do I teach "watch me"? We have been working on a lot of things. I have noticed that she doesn't like to make eye contact with me very often. She kind of lives in her own bubble. Not to say she ignores us entirely - she just doesn't look at me like the lab I used to care for. And she doesn't pay attention to me when I walk her. She is definitely in her own world.

For "watch me", since you have to uncondition your furbaby a bit, I would start as low to the ground as possible (literally lying on the floor with your head flat) so you are the least amount of intimidating to her as possible. Hold a special treat she enjoys the most (I poach chicken breasts for mine when trying to teach a brand new command). Then put the treat up between your eyes while saying the command "watch me". When she looks in your direction for the treat she will actually be making as close to eye contact with you as possible. Remember if if she doesn't look completely up, reward even a minor attempt. And then next time just "ask" for a little closer response.

Best of luck to you with your baby!

[MissFlora]

Originally Posted by Bentleys Momma

For "watch me", since you have to uncondition your furbaby a bit, I would start as low to the ground as possible (literally lying on the floor with your head flat) so you are the least amount of intimidating to her as possible. Hold a special treat she enjoys the most (I poach chicken breasts for mine when trying to teach a brand new command). Then put the treat up between your eyes while saying the command "watch me". When she looks in your direction for the treat she will actually be making as close to eye contact with you as possible. Remember if if she doesn't look completely up, reward even a minor attempt. And then next time just "ask" for a little closer response.

Best of luck to you with your baby!

OH! That's what you meant. Lily and I will definitely be trying that. We've been working on "Follow me" I'm hoping eventually it will turn into "heel" I hold a treat in my hand and have her follow me. then she has to sit at my heel to get her treat. It works well indoors. But outdoors she is still too distracted by bunnies, bicycles and humans We're getting there, I think.