My baby Gracie doesn't seem to love me...

[Minniesmthr]

I don't know what to do to make her love me. She is 2 months old and even though I am her primary caretaker and here with her all day, you would think it was the Second Coming when she spots my husband walking in the door at night. She jumps up and down in her crate, wagging all over and gets soo excited to see him. When I walk in the door it doesn't even rate a blink...

She is a high energy puppy who wants to play tug-of-war with her stuffed toys, but she bites a lot and chews on my shoes, toes and pant legs. Mostly, she wants to go outside in the yard to check out birds and squirrels. If we pick her up, she wants to get down.

I have had Yorkies before, but I never had one act like this.

Suggestions please. I am upset because I thought I would have a little buddy... What am I doing wrong?

Cathie

[kjc]

Give her time. Ignore her for a bit, she'll get curious to what you're up to!

[yorkiemini]

Originally Posted by kjc

Give her time. Ignore her for a bit, she'll get curious to what you're up to!

Good point. Additionally, she is still very, very young at only 8 weeks old!

[wisteria]

I don't think you are doing anything wrong......she is young, give her time.

[Biewer Guy86]

All dogs have different personalities much like people. Give it time with your puppy. Continue to train her and show love and within time you will bound well. When we first got our male Biewer he would listen to my wife better than me and I was the one that took care of him the majority of the time. However as time progressed he has bounded more to me. Hence is now we have another Biewer a small female for my wife.

[Cherie6446]

My first yorkie, Gina, was daddy's girl. She was good with me but the moment he came home I was forgotten. I always said there was an invisable umbilical cord attached to them.

[rubymoon2072]

you know my Keylo was this way...well up until a few months ago...she is just over a year old now. she never game me kisses....so on so forth. always all over her daddy but he is home with her all day.

now when i come home she is all over me with love and kisses. it took her longer to bond with lola and i am lola's human. she is always waiting for me so im not sure if now this is a bit of sibling rivalry for mommas attention or if she finally decided she wanted to give me attention but I would just give her time it will come. i can finally hold her and get love.

[cherry14]

Aww, definitely give her time. I think sometimes dogs just bond quickly with one person and then take some time to bond with the rest of the family.

[Harrysmum]

Aaaaaah, very early days still, time will change things.

We have a member here on YT, docmartin, that had the same problem with his little Crystal - he was totally ignored yet was the primary care-giver - Crystal only had eyes for his wife.

But within a couple of months, things had turned around so much and now the bond is amazing. It might be worth you messaging him, to see if there are any tips he can give you? Good luck! Sally + Harry x

[yorkietalkjilly]

Your dog at two months of age is barely old enough to be separated from her mommie and probably should still be with her for imprinting and other developments to be taught by mom during these critical weeks. But the caregiver of a very young dog is frequently ignored for the pack member who leaves the pack for hours on end to then return, usually to great fanfare. It's common practice for pack members to greet returning pack members gleefully as many times in the wild, they are bringing back eaten food to regurgitate for the pups to scarf down and food is always reason for a canine to celebrate as they rarely seem to have enough. Your puppy is still developing and learning the hierarchy of your pack and, in time, will begin to show your love and caring and excitement, too, but for the present is likely trying to transfer her feelings for her mommie to your pack and to her most important person - her caregiver. She doesn't know you need her to show you love - she's just a baby taking from life what she needs as she continues to develop. In time, at age 5 or 6 months or so, she will bond with, begin to love and cherish you as her special person but your husband being the one who goes out and stays for hours before returning, will probably always bring out extra favor and excitement with her as he works outside the home and comes and goes, which always excites dogs.

[Yorkiemom1]

Originally Posted by yorkietalkjilly

Your dog at two months of age is barely old enough to be separated from her mommie and probably should still be with her for imprinting and other developments to be taught by mom during these critical weeks. But the caregiver of a very young dog is frequently ignored for the pack member who leaves the pack for hours on end to then return, usually to great fanfare. It's common practice for pack members to greet returning pack members gleefully as many times in the wild, they are bringing back eaten food to regurgitate for the pups to scarf down and food is always reason for a canine to celebrate as they rarely seem to have enough. Your puppy is still developing and learning the hierarchy of your pack and, in time, will begin to show your love and caring and excitement, too, but for the present is likely trying to transfer her feelings for her mommie to your pack and to her most important person - her caregiver. She doesn't know you need her to show you love - she's just a baby taking from life what she needs as she continues to develop. In time, at age 5 or 6 months or so, she will bond with, begin to love and cherish you as her special person but your husband being the one who goes out and stays for hours before returning, will probably always bring out extra favor and excitement with her as he works outside the home and comes and goes, which always excites dogs.

[MamaZiggy]

Aww hun give her time. She is still a baby. She loves you and that love will grow the longer she is with you.

My baby ziggy loves his granny and I use to be a lil jealous BUT he knows who mommy is and will chose me above anyone else. He is now 2 uears old and shows his love all the time. As we speak he is on my lap asleep and his granny is sitting next to us...

Give her time

[docmartin]

Crystal was 5 months when she came to us, still a baby really. At first she was a mommy's girl, the opposite of your position. I'm home as I'm retired and my wife does voluntary work a few days a week. NKJilly gave me some wonderful advice, "Food is like words to dogs", thereafter I took her little strips of fresh chicken every couple of hours and went into her mums room, (where she stayed on the bed) and sat down stroking and talking to her. It took a week or so and then very suddenly one day she was there by my side. I think their little worlds are disjointed compared to ours and moreover being real terriers they do have moods too, which personally I love and understand, having been brought up with Airedales.

I do hope this isn't boring you too much, but I do know how rejected I felt, until I found this wonderful forum. Just yesterday I was due out for a lunch appointment. I felt really wierd driving (blood sugar down) and had to rest up before aborting and returning home (4th floor Penthouse flat). Just my luck, the lift was being serviced! I had to walk up 66 stairs to our place. I slumped into a big chair in our outer hall after the exertion. Crystal, sensing my condition I suppose, barked and scrabbled at the entrance door, then going to alert my wife, who was on the balcony outside. I was helped to bed, where yours truly never stopped licking my lips for easily 15 minutes. She then apparently sat on my chest guarding me all afternoon for over 4 hours, while I slept. Just three months ago, I would never have believed I'd be writing this.

Gracie is a baby, as others have also said, with a baby's mind, surely missing her mum and siblings too. I'm convinced they do store memories of love, kindness and company. Today we are inseperable when alone and she divides her time between us, when we are all together. Also I think they have to acclimatise to our daily routines? Crystal is fabulous on this now and knows in advance when she and dad are going out together, when she can bully me into a treat etc.

She probably subconsciously sees you as the sheet anchor and your husband coming and going excites her too. They have no recollection of time elapse either, so if you gone for only 15 minutes, you still get the huge hello upon return. Don't worry, give her the security of love and reassurance, she'll return it I'm sure, when she's mature enough to empathise your devotion. One thing, they love their humans!

[Minniesmthr]

Thanks to all who have responded.

We are about to go insane with this lovely little girl. I can deal with her loving my husband so much while falling in last place myself, as I understand things may change with time just as Crystal changed. There are other issues.

What we are having more trouble with is getting her to go outside to do her business. She will go outside, pee and then come back in to poop on my hardwood floors. My husband sat outdoors with her for 30 minutes yesterday to no avail. When they came back inside, you can guess the rest.

The other behavior, that is really difficult to deal with, involves poop eating of her own stool. We are trying Forbid, but don't see any improvement after 2 days. There are other Internet suggestions: putting meat tenderizer on her stools, adding pineapple or pumpkin to her diet, changing her diet and attempting to teach her to "leave it."

All of this is making having a new puppy not much fun, and as the 24/7 caretaker, I am at my wits' end... I could hang in there until she learns where she needs to go to poop, but the poop eating certainly does not make us anxious to have her up in our faces or laps. Internet searches for solutions for poop eating are not very encouraging...

Cathie

[dawn27]

Since you are home with her all the time there is no time for her to miss you in order to have that same reaction or to get excited over your presence. I'm sure that it is a whole other story when you return home from the market or from running errands. I home with mine all day too and they rarely show any excitement except when I am laying on the floor with them having cuddle time. but you can bet when I walk through that door they are all over me.

Your pup will soon realize that you are someone she should be excited to see and want to be with because you are the one that fills her food bowel.