About to lose my mind. Please help.
 

So Harley had his second groomer appointment today... and he is not welcome back until he can stop biting and being bad. it was pretty embarrassing to be told that b.c i thought we were doing everything right and he was still just a puppy. hes six months. everytime we let him out of his pen he has all this built up energy so he will jump and as soon as i try to put my hands near him he will try to stick my fingers in his mouth... again as most people say... he never bites down really hard... but i tell him no... no no no no no and it does NOTHING. just keeps going right after my fingers... tried slapping him on his butt when he did something bad and it didnt help.... im actually unable to give him a slap on his muzzle b.c he is too fast and i think he thinks its a game im playing with him so i dont really try that often anymore... tried locking him in his crate whenever he does something bad but it hasnt worked.

until now i was able to deal with it b.c i knew he was still teething b.c his teeth were falling out... but theyre all grown in now and its not his gums itching and hurting anymore.

i'm almost at my limit with this dog... and while the thought of him sitting in a shelter absolutely breaks my heart... im not going to put up with it much longer... he makes my girlfriend miserable every single day. what havent i tried??

also, he has not been neutered yet... he has an appointment for mid-july bc thats the earliest he should have it done. should i just wait on that and see if losing all the testosterone flowing through his little body does much?

My Gidget is 5 mo and she does this when she's telling me she needs to go outside. Maybe your baby is trying to tell you something. Does she want to play, need water/food? Gidget is due to be spayed at the end of July.

Have nothing useful to add, but I am going through the same thing. Mine is almost 8 months, all teeth are gone, and is also not neutered yet (but will be soon!). I kindof felt like it was my fault though, for not getting him used to being groomed at a younger age. He tries to bite the groomer and myself, but I think it's because he's scared and not used to it. I try to groom him often at home now, while my husband rubs his head to distract him and gives treats. It's getting better!

Have you talked to your vet about this? Maybe the vet can prescribe something to calm your pooch down. The first time I took Charming on a cross country plane ride, my vet prescribed a small dose of of valium.

Being that he's only 6 months, he just has lots of energy to burn.

It's going to take some training and patience, but it's worth it :)

What you can do is when he's left out of the crate don't try to pick him up or anything. Do it very quietly (maybe no talking to him or talk softly) and just let him out to go to the bathroom (if he needs to).

If he's being well behaved, give him a little treat. If you try to pet him and he starts trying to play rough, say something like 'ah ah' sharply and then walk away. To him play is fun and he wants to do it. So if he does something that stops the play, he'll pick up after a while that "If I do this, then play stops, so I won't do it". After about 20-30 seconds, you can try to to pet him again. Once again, if he gets bitey, say 'ah ah' and walk away. Keep repeating this each time he gets too bitey.

When puppies are playing and they bite too hard, the other pup will yelp and that's a signal that they are being too rough. It's the same when playing with people, so the 'ah ah' is like our yelp. If you want, do a yelp and pull your hand away quickly. Just make sure the yelp sounds like one, so it's enough to startle your pup so he knows something happened :)

Yorkie's are smart little things, he'll pick it up :)

Anytime I read a post about a new dog owner even thinking about giving up their puppy, it makes me worried, cringe, and feel sad. Please don't give up on him. You brought him into your lives, you need to try harder to get past this stage. Forget about your embarrassing situation at the groomers for a second...

It's really important to understand that what you're experiencing is puppy behaviour. It doesn't mean it should be tolerated, but as the puppy owner, you need to be in control to train him out of bad behaviours.

As others mentioned, Yorkie puppies (until ~1.5 to 2 years) will have an immense amount of energy. They will try what they want to do until you train them not to. Slapping them doesn't really work - nothing physical will work. Repetitive No's don't work either - they will learn to zone you out. Locking him in the crate won't work either - you're just teaching him to hate the crate.

What works best is positive reinforcement and a positive mindset. Don't ever let your frustration get the best of you. They can sense it and feed off of it. What you need to train you dog is impulse control.

All puppies want is food and your attention. That's it. Start with obedience training, either on your own or take a dog training course. I'm a huge fan of the late Dr. Sophia Yin. I learned from her that dogs should sit to say please. It's a really good start for impulse control and have a calm dog. Even puppies can achieve calmness :)

Say Please Protocol (or “Using Real Life Rewards”) | Grisha Stewart
https://drsophiayin.com/videos/entry...se_by_sitting/
https://drsophiayin.com/videos/entry...ddenly_settle/

Once your puppy learns some obedience, everything else is easier to train. Spend 10 minutes with your puppy multiple times a day for training. It's a LOT of work. But it REALLY pays off. Honestly.

There are two ways to expend their energy levels: mentally by daily training and physically by nice walks outside. I'd suggest to do both!

For the biting. Make a LOUD YELP noise, even if it doesn't hurt. Then, turn your back and ignore him. Only when he doesn't bit you, does he get any of your attention. This works for barking at you too. If you react to him when he bites/barks, then you're reinforcing him to continue these behaviours. If the yelp noises don't work, use your hand/arm to push him gently away and then turn/walk away. Whatever you do, prevent situations where your hand is near his face.

Make sure he has a large variety of chew toys.

Anyway. Start with this. Just don't give up so easily :)

Sounds like the little pup has a lot of energy! How much excercise is he getting? Awful hard to nip and nibble when you are 'dog tired' :) As was stated before, using the crate as punishment only shows that the crate is bad- and he is surely not getting his energy out that way either (same with swatting, creates fear and distrust plus these guys are pretty little and a small amount of force can be bigger than we realize). When he nips saying ow! Frowning and completely walking away and ceasing to give him attention can be really helpful to discourage nipping. If he left his litter mates prior to twelve weeks he may be missing some important development that happens during those weeks- like bite inhibition which I think peaks with siblings at nine weeks?

The groomer can be a tough one :( if your dog isn't conditioned to being handled thoroughly as a grooming requires they can have a lot of challenges- and yorkies are high needs in the grooming department! Simple tasks like picking up and handling the feet, stroking the paw pads etc are things that would be great to work on but I think first thing is first: this little guy needs to get more excercise, have consistent and positive reinforcement training (time to you tube my friend!) and a more structured day/environment full of energy burning activities would probably really help. I look forward to hearing more about what a typical day for your guy looks like so we can come up with more helpful suggestions- you guys can make it through the puppy stage :) I'm so glad you are seeking ways to help your little guy! Welcome to yorkie talk :yorkieboy:

I hope you have found help for your baby by now. A young dog that is kept in a cage more than a two or three hours a day is going to be wild. That is just a fact. These dogs are very social creatures and they crave human companionship. A young dog needs human interaction and continual reinforcement of his training.

You did not say but it does sound as though this pup needs a lot of companionship and training. I hope you have found someone to help you to learn how to interact with him. Yorkies are high energy dogs and when they are young they are super energetic and need tons of exercise to run that energy off.

Please think about getting a trainer or training him yourself....when you say he makes your gf miserable daily, what is happening? Even once he is neutered, he still needs to be trained. Hang in there and get support so you can help him.

A good trainer or behaviorist should be able to help you.

If you're feeling as though he may need to be re-homed, though, then perhaps this tenacious breed isn't for you. He's very young and a terrier. He's going to be rowdy, and he's going to be wiggly, and he's going to use his teeth- he needs guidance to learn not to do those things. Perfect dogs aren't born that way, and even the best dogs in the world start as puppies. Puppies who bite, who jump, who want to play all the time. That's true of any puppy of any breed.

My service dog, who is an incredible animal- gentle, soft, intelligent, kind- went through these same things. When I got her at a year old, she was in the throes of adolescence and she shredded a number of items, including a very pretty blue harness, some craft projects, and other things I wanted. She also made me want to wrench my hair out with potty training, grooming, and a number of other things. It's part of enjoying a young dog, and with guidance, respect, training, and exercise, Kaira does not chew on things that do not belong to her anymore, she potties outdoors, and she's learned all of the tasks and manners required of a working animal.

Never ever ever hit your little guy!!! Or yell. I know it's hard. My girl bites my daughter constantly, and has tried to take a snap t hubby and myself when she becomes agitated but stops before it happens. Look up the Nothing is for free technique and do that when he acts up. It has been working with my daughter. Yes, she's a brat with this technique, as she will continue to do her high pitched barking, but the biting is slowing down.
A groomer said he's not welcome back? Are they serious? What kind of dog and pony show do they have over there?! Count your blessings and get a groomer who actually can work with wayward dogs, which is their JOB. That makes me SO mad that I'm smiling, and not in a good way. What a WIMP that groomer is. GRRR!!!! You're better off, I promise.

Canana, thank god for you. I agree and support everything you're saying. I didn't comment on the give him up, because it makes me tear up thinking about it. I Love my chewie so much that I can't go there. Some of your advice worked wonders. It worked for what we spoke about, and I was able to figure out another way based on your advice to kinda put a bandaid on it until our trainer could get here. To the original poster, LISTEN to her because she's done a fantastic job with her little girl and guy.

awwww, Harley, he's just a baby still. If I lived closer I would take him if you are going to put him in a shelter. Please don't do that, be patient, he will get through this. I agree with JennaPenny you are better off to find a new groomer if she can't handle little Harley, she must be a new groomer with no experience. My baby is 4 months old and she is going through the biting phase, she is doing very well and when she starts with the fingers, I have a chew toy ready for her mouth. So maybe guard yourself with chew toys, I dunno, I am new at this myself. There are alot of ladies on this forum that can give you fabulous advice. Harley will get through this stage......Good Luck

I agree with this. I won't put Chewie in a cage, no matter how much hubby has begged. I've agreed to crate her for date nights once a week after training her to do it, but no more than 3 hours. I agree with gracielove. A good trainer makes all of the difference. When you find someone that speaks your little guy's language the results are unbelievable. hubby wont call her over until next week, or I'd be already over the biting stage with daughter. Look up on angies list, or yelp,. and interview as many trainers as you can afford. You WILL see results. I promise. Try to find old posts of mine about walking and the like, and you'll see my trainer made a HUGE difference- along with advice on this board.

I happen to be a groomer. I have only refused to groom 2 dogs in my 14 years. However im not sure where you got the idea its the groomers JOB to work with wayward dogs??? A groomers job is to cut your dogs hair ,bathe..etc. not deal with an aggressive dog or a dog so scared that its going to hurt itself.
Groomers can be liable for dogs getting hurt.
If i ever have a dog so scared or aggressive that its going to give itself a heart attack or going to hurt itself from frantically trying to get away they get sent home. I will work with them in shorter sessions trying to get them used to it.
But it is 100 % owners reaponsibility to train their dogs. Not the groomers.
While i do not refuse dogs like this, there are many larger grooming business who do not allow a dog who bites period. And a sick/ or scared to death dog who could hurt itself is also not allowed back because of liability issues.

I think without knowing exactly what the groomer said and how he said it, it is tough to debate here. I absolutely love my groomer, he is the most gentle man I have ever met. I have brought each of my dogs to him before they were fully trained and while no biting, I am sure they were not easy. I think groomers can probably have a gentle discussion and give referrals as a way of saying it nicely? Or at least I am going to hope so :)

I understand everything you are saying, but there is always a choice to be empathetic and offer resources.

I don't think a dog should be as a puppy completely trained. that's what I Meant. Chewie has a nasty phobia about her little areas, and I had to find a good groomer that would work with her, and not just tell me whatever and shave her any way. Yes, that happened. Four times. I found a groomer that works with puppies that either have phobias, like my Chewie who got a bad groomer at a "well regarded grooming place" or puppies who bite. she insists on a muzzle on any puppies that might bite, and can work with them. I don't know about dogs. This guy has a puppy. I seriously doubt having a puppy of my own that his puppy bites hard enough or seriously enough that will cause pain and to be asked not to come back. I'm sure you're a fantastic groomer. I like you as a person, and you seem to know what you're saying. However, I am telling you, I've met people who have lied to my face while smiling and have now made my puppy scream after grooming and tuck her poor butt down UNTIL Sandy. Any groomer that just gives up like that seems to be causing more of an issue.

I get alot of naughty/ or scared dogs referred to me. But i do wish more people started early with their puppies. The breeder should play a large part in getting their puppies very used to handling and brushing and toe nail clippings. And the sounds of clippers and blow dryers. I dont think alot of people put enough thought into what kind of work will go into a long haired breed.
And no puppy will be completly trained the first time it goes to a groomer but it could be very well started and at least used to clippers, dryers and baths.
And im not afraid of being bit, but the hardest puppies/dogs are the little tiny less than 5lb ones who are so tiny and squirmy and jumpy that its hard to groom without hurting them.

Thanks JennaPenny for your lovely compliment! ;)

On your comments about the groomer refusing service to certain dogs...
I just want to say that even though I groom my own dogs, I am always worried of the small chance I may hurt them. They are so small and can be squirmy. But I know my dogs and most of the time, I know their limits and my limits.

To the OP:
If a groomer is not comfortable with a certain dog, I think it's only fair they refuse the service. Afterall, they don't know other peoples' dog well enough to 'take a chance' and it's much better to be safe than sorry (for themselves and for the dog). Hopefully you received a polite decline, but even if it wasn't, don't take too much offense into it and just be respectful of their decision. I would imagine each groomer is different with their methods/techniques and has different levels of skills, just like any other occupation. I agree with others that their job is to groom dogs, not train them. If I took my dog to a groomer, I would much rather they be honest and reject my dog, than to try even though they weren't comfortable and then possibly hurt my dog. Just continue with home-training and move on to find a new groomer. Be honest about your situation and asked them if they are comfortable with dogs with similar characteristics/issues as your dog. You could even ask them if they have tips on how you can help your dog have a better experience at the groomers. :)

I also agree with Farleys that most dog owners don't start off with puppies young enough to get them used to blow dryers, nail clippers, combing etc. It's not fair to rely completely on groomers to 'deal with it'.

I hope this get sorted for you. Currently going through the same thing with my dog, Chewie too.

Made a post about it also

But can I just say, do not rely on the "YELP", my dog just ignores it and keeps biting.

WOW! thanks for all the support and ideas guys! lol didnt expect to have this many replies!

for starters, i wasnt trying to bash the groomer at all... i actually dont blame her... she has her own little shop and shes the only one there so i know how much of a handful he must be while hes up on that table...

secondly, i am not giving up yet... i will give him until at least a year before i decide to try to re-home him if we think we have to.

Third, on a typical day, i'll wake up at 530 and bring him for a half hour walk, then we'll come home and he'll go back into his X pen while we get ready.. we will let him out to roam around our apartment (also difficult) until we have to go to work. He does have to stay in the pen all day more for his safety than anything... we get home around 5:00 where one of us brings him to the beach or the park for about an hour walk... then we come home and he hangs out with us until about 9:00. if he gets really nippy or barky we do give him little 5 minute "time outs" where we'll put him back in the pen.

I just got a call from our vet and he is just waking up from his neutering surgery! they also had to remove one baby tooth that wouldnt fall out by itself.

also FYI, he is a HUGE yorkie... he weighed in this morning at 18.5lbs! so he's probably a little bit more difficult to handle than some of the dogs you guys have experience with.

His biting problem is something we're trying hard to work on... we dont hit him... and we do try to ignore him but its very tough. i just want to make one thing clear.. he is NOT an aggressive dog... his biting is play biting and we know this... i doubt he was aggressive with the groomer either (but again i wasnt trying to make this whole post about the groomer, it was just like the straw that broke my spirit lol).

I was just going to add that puppies use their teeth and mouths as its really how they explore. It's up to us to teach them what's okay. Since he's not being malicious or mean, he just needs to learn that using teeth on you is not allowed. Try using a closed hand when playing with him so your fingers aren't exposed. The minute he bites down on your fingers, say "no bite" and remove your fingers. He has to do it in order for him to learn not to. Get on the floor and play with him, then gently touch his body all over, his feet, paws, pads, ears so he gets comfortable with being touched everywhere.
Many people say training can be a pain in the neck, and in some cases it can, but truthfully I enjoy most every part of it. Yorkies are very intelligent and I think they enjoy learning. It is staggering how much our little girl knows (directions, phrases, words, commands etc.)

We took the positive reinforcement route. We definitely tell her NO, but we're calm and she definitely doesn't like to disappoint us. We have never once hit or swatted her. She's a dog and they have no idea what that means except that you're using your hands to hit them. Same with time outs for punishment. They don't have the reasoning to put 2 + 2 together. We make sure she knows we're the leaders but we're very kind. Now, don't get me wrong, we still have our struggles in certain areas (barking at dogs going by) etc.

We took the Cesar Millan Dog Psychology route. Watched him every morning together before we even got Mia. It doesn't replace basic training, but it does open your eyes to a different way of looking at things.

As others have said, please don't give up. He's still a baby, he doesn't have Mom to learn from, so what is he supposed to do? He has to rely on you to help him know right from wrong. He will continue to grow up and he will love you unconditionally. ❤️

Ava our shiz tzu was black balled when she bit a groomer... All groomer in town knew she was a biter. She finally got in their good graces at about 3 when she wasn't so scared about going there. But I bring her in when they open up and not a lot of other dogs there and told them no crates. I'll pick her up when done. That all helped her anxiety about going there and she stopped biting them.

We learned a trick with the girls when they were little. Carry with u a small jar with pennies. When they bite or other bad behavior like chew your leather purse or Nike sandals (yes Max I'm talking about you) 😀 Shake the penny jar...then give them a chew toy that's appropriate. The penny noise distracts them.