Bought an abused yorkie
 

We had been planning on getting a yorkie for quite awhile, but were going to wait until summer. Then we came across an adorable add for a sweet, 7 month old pure yorkie at an amazing price, so we decided to go and get her (about a hundred miles) the next day. She's amazing and we love her so much. She doesn't bark and is a very, very good dog, but when we got her home it became apparent she was abused. At the sound of "No!" she puts her butt to the ground, puts her ears down, and army-crawls to her bed. She isn't used to dog food and won't eat unless we sit with her and watch her. She had been an outside dog and never had a hair cut except around her face. She's afraid of the dark and runs away at any harsh tone, directed at her or not. She'd never been in the car, and when she has a little accident on the floor, she begins to shake violently and hide under the bed when we find it.

When she does something she isn't supposed to we tell her no, then quickly pet her and love on her because we don't want her to think we're going to hit her, but even if we sit down with food and calmly say "No, not for you," she gets scared. We've read that yorkie's confidence and independence are very important parts of their personality, and we were wondering if anyone has any advice for us. We're trying to train her to potty on some mats in our apartment, and have been taking her to the puppy park everyday, but we want to make sure we're doing everything we can so that she can be a very good dog like she already is, but also so she can be spoiled and have that little yorkie attitude. Any advice would be greatly appreciated as this is a situation we didn't think would happen.

All that being said, we've only had her a few days now and she's the most loving, sweet, good mannered, laid back, amazing dog I've ever met and has become a fantastic part of our family already!

I want to say Welcome to YT! And congrats on your new baby!! I feel your pain, my yorkie was also abused. Mine was abused by a man because she is VERY scared of all men. She will shake and hide and put her ears down and watch every move a man makes around her. I have had her since Oct. and so far have not had much progress with the issue. My fiancee lives with me and we are working on her opening up with him but not having too much luck. All I can say is perhaps give her some space, don't punish her too much, let her get used to your home. My dog was VERY shy at first and scared of people, I let her bascially do whatever she wanted with a few exceptions but now she has totally turned around and loves people especially children and women. It will take some time but good luck, cant wait to see some pics!:)

I am not a professional, but you all are great! I think with time, she will understand what is happening. Yorkies are a certain breed. I tell everyone that my yorkie has a lit human soul. I can understand if they were not treat properly, they will understand hopefully, they that was the only incidence and will get over it. I really believe with proper care & love, she will change & understand. She is a lucky girl to have you! Don't give up! It will be worth it! Best of luck, you are in my thoughts & prayers! :animal-pa

I think you're awesome for caring so much about this little girl. I don't have any experience with abused pets, but I definitey think that you're on the right track. Love, love, and MORE love. Hopefully she comes around in time. I'm so glad that you've rescued this poor baby from whatever bad situation she was in at her old home. Please post pics, we'd love to see her. :)

No experience with abused yorkie, but I had an abused shih tzu
 

It took me almost 4 months, but he eventually came around. I don't know how extreme your case is, but it sounds very much like my Leo. It hurt my heart to see him so afraid of me even when I said no to let him know he was doing something wrong.

I could use the loud no because he was so afraid so when he was doing something wrong I would get a squeak toy to distract him and move him when he wanted to chew on something. I did the same thing when he was peeing or pooping where he was assigned. I would keep him close to me at all times because he couldn't handle being in a cage for even a minute without freaking out. Just a squeak toy to distract him and move him to his pad and it took patience but he got the hang of it :D

I have no advice about grooming, but my shih tzu was terrified of ppl and I worked hard on him accepting other ppl....but grooming is something that I have to do for myself. On the bright side he is the most amazing dog when it comes to other animals. He has never met a creature that he didn't love and want to play with. :aimeeyork

Best of luck with your puppy

Oh my goodness...after reading your post I teared up a bit and had to pick up my Snick and give him and hug and kiss b/c I felt so bad about what happened to your lil girl. How could anyone strike their dog, ours is the most loyal creature ever, and is part of our family! You're so great for wanting her to be a confident little girl. I'm sure it's so hard for you not to want to cuddle her all day after what she has been through. I would call the previous owner and ask questions...but thats kind of gutsy and could end up being ugly. I'm sure she will come around in time!!!! Poor baby!! Sorry I can't help...but your post made me so emotional!!:(

Kudos to all of you who have opened their heart and home to an abused baby. I have two Yorkies that have many issues even after 9 yrs. Over time it has gotten better. Rosie still has to think about coming to me for several seconds before she will move and even then it is sideways. Loud noises or talking makes her cower. Cocoa is very afraid of men, even my dh. Dh has been trying for 9 yrs. to win her over. The only time she allows him to pick her up is when she is scared-----smoke alarm beeping (low battery) or if I am gone. They are my girls and I love them despite their quirks.

Thank-You for giving this little girl the loving home she never had!! Welcome to Yorkie Talk. There are alot of people on here who have adopted and or fostered abused Yorkies. Please ask ??'S, someone will have the answers!! Give her time to get used to a quiet and loving home. She doesn't know she's here to stay with you! Blessings to all, :welcome4::yorkietal:goodluck::big_hug::hands:

:yorkietal Welcome to yorkietalk! You have surely come to the right place! That poor poor baby of yours!!! I cant imagine mistreating such a sweet tiny little creature! It brings tears to my eyes just reading about it! I am sure you will get lots of replies here too. Everyone here is so helpful and caring! I wish I knew what to advise you but I never had an abused dog. I did have an abused cat tho and it took almost a year before he would come to me. He turned out to be the sweetest thing ever and we spent 13 good years together until last September when he passed away from liver cancer.( I am convinced that the petfood recall had everything to do with his cancer even tho I cant prove it) Anyway you and your baby will remain in my prayers. God bless you!:angelyork

Patience and lots of love. She'll come around and bless you for rescuing her.

Welcome to YorkieTalk. That little girl is so lucky to have you in her life.

There is one suggestion I have, since she gets stressed when she hears 'No'. When she does something wrong, don't scold. But when she does something RIGHT, praise her profusely. And reward her with a treat. This will help build her self-esteem, and teach her what you expect of her.

This method has always worked well for me in training my puppies. Good Luck and keep us posted! :aimeeyork

:goodpost::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

Poor baby! Love and praise will work wonders. She sounds like she has found a loving and caring home with you and your husband. :)

Yes it will take time but she will come around.youll see. My husband found a starving beagle and brought her home. she was so scared and ran, but she was so hungry he got her to finally come over to him with a few pretzels. ( thats all he had in the truck).She was so skinny and so weak.he brought her home, she let him carry her. you can tell she has been abused bad, she would run and hide from noises.she would crawl to my Yorkies and to us. its been almost a year and shes still a little shy/scared but she will now walk up to us and My little Minnie she would just love for her to come out and visit her.

Wow even after 9 yrs she still is scared of your DH. This sounds like my Stormy may never come around for my hubby :( How does he deal with this? does it frustrate him or has he learned to just deal with it and move on. I know my hubby wants Stormy to like him and bond, but she just won't go to him on her own, at all!

I wanted to come back to comment a little more on some of your issues with your new puppy. She is young and with work you should be able to turn many of these issues around. This is going to be LONG but I will make sure that I answer all of your questions and try to be helpful :)

Name
If she is afraid when you call the name she was given by her former owners I would suggest that you change her name. If every time she was called in the past she was then abused, she associated her name with the abuse. It is very easy to change her name but if you do decided to do this make is something that does not sound like her former name. Say her name and give praise and treat every time and before you know it she will associate the name with the treat and eventually she will not need the treat but continue the praise.

Using NO!
If she is afraid when you say the work "NO" you should change the word to something that does not have a the negative attachment to it just like her name. Try making the sound "uha" (I totally don't know how to spell that) when you does something wrong. "Uha, Uha, Fluffy." Using a quiet tone to you voice then istract her and then give praise and a treat when she come for the alternate activity.

Building confidence and trust
My suggestion would be for both you and your husband to sit on the floor at opposite ends of the room with some really good treat (cheerios, cheese, lunch meat etc.) and work on trust and come with her. Get to her level so that she can look at you and see that she can trust you. Always say thing like "good girl" in a higher pitched voice. You should only do this for very short periods of time. Treat and praise. As soon as she loses interest stop. But you should get down on her level, never grab out to her when she is near but let her come to you. If she will not take the treat from your hand at first set it down near you on the ground and let her pick it up. Whenever you think about it work with her. She is still a baby and will lose interest in what you are trying to do so if you do this in very short sprints neither of you will be dissappointed. When you are giving all of these treat and if she is not underweight do not worry if she is not eating as much.

Potty training and the dog park and the car
I probably should stop the dog park for the time being if you are trying to potty train. Once again if she is very afraid, I would suggest that you keep a leash on her at all times. This way it will make it easier to catch her without making her afraid and also help with walking on a leash when she goes outside. You say that you want her to potty on a pad so when it is time for her to go, calmly take her by the leash and lead her there. Once again when she does potty praise and treat. If she goes off of the pad just clean it up with a good enzyme cleaner and ignore the accident. If you want her to be able to ride in the car, purchase a car seat that she can be securely restrained in. Security is a huge issue. If she is really nervous, only take her along with you can sit in the back with her to reassure her. Also, a car seat should boost her so that she can see out the window which will help her as well.

Grooming
Please start very slow with her and grooming since this is a life long experience and how it is started will be the foundation. Purchase a few good grooming tools.
Finishing Touch Bristle Brush for Dogs at PETCO
Finishing Touch Coarse Tooth Comb for Dogs at PETCO
Finishing Touch Flea Comb for Dogs at PETCO
Start by placing her on a counter with a towel under her feet so that she feels stable and will not slide around. Once again treat and praise! Before you do anything, just start by feeling her all over her body. Touch her everywhere, her legs, feet, sides, face, etc. all the while giving praise. Once she is comfortable with being touched in this manner you can very gently add the brush very softly. This process will take several days if not weeks to work up to. Then she she is comfortable with the brush you can add the larger comb and finally the small comb. It is very important to make sure that when you groom that you are not leaving mats in the coat. They are painful and nearly impossible to get out if left too long.

Use a good shampoo and conditioner when you do bathe her. I bathe my three in the kitchen sink and use the sprayer very close to their skin so that it doesn't splash. After shampoo and conditioner I also use Neutrogena Bath Oil with warm water in a very large cup. I add about a teaspoon to 3 cups of warm water starting at the back of their head and spreading it over their body. DO NOT RINSE! It is the best think I have ever tried for grooming. Any tangles or mats come right out and they smell great for about a week. The bottle that I have has lasted for over 6 months with weekly baths for 3 pups. *this is a secret so please don't share :p

When you do take her to the groomer for the first time make sure that you use a groomer that has a lot of experience for a pup like her. Do not be afraid to ask questions. Insist they hand scissor her because she has never been groomer before. Pay the extra if they say there is an up charge. If need be stay at the groomers to supervise and if they say no find a new groomer. ;)

Feeding
Now that I have told you to praise and treat everything you will see that she will not be as hungry when it is meal time which is fine. If she is not interested in her food, she might not like what you are feeding. Make sure you are feeding a good quality food and if she is your only pup I would consider free feeding. That why she can learn that she can eat any time she wants. This will make it a little more difficult with potty training though.

I have 3 little ones that are all some form of a rescue and these are all things that I have needed to work on with mine. With patience and love you will build the trust that she does not have now. Sorry this turned so long. If you have any more questions please ask, everyone is very helpful

Bless your sweet heart for rescueing this little girl.
It certainly sounds like your doing everything right and those
who have already answered this thread have given great advise.
Yorkies are smart. Too smart at times so I am sure once she
settles in and knows she's safe and loved she will come around
and love you right back. She's also young and that's a blessing.
It won't be long before she becomes your best friend.
Buddy is 5 now and I still stand next to him while he eats.
If I leave he leaves. I started this to encourage him to eat as
a puppy and it has become a habit. Just keep standing next to her
while she eats if it makes her feel secure.
Good luck,

Hugs,

If you still have the person who you bought your yorkie from call him and tell him what the hell they did to the yorkie...This is bad and I feel so sad to think that anyone would do this to any animal.....I've never even raised my voice at Stinky or even tried to him....Even if he makes me mad sometimes.(he wakes me up every single day at 6:00am he puts his paws on my face and licks my face, so I have to cover myself)


this is sad, just give him alot of love

it just breaks my heart reading things like this.. that poor baby..
what great hearts you both have .. bless you... you have a lucky puppy,
and your puppy is very lucky to have you..

:goodpost:

Good for you! How wonderful that you rescued this sweetheart! You are a hero!!!!

Great advise from megansmomma!

I know you were hoping for me to give you some advice on how to get Prada to be more bold like Wookie, but its like I said in the other post, its not so much bold as it is spoiled!

I don't have much experience with abused dogs, but Wookie has some issues that are kinda on the same lines. He came from a puppy mill, and I believe he was taken from his mother too soon (plus there is no telling what kind of treatment he saw her get or he got in his first weeks). He is very insecure himself. He is 3 and I am still working on things with him. I just bought Tamar Gellars book "The Loved Dog" (you can see my post "Has anyone read..") and I am going to try to do some of her play training techniques to try and build a stronger bond with Wookie so that he trusts me more and understands the pack order. Perhaps, along with all the other suggestions you have gotten, this could work for you and Prada. It just breaks my heart to know our babies had such awful beginings. It may be something they always carry with them, never quite getting over. I don't want to think that though, and I will try whatever I can. I know you will too! Good luck with her. Keep me updated on how she is doing please.

How wonderful of you to take her in, and love her so much. I can't add much to the answers you already received, so I'll just say some prayers for you.

megansmomma gave you a great deal of excellent advice. I hope you will keep us updated with your efforts and her response. How wonderful that you are willing to put so much time into her

I'm really overwhelmed with how supportive and great you all have been! Thank-you for caring so much, it literally has brought tears to my eyes. Today has been very discouraging. She was so great all morning and had a fantastic play date with other yorkie pups at the bark park. She had attitude and was running and playing and wagging her tail more than I'd ever seen! But when we got home I couldn't coax her into the apartment, and once she got in she peed on the foyer tile. She's been sleeping mostly but when I get up she follows me, closer to the ground and head all the way down. When I get on her level and say "here Prada, you're a good girl, come here!" she runs past me to her bed and pees on the floor. She's all curled up and sleeping next to me now, and I know with you all's fantastic help we can get through this, today has just been rough anyway, and now she seems a little more scared than usual.

You guys though are honestly so amazing and it makes me feel awesome to have you all take the time to read, care, and reply. I wish Prada could know how many people love her and are thinking about her. I promise to get some pictures up soon. Thank-you so much for the kind words, advice, and encouragement. It helps more than you know! :(

so glad she did well at the dog park - she needs a place to build confidence.

Your patience and consistency will pay off

Try just to sit quietly on the floor with a few treats and see if she comes to you without calling her. Instead of sitting down on the couch, sit on the floor to watch TV or whatever and when she comes to you give her treats and praise.

*I did this with Pebbles with her crate. She would get into her crate and growl at us so I started to sit on the floor near her crate and little by little she allowed me into her area. After a while, I was able to move my hand inside and then I was able to build trust and she started to nudge my hand to pet her while inside her crate. All the while I was able to build trust.

It sounds like you are on a good path. Keep up the positive reinforcement and you will see she will blossom into a wonderful little girl. You have to remember she is still a puppy so her fears will be easier to overcome compared to an adult that was abused for years. :(

Thank you for being so very kind to this puppy.Read Linda Tellington Jones "Getting in Touch with your Puppy".T Touch may help build her confidence.

Temperament and Behavior
 

While it\'s entirely possible that the dog has been abused it\'s also possible that the temperament issue is genetic. There are very few flaws that merit automatic removal from a breeding program but shyness is one. The fearful dog seems to have a cumulative effect if left in a breeding program spreading the poor temperament to the majority of offspring.

Most even tempered dogs that are actually abused will recover in relatively short order once the abuse ends, depending of course on the length and severity of the abuse. I know of a mixed breed dog that has a disfigured face from the abusive situation he was rescued from. He is trusting and remarkably well adjusted after only a month or so.

Basic human compassion will often lead us to construct a story from the dog\'s behavior to explain the fearful temperament, but if the problem is persistent it\'s likely to have a genetic component.

It\'s important to at least consider the possibility of the genetic component, it will help shape reasonable expectations of rehabilitation.

Bless you for taking her in.