How Come No One Told Me?

[Yorkie118]

It seems like I have come to wrong place for help. I joined this site because I thought it was for people who were nice and loved their dogs and wanted to help each other out. For some reason my thread was taken the wrong way. And now everyone is having a field day throwing darts at me. I think that this is so unfear. I love my dogs. ALL of my dogs. If I don't want help I would have never posted my thread. I HAVE read books. I HAVE done research on the web. I HAVE spoke to a trainer. I have done everything that I have told and it hasn't worked. That's why I came here. I see that it was not a smart idea. You guys are a bunch of mean people taking shots at someone who is trying. All of my dogs are heathly. NEVER been mistreated. Yes he has be caged. For Potty training and safe keeping. I am in no way trying to harm or hurt him in any way. I would not have gotten him to mistreat him. I would not have spoke to so many people it I didn't care. Instead of putting me down you all should have tried to help. I am so hurt about all of your negative remarks it makes me want to cry. I hope you all feel really good about yourselfs. You have someone trying, asking for help and instead you do everything you can to try and make me feel like I am doing everything wrong. SHAME ON YOU ALL.

[Yorkie118]

Originally Posted by EverythingMiley

Yorkie
I wouldn't take offense to what some are saying. I think they are riled up because the way you worded your first post.
I think it's great you are coming here for help. I think we all need to take a deep breath and see howwe can help her.
I posted to you earlier some advice but not sure if u seen it. It was the second post i posted. Go read it and maybe it will help you.

Thanks so much. I will go back and read it again. Please know that I love my dogs and I want to do what I can to give this guy a happy life. That's why I came to this site. Guess I shouldn't have. Sorry if my thread came off as me being a horrible person. I am not at all. I don't have a mean bone in my body. Thanks Again.

[QuickSilver]

Wow, red hot thread!

yorkie118, leaving the emotions aside, there is a lot of good advice in this thread. I am going to reiterate some tips, and I also have some questions for you. I am not being judgmental, I am honestly asking/suggesting:

* How much time DOES he spend in the crate?

* How often do you walk him, play with him, train him, etc, and for how long?

* You mention you have other dogs. How many dogs do you have, how old, what kind, etc? Are they crated as well?

* Do your dogs keep each other company?

* You mention you don't want your dog to chew cords, etc. You need to puppy proof your house. While it is true that they shouldn't necessarily be roaming yon and thither, they do need some space.

* Have you considered xpens / baby gates?

* Not all yorkies have separation anxiety, though I'm sure you were told that they are a very needy breed. Many dogs of all types have separation anxiety and it can be very difficult to address. Again, there are standard ways to reduce sep. anxiety, and if you google it or go to the training section, you will get lots of good tips.


Are you sure that your dog DOES have separation anxiety, and is not just understimulated? I'm not sure what you are looking for, because your initial post does kind of imply that you weren't informed that yorkies are just a bad kind of dog. Your dog does sound unhappy and stressed, and you need to assess what is causing it. Hopefully these questions can start you out on figuring out what he needs.

[happy bunny]

I feel so bad that you have been responded to so negatively. Alot of people on here tend to be very quick to react and I really don't think they mean to come off so snappy. Although you have had some rough responses, I truly wish you luck and please, keep hanging in there. I'm sure everyone means well and sometimes when we read, sometimes we mis-read the actual intent of the poster. Try some of the better suggestions you have received and remember that deep down, we all want you and your babies to be happy.

[QuickSilver]

D'oh, forgot to mention the most important part:

If you do stick with the crate, you need to re-train him to think about the crate as a nice place to be, not as his jail. You can start on this by leaving the door open and throwing treats in it. Close the door for one second, open it, and give him a treat. Try leaving him in it for one minute, then give him a treat, etc. A dog who is fully crate trained will go in of his own accord when he needs to relax and get away from it all.

[Akbritt]

Originally Posted by happy bunny

I feel so bad that you have been responded to so negatively. Alot of people on here tend to be very quick to react and I really don't think they mean to come off so snappy. Although you have had some rough responses, I truly wish you luck and please, keep hanging in there. I'm sure everyone means well and sometimes when we read, sometimes we mis-read the actual intent of the poster. Try some of the better suggestions you have received and remember that deep down, we all want you and your babies to be happy.

[EverythingMiley]

Originally Posted by Akbritt

I second this..and what quicksilver said..

[mscat]

Hi , I am coming late to this thread, and read the whole 7 pages > I am sorry you are feeling like some YT'ers are being mean to you .However these are opinions of how they are feeling and thinking. Some , with a lot of experience with Yorkies and training them. no one is here to attack you. PLease try not to take anything personal or feel attacked, by what anybody suggests . It is only suppose to be helpful guidelines, take it or leave it. Of course you do not have to respond to each and every one of us. I see that your looking for answers and solutions to help you problem solve behavioral problems with your little male yorkie.
What I have gathered is you have owned him for several months and you have tried crate training him for a long time. I have not used this method myself, however believe it is only suppose to be used briefly and only for short periods of time. The puppy is allowed outside to potty ever half hr. or 20 min at first , then placed back in the crate around the clock . A very young pup cannot hold it's bladder for very long . If the pup has accidents while in the crate this means he is in the crate far too long .
What I have always done to potty train my pups is use pee pads. My pups would potty in the same spot, therefore placing a potty pad where she most likely would go , she peed on the pad. Then learned to poo the same way .
It takes an extreme amount of PATIENCE to work with a puppy, and giving the puppy an enormous amount of attention is what is needed in the yorkie breed to require a loving, trusting, bond between Owner and Dog. Yorkies do require , a great deal of attention and human bond in order to thrive. If a yorkie does not recieve this care then the yorkie is not going to develop into a mature, or secure dog. I am guessing this is what is happening here to your male yorkie.
My female Yorkie is 18 months old. She is completely potty trained to use the pee pads, no Accidents whatsoever. She has full access to the apt . I am also a stay at home Mother, ANd have a 3 1/ 2 month old puppy .
I just want you to know that it is not to late for you to turn all this around. Your yorkie is needing you badly , and wanting your love, attention and most of all your patience , kindness , and desire to be with you .
He is too old to be in a cage/crate anymore. If you could think about trying puppy pads? Blocking off your kitchen is fine, use a gate or something . However, remember your yorkie wants to be a member of your family too. He is craving it. This is why he cries at night.
In a lot of ways your correct, Yorkies are different from others dogs, this is what makes them so Special and not everyone can apreciate them or love them for what they are. If your unable to, then I am certain somebody here on YT will jump at the opportunity to adopt your beautiful little boy

[JoshieBoy]

Hi! I just read your first post on this thread today. I can tell that you do not hate your dog, but you were just frustrated and do not know how to train your dog. I skimmed some of the posts, and I read some good suggestions about how to get the dog use to his kennel and using a playpen that allows the dog to move and play. I would like to offer some suggestions based on my experience with training my dog. During the day, I would use a leash or playpen to train Josh. I tried to use the kennel only when my dog was sleeping or when I leave the house. I wanted my dog to feel a part of the pack. I would leash him to an object that he could not move or place him in his playpen with some toys and washable pad in the same room I was hanging out in my house. I would talk to him or play with him now and then while cleaning up or watching TV. I put Josh on a schedule when I was potty training him. Ten minutes after he ate or played, I would put him on his pad to go potty. After he went potty, I gave him a treat and cheered for him. He still loves me to cheer for him after he goes potty, which I think is cute. I made sure I set a particular time for him to play outside his playpen every day. I would watch him play and play with him. Many bad behavior problems go away when the dog is tired and met his exercise requirement for the day. A tired dog is a happy dog, which will help him sleep wonderfully in his kennel. I am sure with all of these great suggestions and puppy training classes at Petco you will have a loving, happy, loyal, and obedient dog. Have a nice day, and welcome to Yorkie Talk.

[jasminr]

:thum bup: good post
and i want to say, with love and patience everything is posible, be positive yorkie118, you will find your best friend in the little guy

[shamrocks]

I think that you were just frustrated and looking for help. I think that we need to as a community reach out and offer help and try not to judge right off the bat. This is a wonderful forum but to be completely honest I am a little afraid to ask for advice in fear that I might be judged harshly.

[kjc]

Hi and Welcome to YT!
There were 2 or 3 things you mentioned in your original post that sent up some red flags to me. I adopted/rescued an older Yorkie and some of your problems remind me of what I went through with him.

1. You stated "It has been hard to connect with him." I owned 2 other dogs at the same time I acquired Peek a Boo. I thought we would never bond. His previous owners complained that he chased their cat and ate the cat food, and he didn't get along with their other dogs. I could tell they really didn't like him. And he could tell too. He came to me full of resentment and bouncing off the walls. Let me ask you this. Does this dog listen to you or act like he understands English? Yorkies are different and it sounds like you are comparing him to your other dogs. Yorkies need to feel special. Is he aggressive to your other dogs at all? If no, you need to spend special time with just him. Could you maybe take a nap with just him during the day for 1/2 to 1 hour or so? Or if no sleeping, just some cuddle time? When you spend this time with him, your mental attitude has to be that he is your favorite dog. If you can't do that, then make him your most favorite Yorkie. This is very important. And you must tell him, in English. Use phrases like: You're a pretty boy; What a beautiful little dog you are; and What a good boy! even if he hasn't been very good, compared to your other 2. Do this everyday, at least once, better twice or more. Try to sound like you really mean it, lie to him if you must, eventually he will hear you. It will be hard for you to say nice things to him without your body language following suit. I know this sounds crazy, but it worked with mine, and another rescue since. Dogs are pack animals. When you put him in the bathroom at night to sleep, in essense you are telling him he is not part of your pack. If you can't let him sleep in bed with you at night, do the daytime thing and keep his crate in the bedroom at night. This may ease his pain (why he isn't bonding with you). Give this a try for at least 2 weeks. Your other 2 will forgive you because you and the pup will be calmer and happier and that is good.

2. Go for walks with all 3 dogs, together, if possible. This is a bonding exercise. If he cannot go as far as your other 2 dogs, carry him part of the way, give him breaks. Stop and give them all some treats. Take them to Petco or Petsmart and walk them there. Bond.

3. I disagree with the Petco trainer about keeping him out of the bedroom. That isn't necessary unless you have a dominance problem. The trainer may be trying to avert this from happening, but I believe it's creating a worse problem.

4. When you want to iron, allow extra time for the first few times. Give him a bed/blanket and a toy and place him there, and tell him Place, or stay. Then you iron, but he's where you can see him and he can see you.
If he goes for the cord, tell him "Ah Ah" to distract him and then Place and Stay. Help him to his place, Praise him, give a treat, Stay, then continue to iron. If the cord is just too enticing, I would purchase one of those things that holds the cord above the ironing board, instead of allowing it to dangle. But continue with his Place training.

5. Can you pop a halter on him and take him with you to get the mail? Maybe if he sees where you're going he would learn to be more accepting of your departure.

I saw many other good suggestions from other YT'ers too, and I sincerely wish you luck in reaching this little guy. I think you both got off to a bad start and some misunderstandings. I'll pray that you can get back on track and develop a sound, trusting relationship with each other. Have patience, and don't take it personally that he hasn't bonded with you, as expected. Let us know how it goes.

[yorkie mad]

Yorkie 118 please stick with it. Yes it is overwhelming, these little guys arn't like regular dogs they really need a lot of attention.Your lucky , like you said you have the time at home to succeed.I crate trained Tia and found after 3 mths she didn't require the crate anymore as she would stay in her little bed when told.
Like the others have said, it will be so worth it and a friend for life. Chin up honey, sending hugs.

[ladyjane]

Originally Posted by Sweet Apple

Do you happen to live in the Houston/Clear Lake Area? Apple loves having company, and your baby could have a play date w/her, if you like...And I could share w/u my experiences as a first time yorkie owner...Sounds like you need to find a friend close to your home w/a yorkie, and share experiences w/them...Start asking your vet, breeder, petco, or whoever, who you might be able to meet up with and discuss your issues with, that also has a yorkie...

Now this was a helpful response that I noted had no response. Thought it might help to quote it in case the OP missed it.

[FlDebra]

Sometimes when we ask for help, we have a predesigned response in mind -- that is not always going to be what we get. Most reading your initial post got the same impression. So, maybe you worded the post in a way we got the impression you were crating too long, not giving enough attention, and maybe not really "liking" your pup. You have since posted that maybe that is not the case.

I do think you are looking to others to solve your problem. We can only give suggestions. The books and research you have done should have given you ample methods to try. So what is missing? I know you won't want to hear this but I think it is "attitude." The attitude you have shown to people who have given honest opinions may be seeping into the way you treat your puppy. No method will work on a puppy if you are giving off negative feelings. The puppy wants to be loved. He will be anxious if he does not get the feeling he is not only safe but also truly cared about. Just as a child may act out if there are emotional problems, a puppy will as well. Just try not to always blame others for the results you are getting.

Yorkies are not inanimate accessories that you can always set aside when inconvenient to you. They are very demanding and need constant reassurance that you love them as much as they love you. They are very different from some of the other breeds that can be more independent. They crave constant attention and interaction. I did not crate train any of mine. But I feel, once they are housetrained, they should not be made to go in their crate when you are home.

At this age, I would think your puppy should be more than old enough to be out and about in the house with you during the day. If you iron, why could the dog not be out? If he does try messing with the cords, teach him not to. Most of your home should be child-proof/puppy-proof anyway. So, give him some leeway to explore and really be a family member and not a stage prop you bring out when you think it is right for the scene you want to set. Instead of banning him to a crate while you eat, why not just train him not to beg at the table?

Advice does not always come sugarcoated. That does not mean it is not heart-felt. I sincerely hope you bond with your puppy, truly start liking him and enjoy his presence as part of the family. But if we all say you are doing everything right -- how is that helping? Obviously what you are doing is not working, so it is time to try something different. I had to change paths many times with mine. Each was different but all required a LOT of loving interaction.

How about getting the x-pen for when you have to be gone. How about giving your pup a few rooms that he can freely roam when you are home? When he chews something up (which he probably will) tell him "no" firmly, and redirect him to something appropriate to chew on. Be careful using books or advice as an absolute solution for every dog. I am sure you read some child-rearing books too. Did all of those fit each of your human kids? I know they did not for me. I had 3 boys and every one was unique as can be. A cookie-cutter approach just does not work for any with a personality of their own. Try not to demand so much of your pup or those posting to you. It is not the responsibility of others to come up with the perfect solution, just suggestions if they desire to reply. When you ask a question, be ready for some to say what you are doing is wrong. Be open to the idea that at least a big part of the problem may be yours. Then when you change how you feel about the puppy, how you change your approach to him and the way you treat him, be prepared for some fantastic love in return!

Unconditional love is a wonderful thing to know! Sometimes my Yorkies are a lot more like people than dogs -- that is one of the many things I love about them! Sometimes I act more like a dog than a person and they seem to love that about me too. So don't be afraid to get down on the floor and really PLAY with him. Wear him out with fetch and play that gets him excited and really having FUN! Buy him more toys. By 7 months he really should have more than one monkey, a blanket and a broken alarm clock. Choose interactive toys that either will engage him (like the Hide-A-Squirrel) or that require interaction with you, like a ball to throw. Then buy some that will just be comforting and reassuring like the plush animals. If your children are old enough, show them how to safely play with the puppy and make sure each of them spends a little time one-on-one with him each day too. A puppy that is getting plenty of attention, stimulation, and love will usually be easier to train and have less anxiety. Right now I get the feeling he is not getting enough of you all and the idea of losing what little he has is overwhelming to him; hence the separation anxiety.

I may have not hit on anything you can use, but hopefully you will know that it is offered with good intentions. I think since you have done so much research, have so much input, the real solution will come from within. It will be more a question of how you do the things you do, than what you do. I do think if you treat your puppy differently you will get different results. I once read that craziness is expecting different results while doing the same thing over and over. (This made a point with me!) So, why not try something new today! Good luck!