Attachment Issues or Normal?
 

So, I just got my sweet baby a few weeks ago and she seems to be becoming overly attached to me. We have her sleeping in the bed with us and she'll wake me up in the middle of the night if she isn't right by my face. If I leave the room and she doesn't notice, she gets very upset and cries. If she does notice, she follows me and gets mad if I don't pick her up. I know yorkies are extremely loving but is this normal?

My chihuahua loves me but has never been this attached. Don't get me wrong, I love that she loves me this much! I just wonder if she is too attached.

Oh...so cute! Yeah, Yorkies do get attached... as she grows older though things may change as she gets more inquisitive and ventures out more by herself. I'm assuming she's a 12-14 week old puppy? She's still unsure of herself and is currently more into nesting than investigating, and may still be missing her littermates and Mommie.

I adopted a 5 year old, and for the first 3 days he stayed in my lap... I had to physically put him down for pottying and eating, then back up he'd come. As he became familiar with his new home and new people and pets, he ventured out more and more. He still tends to like to be near me.... or to know where I am 24/7!

She is 13 weeks! Thanks, that makes me feel a little better! She loves to play with her brother and give people who visit kisses, but only if mommy is nearby!!

This is an excerpt from the YorkieTalk Library:

By nine to twelve weeks, puppy is refining reactions, developing social skills with littermates (appropriate interactions), and exploring the environment and objects. Puppy begins to focus on people; this is a good time to begin training.

Three to Six Months: Ranking Period
Puppy is most influenced by "playmates," which may now include those of other species.

Puppy begins to see and use ranking (dominance and submission) within the household (the puppy's "pack"), including humans.

Puppy begins teething (and associated chewing).

Here's a link to the whole post:

http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/yorkietalk-yorkshire-terrier-library/176192-puppy-development-stages.html

Yes, that's normal. I got my Betty Boop when she was 12 weeks old and for quite a while she slept with her head between my chin and shoulder blade each night. It made her feel secure. As she grew older, she moved down a little bit and we began to spoon! She is now about 10 months old and she starts out with her head on my pillow, she turns around and kisses me, and then moves to my tummy and we spoon all night! :) I just love this! She is a sleepy head and sleeps all night. During the day, she makes every step I do. However, where she once stayed in my lap a lot, she no longer does this because she is more curious now. We play fetch a lot. I miss her sitting in my lap like she used to.

Good! Thank you guys! She's snuggled up on my chest now, giving me kisses and napping! Oh I'm going to miss these days if she stops!

She sounds very sweet! You should make sure she meets plenty of ppl so she's not standoffish and lacking social skills.

Mine will be 3 this year and she hasn't grown out of being in my lap and giving me kisses every second she can. :)

Toto and Chester, Yorkie and Silky respectively, always sleep with me if they aren't on the floor. I consider this might be from having been in the pound. ????? Separation anxiety?

Molly's 20 months old now and sleeps in bed with me and follows me every where I go, including the bathroom. She alternates from sitting in my lap to being on the floor near my feet when she's not running about playing. So, I would say the attachment is normal. :)

She won't ever stop wanting to be with you and sitting in your lap. She will learn that she can venture out of it for a while so she can play and go to the kitchen to eat. But, believe me, she will ALWAYS have one eye on you WHEREVER she is. When she sees you sitting for any length of time, she will be back in your lap. Betty Boop has 2 nap times a day now...one in the morning and one in the middle of the afternoon. This is when she really wants in my lap. She is just constantly playing so she doesn't have the time to be so idle as to sit in my lap all day.:( However, she still makes EVERY step I make. Another time she sits in my lap is when I'm on the computer trying to reply to messages on YT! Sure is hard to type with one hand!:)

This made me laugh because it happens to me all of the time. I am constantly trying to type one handed and it is rather difficult at times. lol

My Roxie is the same way. She wants to be wherever I am at any given moment. If I walk out the backdoor for even a second and shes not with me, she freaks out, crying loudly. She follows me to the bathroom,etc. Strange little thing, but I find it adorable that she loves me so much.

I have 3 yorkies and Rosco is very attached to me. Where ever I go he is right behind me:)

HA! Good, thanks for making me feel better! She's a mommy's girl and she knows it!! It's just VERY different than my boy. He loves me when he wants me and that is IT!

I was noticing - now I might be wrong - but it seems most of this discussion is concerning girls? Mr. Darcy is one and half. Ever since I got him at 12 weeks he is close at home, sometimes sleeping beside me for a little bit, but then going down and sleeping in his bed. I do notice in the car he just stares out the window until I come back! Lizzie - I just got her on Friday. She is four and a half months. She sits and sleeps right beside me - if I put her down to do stuff around the house, she cries and if I am gone more than 5 minutes she starts howling. She follows me everywhere I go if she can - also into the bathroom - as some of you said too! I thought she was sticking to me (like Martie on a Smartie!) because she had been at the breeders, who has given the dogs free reign of her house, and was having separation anxiety....but maybe it's just because she's a girl:wub:

totally agreed! Joey is very social, but does have severe separation anxiety when he's left alone. Tank is very anti social, sadly. We think it's due to both genetics and his breeder - his father was VERY shy when we went to see puppies, and I don't think anyone other than the breeder handled him and his littermates. we have made quite a bit of progress in the year that we've had him, but we have a lot of work to go.

They don't call them velcro dogs for nothing.:D

HA! My boy is the same way! He starts out in bed with us and ends up either at the foot of the bed away and or either in his bed. His sweet but only when he wants to be. Bri on the other hand, will have a little meltdown if mommy is sitting on the couch and she isn't. The funny thing is she does perfectly fine around people, and just loves the attention. But, after a few minutes she has to be right in my arms or by my feet! I've heard before that boys were more loving, but Jaxon has nothing on Bri!

Now I'm wondering if we are having attachment issues because my boy is doing the OPPOSITE. He doesn't want to sit or be pet at all!

Very normal behavior! :D

haha, i like that!

My Yorkshire Terrier never liked sleeping in bed with me. He did for a short snooze, but he's ready to leap out. I don't know why it scares him but maybe the bed is high up to him. He has his own dog bed and is comfortable sleeping there. Now recalling the beginning of his puppy hood, he was scared to sleep by himself in the crate in the dining room. But once I moved it into my bedroom, he was okay with that. Now he's full grown and almost 3 years old, he still has to sleep in the same room I am. Now and then he ventures into another room to sleep since I like the TV on to sleep with and he doesn't like any noise. I guess all dogs are different with diffferent personalities.

i recently brought home a yorkie whom i was told was 7 months but i think she may be older. she first got to play with my helpers before me since i was at work all day. by the time i got home, she is afraid to come near me and is quite attached to the helpers.

how do i correct this? is it still possible to correct?

it's been 3 days and because i feel like she prefers the helpers i allow her to be with them. it made it worst... so on d 3rd night i brought her to my room to sleep on a crate...she didn't want to at first but when she got cold, she went in there.

4th morning today and i walked her and carried her, she licks me now but i'm afraid to let anyone else, especially the maids, near her coz she might forget who i am again.

please help.

Is it possible that your housekeeper gives your Yorkie more attention than you do~? Is it possible that you can take your dog everywhere you go if is possible~?

Well the first day my dad brought her home, i was away coz I had work all day. When I got home i noticed she was already too attached to the helpers. Then 2nd day, 3rd day and today....i spent all day with her. She licks my hand and likes when I touch her and pet her and stuff. not so much carrying coz I notice she trembles. but she doesn't mind at times. I keep her with me all day and I watch her sleep, feed her and give her walks. The minute she sees or even smells the helpers, she forgets me and doesn't want to come to me anymore.

It's depressing really. My dad got her from a friend who caged her a lot and I dunno what else they do to her. I think the owner doesn't bother her much only their helpers, so I'm thinking this is probably why she's more attached to d helpers. She's a bit jumpy and I think she may have some sort of depression coz she's not hyperactive. she doesn't wag her tail much, only time i see her wagging her tail is when I'm about to feed her. And it's difficult to feed her coz she's picky.

I'm having a really tough time coz she can be very sweet when we're left alone but I think she doesn't like me at all so it's like punishment for her to left alone with me. even if i shower her with tons of love and affection.

Is there anyway I can fix this?? Thanks.

How old is your dog~? Have you done any behavior classes with him/her~? Have you ever given a treat to your dog~? Or a bone, or bring a toy or something special to him/her when you come home~? What about trying to play ball with the dog and when he/she brings it back to you, give a treat. Any of these things would help you bond with the dog. A dog is like a kid and you have to give your dog that attention a kid needs. I am no expert, but this is what I have learned thru owning my first dog. Mine needs a lot of attention. In the beginning he had issues of being by himself when I left in the mornings, so I would keep a radio on when gated him up. He never liked being crated when I left, but at night he was fine with it while I was around.

i don't really know how old she is. the person i got it from said she's 7 months old. but i think she's older than that. she's also very skinny, her fur isn't silky as how some people describe yorkie fur and it's sort of thinning. she's not balding but her fur isn't thick. She's a bit jumpy and nervous all the time. So she's scared of almost anything like balls and stuff. I found she likes cheese slices, so I would feed her that but she's afraid to eat it from my hand, i dunno how to explain it but she'll eat the cheese but she'd have her hind legs far from me as if ready to run away in case something bad happens. I don't think she trusts me at all. she has trust issues with all of us but she follows the helpers around. the ones who gave her her first bath when she arrived at my place. she follows them around but when they make sudden movements or try to bend down to carry her she tries to hide, not run away but she hides. she doesn't growl, she doesn't run around when you try to play chase with her. she doesn't chew on anything either.

when we're alone in a room she'll walk around the room and whenever i call her she'll just ignore me and keep walking. then she'll find a spot to sleep on. i'd bring in this rectangular plastic basket that i placed a towel in, she knows she can sleep there and she does sometimes when i offer it to her a few times. i'd pet her and tell her she's been a good dog and she'll sleep. whenever she's asleep, i try not to disturb her coz i think she likes to sleep a lot. i think around me she sleeps a lot. when she's around the helpers she sleeps and follows them around and is quite content. she's not restless.

i'm sort of afraid that there's no way of breaking this coz she's on the stubborn side. she ignores me when she sees the helpers around. i stay home all day and bring her out to walk and stuff but i don't bring her out in public coz i'm afraid she'll get nervous coz she's nervous around my family and i.

I'm sure in your country you have the Humane Society or something similar. Call them and talk to them what to do. Maybe your Vet can reccomend a "behavior specialist". We have them here, and I've taken him there once and it helped me with his issues he was having at the time.

Perhaps, you could also try getting some stinky dog treats that you can break up in small pieces. Natural Balance comes in a roll and it looks like salami roll. It is soft enough to break it in small pieces. If he won't come to you, then throw him a piece and maybe from there he will come to you. At times, my dog also is afraid of coming to me. Usually it is due to him taking meds or taking his toy away. But once he knows I have a treat, like "natural balance" he will come to me to see what I have.

Other than this, I have no suggestions and apparently no one else has responded either. Take him to your Vet and discuss you issues your posting here and most likely your Vet can give you some answers.

Thanks. I'm looking for dog behaviour specialists now and I plan on taking him to a vet soon. It is difficult to find those things around here but i do see some improvements coz she's not afraid of being with me or around me anymore. she comes to me sometimes when i call her and she's not afraid to walk in front of me when she's on a leash. But when i allow the helpers to play with her, she gets really excited around them and really really playful which i never see when she's around me. it's heartbreaking really especially coz i feed her and give her so much of my time. it's like she's depressed around me but happy around the helpers.

Thanks for your advice though. I really appreciate it.