Getting along with other dogs..
 

Alright so i have a question about yorkies getting along with other dogs. I have been socializing Denali since we got him when he was fourteen weeks old. He loves people, dogs, cats, pretty much everything. We go to petsmart at least once a week and he wants to see and play with every dog we meet, we go to the dog park and he runs and plays happily with everyone, we have taken him to have puppy play dates w/ a friends male chihuahua and they play together fine.
However recently i brought him with me to a meeting i had to go to and he was fine until he saw my friends male yorkie. Denali absolutely hated him before he even met him. It was a scary sight because Denali was growling and snarling and just straight up mean. I had never seen Denali act like that!! The only other time Denali had been upset with another dog was when this one little dog and Denali were sniffing each other and all of a sudden the other dog decided it wanted to growl and be mean so of course Denali decided to growl back but it was no where near the meanness he exerted towards my friends yorkie.
This whole thing left me greatly confused because Denali has loved every dog he has ever come across, male or female, any breed from small to extra large. I came to the conclusion that he must not like other male yorkies for whatever reason.(It has to be only the male yorkies he doesn't like because he just played with this cute little girl yorkie yesterday at petsmart.) Or could it be possible that he simply felt a bad vibe from my friends yorkie and just wanted nothing to do with him in particular? Has anyone else experienced something similar?

It's great that you are socializing him so much!! Socialization alone will make him so much more comfortable with his surroundings, no matter where he goes.
Just like with people, some dogs like each other and some don't. Just because they are socialized doesn't mean that they will like all other dogs, but the socialization will make him more comfortable and confident. If he doesn't like another dog, don't force them to spend time together. Some dogs get along and some don't. Some become best buddies instantly and others take a while to warm up to other dogs. Your Yorkie will decide who he likes :) All you can do is to expose him to as many experiences, places, people and animals as possible. :)

I agree some dogs will find a dog they don't like and it's hate at first sight. Just like people. Sometimes you find a person you hate at first sight. You don't want to spend time with them. I guess dogs feel the same way. If I dog dislikes another dog, they might know something you don't especially if the dog is good natured. So far I have to say my dogs haven't found anybody, cat, or dog they don't like, but I expect one day it'll happen.

I agree with what was posted above. I DO think dogs just don't like certain dogs and as long as you are socializing him and this is only a one time thing, then I wouldn't worry too much about. I also wouldn't let it escalate though because it may potentially turn into other dogs too. Your friends Yorkie may have been putting off bad vibes that only doggie language can understand.

How old is Denali? Is he neutered? Maybe your friends Yorkie was not neutered.... intact males will often fight. Also, Yorkies are also terriers, who are often known for same-sex aggression, although it seems to me you don't see that as much in Yorkies as you do in other terrier breeds.

Totally agree with this! And to me, it sounds like Denali is pretty socialiable most of the time, so I wouldn't worry about it.

I can honestly say that Jackson at 2 years old has never met a dog he didn't like. I've only heard him growl once and it was an obnoxious boisterous Lab puppy (who was 65+lbs) who knocked us BOTH over. Also, I was holding him when this happened. Oh, there was one other time we were dogsitting a Rottie puppy who is 70lbs and although they are friends and raised together, the Rottie was being way too hyper and I DID pick Jackson up and he started growling in my arms, I couldn't believe, never heard him do that before EVER.... I find that picking him up makes him anxious and makes situations worse. Were you holding Denali when he was growling? I typically don't pick Jackson up.

Denali is six months old and he is not neutered yet but only because his appointment isn't until tomorrow, and i didn't even think about it but my friend's yorkie is not neutered either(he should be though because he is two but thats her personal decision). Denali was fine in my arms but as soon as i put him down he started being mean so i did pick him up, i guess it was my initial instinct. I didn't even think that it could have made him feel more anxious, i think i was just worried Denali was gonna get in a fight and i didn't want him getting hurt.

Poppy usually loves ALL dogs.
Her best friend is my BF's male bulldog and shes obsessed with my female schnauzer cross. :rolleyes:
BUT there is only ONE dog she dosnt like so far... That is my BF's brother's patterdale terrier.
The patterdale is female and is around 4 months old, Poppy isnt aggressive towards her but she wont play with her like she will other dogs.
She runs away from her all the time and simply dosnt like her. :)
They have never had a fight or anything like that so I have no idea why she dosnt like her...

That explains it, to me anyways. Two unneutered males. I think that was your problem. :) Good luck with his neuter tomorrow! Let us know how he does. And definitely... I picked Jackson up out of instinct as well, to get him out of danger's way. I think it's natural for us to do, and Jackson is even a bigger boy at 15lbs, but I still will protect him. :D I was just adding that the only time Jackson has ever growled at another dog was when I picked him up.

a thought
 

If you find they are growling when you pick them up, maybe they are trying to protect you.

If this was towards my post, yeah, I agree that most dogs do this to protect you. That's why they say it makes it worse when you pick them up, because then what happens is the other dog on the ground is trying to jump up and get to the other dog which just makes things worse. I can pick Jackson up in a dog park or something and he doesn't growl or care, he's only growled twice in his life and it's when the dog was being totally obnoxious and jumping up on us.