My sweetie won't come to me...
 

she just backs away when I try and pet her or pick her up... I have had her since she was six months old and she is almost a yr so we have had her almost 6 months. It breaks my heart bc it makes me think she is afraid of me or something...

Do you think she will ever warm up or do you think it is her personality? She follows me everywhere and sleeps on my bed at night and sits on my lap a lot... so i don't know what to think...

she was attacked by a coyote a month and half ago... I nearly lost her... but this has been going on since i got her. when she was attacked it broke my heart... i thought we lost her... i couldn't go thru losing another yorkie... but she pulled thru and did amazing... she is one tough cookie and I am so happy to have her!

Some dogs are just that way and have a natural reluctance to come when called while others fall all over themselves getting to you as soon as they can. Some dogs are never properly trained to the "come" command and need more training. The recent incident may be connected to you somehow in her mind, making her more reluctant than ever - unsure of you, a little scared she is no longer safe. It is hard to tell why dogs behave the way they do sometimes and since we can't know, all we can do is try to deal with it and move on.

Have you tried training her to come to you? Let her miss a meal by an hour or so and get some warm hotdog pieces and walk away from her, say "come", praise and treat her when she comes. A high value treat will usually bring even the most stubborn little furbutt around. From time to time, even a well-trained dog gets to thinking he doesn't have to come when called and a little retraining gets them back to running to mommie when she calls. I retrain Tibbe to come from time to time when he gets a little slow to respond or just thinks he prefers not to come. He goes right back to coming running as he never knows when a treat might be waiting.

Was horrified to hear about the attack and how severe it was. My second Yorkie was attacked by a dog and it was one of the worst things I'd ever been through, let alone my little Jilly. But she healed and went on to live well for years. Hope your sweet baby will be okay.

Some yorkies are more independent than others and resist the come command. Keep working at it with healthy treats she likes. The attack may have set her back a little. It may take a little more time. I'm so glad she pulled through. I think eventually as she get a little older she will warm up. She is a little cutie :)

I wonder if it may be part of her personality as well as the other ideas suggested.

Princess was taught (with lot's of training) to come, but she will only come to within maybe a foot & a half to two feet in front of me. If I try to reach down for her or keep telling her to come closer she'll back up and take off. I could be using a whole chicken to entice her and it wouldn't matter.

I see no reason or past experiences for her to do it, I think it's just part of that independent nature.

If anyone has any other ideas I'd love to hear them as well.

I wonder if it may be part of her personality as well as the other ideas suggested.

Princess was taught (with lot's of training) to come, but she will only come to within maybe a foot & a half to two feet in front of me. If I try to reach down for her or keep telling her to come closer she'll back up and take off. I could be using a whole chicken to entice her and it wouldn't matter.

I see no reason or past experiences for her to do it, I think it's just part of that independent nature. Princess is otherwise very loving & affectionate, cuddles, plays, kisses, etc. so I don't think it's a matter of dislike.

If anyone has any other ideas I'd love to hear them as well.

My baby is 5 months. I have had her for just about 3 months now. When I come home, she loves me to death!!! She follows me everywhere too. But if I go to pet her and she sees my hand coming, she will back away. Even if she is laying near me and I pet her, she will get up and move. lol. She is starting to lay more on my chest at night when sleeping but to hold her and love her - forget it! Maybe as she gets older she will change but I know how you feel. However, I was away for 2 nights and my friend watched her for me. Said that Mooch would just sit with her husband and let him pet her. lol

Glad to hear that your doggie survived from being attacked!!!

My Annie is 9 months old and she will not come to me if I am reaching out to her like I am going to pick her up. She will come to me if I sit down and pat my leg. That brings her running to find her spot on my lap! :) She also comes and jumps on me when I return as a greeting and she will come to me anytime if it is her idea. But when I reach out to pick her up, she almost always backs up a few paces, making it difficult. She's fine once I pick her up, but it is like she is always just a little wary about me initiating picking her up. I try never to force it. If she backs up, I kneel down as close to the floor as I can and put my hand on the floor itself. That usually brings her to me.

Some pups may feel if you are reaching out from above, it is a little threatening or that they may be confined (especially if you crate trained or keep in a crate now). Just find little ways to reassure her and eventually she will probably be fine about it. My older boy, Ben, is still like that with other people, but he is fine with me. In fact, he is my spoiled baby boy who thinks he owns me. He gets very upset when I am doing anythnig without him. My fault though, I have spoiled him and now it is up to me to keep on doing it. ;)

This might sound stupid, but I actually lay down on the ground when Kaji won't come to me. He for the most part does, and will jump into my arms and is happy to get some cuddles. But, there are times when I approach him, the same way I've done a million times before, and all of a sudden he's scared. If I push him too much, he will pee right there on himself and even me because he's so scared. So, what I've learned to do is make myself less "threatening" to make him feel at ease. If he isn't coming, I just lay down on the floor and cover my face. He bolts right at my and starts attacking me with kisses. (which is why I cover my face) He's so funny, he actually tries to dig into the carpet so he can crawl in, and lay down under my neck. At that point I lift my head up and he'll crawl in expecting belly rubs. That situation went from scary to him, to happy. I hope that helps.

My Yorkie does the same thing. She's 2 yrs old, she's very attached to me (well, ok, it goes both ways. lol) She's not in the slightest bit afraid of me and thinks she has to be right with me every second. But I reach down to get her and she will almost always back up. After all, it wasn't her idea... :D And what if I picked her up to brush her teeth again or put her in her kennel and leave. :eek: Sometimes she will even try to run from me if she thinks I'm leaving. I've found it helps to tell her to sit & stay and then pick her up. And make sure I pick her up plenty of times in between and love on her or give her a treat and then set her back down. I think they are just very independent in nature.

Jazi was doing the same thing...running from me. The she would run and lay down. Now I've been working with her and the treats, as a few of you have mentioned and it's really made a change. She's happy to come to me now.

Make sure say her name when working with her on the training.
"Ziva come" with a LOT of excitement in your voice and lots of praise.

BOTH Bella and Jett would back away when I went to reach down for them. Bella finally outgrew that, but it took her almost until a year. Jett still runs from me. He is 6 months old. Sounds like this is maybe somewhat of a yorkie thing.

Jett and Bella both will come when I use the come command, but would back away when I would go to pet them or pick them up. Not sure why, but I am sure glad Bella outgrew it! I am sure Jett will too!

Remy often runs from me to my dh. I think she equals me with..
A changing clothes
B bath time
C brushing hair and top knot
D brusing teeth
F all things bad in her life :eek:

Sometimes it is not fun being the mommy!!!!!

but if I go after her she will stop and lay down. And on her terms she come to me and cuddles and gives kisses. She sleeps on my pillow, and if we are out she does not take her eyes off me.

:eek: WOW this must be a Yorkie thing...Dud and Dex are both this way.

Although Dud is better than Dex, probably b/c he's older..LOL
I read somewhere on YT when we first got Dud..instead of reaching down with your hands to pick him up, reach down with your palms facing up, almost like you have somthing cupped in your hand and reach for them under their chin to pet them first...I saw improvement this way with Dud and still approch him this today....

DEX.....he's another story:cool:

My last yorkie (female) i never had this issue, she was my shadow:)

This sounds just like Josie. I try to get down on her level (way down) so I want be this big monster thing to her.
She will jump in my lap in a second if I am sitting or run to me for a treat.

I think it is funny too sometimes when I bend down to pick her up and she jumps back. I think she is telling me, no. That little back jump is so cute.

Wow it's so nice to know I am not alone! I have been working on the come command but she is a stubborn lil thing lol...my last yorkie would practically jump in my arms so it was a big change. Thanks for all your advice and I am glad to know I am not alone lol... i know she is crazy about me like I am her so I will be ok with it! :)

Sounds like my life!!:p

Just give her a little time, maybe start working with her a little bit. Sit down on the carpet with some treats and just practice calling her to you, when she comes praise her and give her some yummy treats!

My Pnut will hardly ever come to me, he comes to me on his own time or when I have treats, or when I am eating. I am use to it, haha!

Very glad to know I not alone here too! Alice is the same way, she'll come to me when I call her (well, usually:rolleyes:) but she always stops short - about a foot away from me. She follows me EVERYWHERE, jumps up on my lap or at my legs when I'm sitting so she can be on my lap etc., but when I ask her to come, she'll come running but always stops just short of my hand. When I have to pick her up off the ground she gets into a submissive stance too - she'll stop but sort of crouch down while I pick her up, but once I'm holding her she's fine and dandy;). Maybe it's because they're so small and our hands look like a gigantic mouth to them? Idk, stumps me, but glad it's common. I try to imagine being that small and seeing a human hand in front of me and it must be a little daunting for them even if they know that hand belongs to someone who loves them and treats them like gold.

I would say that not coming on command is a yorkie thing,but I have a pom that I inherited from my mother that just does not want to obey. I put her on a leash (so she can not run),get a hand full of her favorite treats and take her to the backyard. We practise the come command about 6 times a day. She is finally where I can point to the ground and state come,she responds most of the time. If she does not come on command I state her name and then the command. She is 10yrs old so I dont expect this to get much better,but I do think it very important for all dogs to obey. Yesterday was a good example in my life why. There was a small snake in my backyard. We discovered it right after the 5 older dogs went flying outside,my daughter was holding Mina (4months and still pottie training). My daughter yells that there is a snake! I put each dog on stay were they were in the yard,put a piece of plywood across the snakes neck and sent all of the dogs in the house. It turned out to be a 14" poisnous snake. I still can not believe that there was a snake in my yard! Much less one that could harm one of the kids or dogs. It just reinforced to me that obedience is important and has just made me more diligent.

It doesn't sound like she is afraid of you, but maybe reaching down to pick her up isn't something she likes. They do have their crazy personalities, ya'know! :P Rhia sleeps with me at night, loves to lay on my lap or next to me, but HATES being picked up. She views it as a game. I go to pick her up and she backs up, then runs across the house. It's the chase that's fun. :) Try sitting down or sitting on the ground at her level so she can get to you at her own will. If she starts to want to be chased, ignore her until she comes to you. Rhia runs as soon as I pick up her walking harness, but if I sit on the couch for a few minutes she will come back and get on my lap, all ready to go!

I dropped a glass baking dish (I just shouldn't be allowed in the kitchen..cos things always go bad... :rolleyes:) and it shattered all over the place. I called ZoE to me so I could pick her up and she wouldn't get hurt. But you know it...she ran right through all the shards of broken glass. We're sooo lucky she didn't get a single cut! But it gave me one helluva scare!

After that experience, I realized she need to learn to come when called. So for weeks, I started carrying kibble around in the pockets of whatever I was wearing and randomly throughout the day I would call her to me. If she came when called, she got a couple of pieces of kibble. It worked great!
***only downside...you have no idea how many kibbles I found in my laundry from not properly checking pockets...:p

Patience. Bella chooses when she wants to come. It drives me nuts. I've never had a dog to do that. But I keep working with her. We've had for a 1 1/2 years now.
With the petting her, I read in a Yorkie book to start petting them under their little chins. Usually when I pet Bella on top of the head she bows out like I'm gonna beat her. It bothers me when she does that, then I read that and it's much better, she doesn't bow out now. Then I move to the top of her head.