P.s. Welcome back Ann, gaurdian of scorpions! We all missed, and were worried about you!:p

I have never struck either of mine, but there was an instance, somewhat comical which I'd like to relate.

The back Gate on the Property, is partially Chain Link. That lower section allows my Dogs to have a clear view of "whatever" is beyond, and alarm if necessary. I also have a Doggy Door, and either can move in and out of the house and out on the property as they wish. At that time, My Male Sneakers was 2yo, and I had just gotten My Female Becca, who was 11 wo. In addition to this (getting too long) description, both of mine have always had very robust barks, a favorable Lineage issue. :thumbup:

Anyway...
I was sitting at the Computer Posting (on YorkieTalk) no doubt, and I herd be biggest commotion from outside. Snickers was barking like mad, and Becca was yelping incessantly ! I rushed out, and Becca had stuck her head through one of the spaces in the Chain Link, and couldn't get it pulled back out. I hasten to add, that she was not in any immediate danger, was able to breathe easily (evidenced by her very loud yelps) and actually was in no physical pain. She was just scared that the big ol Fence had captured her ! :rolleyes:

Sneakers was rushing back and forth toward me as I approached, and jumping over and back over Becca, pawing at the Fence, and apparently completely aware of just what was holding her. Once I saw she was in no danger, I started to laugh, but Sneakers didn't think it was funny at all, and as I took hold of Becca, he was TOTALLY in the way, still jumping over her and pawing, frantic to assist in releasing "HIS" puppy from that mean ol Fence. :eek: In that area, we have St. Augustine Grass, very thick.

I had to push Sneakers back repeatedly, and a couple of the latter pushes, rolled him over and over on the grass. He just wouldn't give up. But finally, with a little compression on her ears, and a slight turn of her head to the right position, her head slipped out, with no problem, and she was just fine. :)

That was just the first of many many actions on Sneakers part, which demonstrate the love and concern he has for her. There's a connection between them, that I readily admit that I can't compete with in any way. :2cute: :heart48:

OMG...I am just tickled pink reading this, I 'm glad your babies are ok thank you so much for sharing this. I'm sure there are many instances where thinkg get frantic with our little ones, it was a learning experience for me for sure. I've often thought about what it would be like to have another yorkie but I honestly do not think I would want to take on that responsibility as my gizmo takes up a great deal of my time and I kind of like it that way. Which is why I would prefer hubby agree to re-homing the shepherds unless he intends to take on their full care with me as support when needed.

cowgirlc,

Don't be too quick to judge. ;)
Having more than one of the best Bred dogs in the world, is not all that much of a problem. MANY here have multiple members of their Packs, and within those, sometimes there is a mix of Breeds.

For me, and, I have always thought, that when introducing a new member, it should be...
Same Breed, Opposite Sex, and the new animal younger then the Resident. I've always thought that maintaining the Seniority of the Resident animal, was very important.

My Female Becca, came to us as a Puppy, and My Male Sneakers accepted her with open Paws. He immediately took her as being HIS puppy, and it even got better from there.

Becca gets anything she wants, even Treats and Bones which Sneakers is chewing on, are relinquished should she show any interest in them. He has been her Teacher as well, and in ways that I could not have.

When Becca arrived, she was a shy little girl, who followed us and Sneakers around constantly. One thing that hasn't changed about her, is that her Tail wags constantly.

Sneakers is a very brave Dog, quite Territorial and Protective of our Pack, and is absolutely tireless, in his ability to monitor the house and property. One of his favorite places is, looking out an upstairs window, where he can see a large area, and, make sure that everyone knows there's something out there we should know about.

This is an activity he has taught Becca. And besides that, his habit of Pottying outside, his "secret" trails though the bushes, where the best scents of our local Possum and a couple of Cats that move through can be found. Becca now, is the first one out the door, to dispatch those Vicious Dangerous Squirrels back up in the Trees where they belong !

His help in raising Becca has been invaluable, which I suppose was the point of this Post to start with. Keep an open mind about that, having a second or more animals, that you really care about, can be very fulfilling.

Woo hoo....been working with Gizmo and today was the very first time I was able to go to the door to feed the shepherd and not have Gizzy chasing and barking at me. We had a show down this morning where he growled at me because he did not want to do what I was asking of him. I picked him up at the neck and turned him over on his back down on the floor all the while he is showing teeth, so I hold firm and told him no several times in a calm stern voice until he relaxed and finally looked away. I then let him up and as I picked up the bowls for the shepherds I gave a command for him to stay where he was, and he did it....yipppeeee he stayed right where he was and I went outside.

Wow what an awesome feeling it was great, I have a lot of work to do with him but I think I am off to a good start. Wish me luck gang will keep you posted.


Cynthia:good job::jump28ib::jump28ib::jump28ib:

Please be careful with a yorkies delicate neck.

You could harm your dog picking him up by grasping him at the neck, even if it is the scruff of his neck. I'm saddened that you have chosen this physically aggressive method of training after the hitting/throwing incident. Even Cesar Milan, who employs the "alpha roll" has a disclaimer on the the screen about not trying it at home.

I believe you would achieve much greater results much faster using positive reinforcement training. You and your dog would be much happier too. Right now, you are teaching him to fear you and physical harm. I think you also run the risk of making him aggressive employing these methods.

Wow, I was so glad about the progress, I totally missed this !

Not my intention to "shoot you down." I strongly believe dogs, especially Yorkies, respond better to a hands off, positive reinforcement training program.

I believe hands should only be used in a positive way with the dogs.

I believe holding down a Yorkie until he submits is not going to be productive in the long run and it won't build your dog's trust.

Having a "showdown" and reacting by pinning him when he would not do what you wanted him to do will confuse him. I doubt he even understood why he was being held down. What was it that he wouldn't do?

Wow! As a newbie I've been enjoying this site and learning a lot. But between this thread and one I just read about someone wanting to breed her dog and looking for advice I've noticed some very aggressive and mean-spirited posters. It seems that this isn't the safe place to post that it first seems. I'll probably continue to come back for what I can learn, but it's unlikely I'll ever ask for advice. I'm not very thin-skinned, but who needs to be slapped online? Very sad.

I don't wish to be critical at all, and I would never want to hurt anyone. With that said, it was difficult for me to read about this method of training with Gizmo. I know you love him and are doing your best to sort through training methods to come up with one to help your baby. I am the first to admit that discipline and training have not been my forte. I realize now that I would like to use effective training techniques when I bring another baby into my home. My dogs were raised completely with love, and I always used positive reinforcement. I admit they were completely spoiled, and I didn't think that loving them too much could ever hurt them. I never thought that spoiling them could possibly harm them, but my little ones became too dependent on my husband and me. We made many mistakes with each of them, but we also learned from those mistakes. I strongly believe that positive reinforcement is the most effective manner to reach both dogs and people. I am very soft spoken and very thin-skinned myself. I work with high school students with special needs, and I always use love and respect to reach my "kids." It was the same with my babies. I don't think you need to be tough to reach people or dogs. I know you weren't hurting Gitzm, and I am confident that you will always do things out of love for him. Still, it hurts me to read that Gizmo was forced into this submissive position. I worked very hard to build up a trust with my babies, and I carried them often close in my arms like they were babies. I considered it a triumph that they felt safe with their bellies exposed, and I always loved seeing them lay peacefully with their bellies up in their air. I knew that they felt totally safe with us.With my little girl with dementia, holding her close in that very vulnerable position helped her to feel very secure, and it eased her anxiety, but that's because she never knew fear being held with her belly exposed. I don't mean to hurt you, and I know I have more that I'd like to learn about training. I don't think Kristin meant to be critical either.

I have been a member on YorkieTalk for two years now, and I have found this to be a very loving, passionate, and committed community of members who are looking to help each other. We have a love for Yorkies, but we also care about each other. I lost my last little girl a little over a year ago, yet I still continue to come here because of the many wonderful members on this board. I offer this to try to help and not criticize you in any way. Our babies are so sensitive, and I know how much they rely on us for love and emotional support. I personally respond so much better to positive reinforcement and my dealings with my babies and my "kids" have always been that way. I am able to get others to respond to me without imparting any fear, and I believe you will get further in your training with Gizmo with lots of time, love, and positive reinforcement. I wish you the very best as you work with Gizmo and as you build a positive relationship and bond with your little boy.

^^I agree with Lisa's post, and I am posting in hope of helping you and your pup.

I believe you and your pup will be much happier with positive reinforcement training. It's so much easier and fun too. You are the leader, but you encourage your dog to want to do the right thing to please you and reap the rewards. :)

My older boy is the first dog I have raised from a pup. He is very affectionate and playful, but he is also very headstrong (my father thinks he takes after me :D). We could see it in his eyes when he was a pup, and that is why we named him Max and we call him the Boss Man sometimes.

Max is a very good boy, but he can still test my patience. It does no good to try to challenge him or to try to dominate him in any way. If he behaves improperly, I ignore him, remove my attention. Within seconds, he stops the behavior and sits nicely at my feet. Or I make light of his behavior and say calmly, "uh uh uh," or "Oh Max." Dogs are like kids in this regard: if they don't get attention for the negative, they will give up.

Our biggest challenge is the washing machine. It went off balance once and I ran to it and acted excited, so he thinks it is his job to bark furiously at it whenever it runs now (I inadvertently created the problem). On days he can't leave it alone, I calmly put him in my bedroom and he is removed from all the action of the living area. He is slowly improving because he doesn't want to go to solitary confinement. :)

Although he is almost 3 years old, I still praise him profusely like a puppy for all good behavior. These little ones love praise and attention, so be sure to reward good behavior, no matter how mundane.

Keys to good behavior and training include a daily schedule and lots of exercise. A schedule, a routine of doing things like walks and meals at about the same time every day, is calming and reassuring to dogs. Include lots of exercise and mental and physical stimulation (walks, trick training, obedience training). Make it fun for both of you. A tired dog is a well-behaved dog. Maintain an even keel yourself. Yorkies are very sensitive to their humans' feelings. If you are reactive or anxious and animated, your dog is going to mirror you.

I hope some of this helps.