UPDATE
This dog is the fiercest little thing around other dogs. I've tried to expose him every day including taking an obedience course (I actually had to take the same course twice since he couldn't get over his barking while all the other dogs did in both courses. The only other dogs who were near as bad as my dog were a couple Pomeranians. I may retake this 'puppy course' again just to get him over his barking issues)

After talking to many people in the class all I can deduce is that my dog is a born barker. He's a yorkie mix, and I guess small dogs are just barkers. I also have to add that some small dogs can get over this issue, but it barking issues definitely seem to be a problem more so with smaller dogs.

It is in their nature to be like this, most likely a defense mechanism which has helped them survive under human.

I was kind of convinced by some small dog owners that they are the same as big dogs and can be trained not to bark badly. While I agree that they can be trained to not bark as much, it is part of their nature to be very territorial and fearful compared to larger dogs (some call this a napoleon complex).

The only thing that will get him to not aggressively bark at other dogs is to get him away from the situation. I'm getting really tired of avoiding other dogs now, but this is what I have to do for the time being.

Also I am starting to scold him harshly, if he barks for no reason in the house.(by this I mean I just yell at him with a stern look) It has seemed to work, but I feel bad correcting him. For now I will continue harsh corrections since it seems to work better than all the other things I've tried. Spraying water will also stop him from barking in the house.

Outside the hosue it's a diff story. If he sees another dog or child he will aggressively bark and there is little I can do to get his attention

Anyways I'm just really annoyed still but will keep it up. I suppose I just wanted to get this steam off my chest. I've taken off lots of time from work training him, and exposing him since the first night I got him. I guess I just have to stay patient and try not to expect much out of a small dog.

We live in an apartment and Avery goes CRAZY when we see children or animals that are loud, excited, etc. Bring training treats with you. You won't fix this problem in a day or a week... have patience. Do not tell him ANYTHING but 'good boy/girl' as you give the treat when he is quiet. As you're walking, keep your pup at your heel, very close to you-- they will know who is boss. Once your pup is quiet, give a treat and say "good boy/girl". As you walk by someone, if he starts barking, just keep walking and ignore. You could say "bad boy/girl" in a stern, non-loud voice. Keep doing this, and eventually your pup will be trained. It must be consistent... patience is a virtue! I did this tactic (I read about it in one of the Yorkie magazine publications) and it worked brilliantly. We still have our moments (but mainly it's because the other dog is going crazy and Avery wants to play). Let's honestly think about it, you're a pup and you see another dog who wants to play--- it's like children, they are DYING to play!

Good luck!

I agree that with time this can help. Thank you.

The only thing is it seems to be aggression/fear, not playfulness. Like today on one of our walks another person asked if he was abused or bitten by another dog. Also sometimes people are wide eyed :eek: in shock by how a 4 lb dog can appear so suddenly vicious. It's like a switch. Luckily he is a small dog so people don't react too negatively to his aggression, i'm sure a big dog people would really complain or say he needs to be locked up

I use a water squirt with my girls when they are so absorbed in what they are going they dont hear me instructing them eg squabbling over a toy if chew. I say say a loud NO and squirt at the Anne time. It works instantly for me and nigh digs then look at me ready to listen.

This is a very interesting thread.

Sheldon could be a little bit of a barker so I am going to have to re-visit this thread later when I have more time to try the training mentioned here.

Anyone's dog bark to get affection? Sheldon will bark at friends/strangers, once they pet him and pay attention to him he does not stop. Can't wait to try this.

Yorkies are very smart. Sometimes they think they can talk. Their only way to get your attention when they want or need something is to bark. My girl will bark a bit when she wants me to play ball with her. She loves to play crazy and loves to pretend she is the great killer of balls, toys and her favorite squirrel. I don't have small children anymore but sometimes dogs will want to join in a boisterous game with the kids and will bark as they enjoy the action. I used to have a black and white Sheltie that loved to referee a good game of back yard football, quite loudly I might add. Teresa Ford has given wonderful instructions on how to deal with excessive barking...but it has to be done on a consistent basis if you want success. Barking is a natural function for dogs. You just need to set boundaries as to how much barking is allowed. Warning barking should be allowed but you can give the command as to when to stop. Again, this is an issue that will require consistent training. Your dog is communicating with you. You just need to learn to communicate with him.
Gracie never barks for affection. She just waits for me to sit down and then sits on my lap and smiles as I give her the rub down she has been waiting for.:rolleyes: But I am home with her quite a bit of the time so I don't think she feels deprived of attention at all. I take her out for walks at least twice a day and we play a couple of games of indoor fetch as well. These dogs do need both physical and mental stimulation to be happy and healthy balanced dogs.

Thanks for your input. Sheldon does not do this with me, he does it with my friends or strangers, they have to be withing reach of him to do that. It's like he is yelling "PET ME, PET ME"!!!! I have a friend who is not crazy about dogs and she'll talk to him but won't pet him, he barks like crazy when she comes over.
He also barks when he want to play ball, he brings the ball, drops it y your feet and proceeds to bark. If you don;t do anything he'll pick it up and do it all over again. I have seen him doing this with my kids (12 and almost 9)

Thanks for the input gang.

He's a little over 7 months now.

I've basically been training him not to bark since the moment I got him. Well he was actually really quiet until he turned about 4 months and realized he COULD bark. That's when he started barking like a mad dog.

I've done everything from playing recordings of dogs while giving him treats, to having friends come over ring my door to train, sometimes I'd sit on a bench outside the grocery store and read a book for an hour or so letting him meet people (this has helped a lot unless someone has another dog), also exposed him to a several of dogs during his early window of opportunity . Everytime he hears a loud noise or bark i try to reward him for being quiet

I've spent hours and hours and many days working on this. I take him on several short walks from 3-6 every day for exposure. He's definitely gotten better, but at times I have to scold him harshly if he's just being to aggressive I have to correct it.

Luckily he hasn't tried biting, but sometimes if he sees a stranger he will nip at the air by there feet. He's only 4 lbs so he doesn't scare anyone, strangers often laugh, which I think reinforces him, so I often have to tell them not to laugh LOL or just get him away.

BTW I've talked to the vet and they say chopping off his balls might help too. I can see a lot of his barking seems to be aggression which could be due to his testosterone. I think this will help a lot because this guys def got this barking problem in his blood. :animal36 woof!!!