I think a professional trainer is the way to go as you've been having this problem for quite a while now.

I do want to warn about two methods:

The hand/claw on the neck can be very effective when done correctly, but when you touch a dog that is already escalating to zone 10, odds are it will turn and bite your hand. So timing is critical.

The second method is putting a dog on it's side or back and forcing it to stay there. This is also called the 'Alpha Roll' .... from an earlier post:

The 'holding down' is a form of the 'Alpha Roll' and should never be done to puppies or young dogs. It was developed by professional trainers to be used by professional trainers on severely aggressive dogs, after all alternative methods of training have been tried and failed. The 'Alpha Roll' would then be tried, only as a last attempt to save the dog from being PTS.

When it is used on younger dogs and puppies, it can have adverse effects and actually make them worse aggressors, or the opposite can occur and their spirits can be broken, and they end up being fearful, cowering, hiding under the bed messes, which then need to be retrained to begin trusting humans again.

I will say some members have gotten 'lucky' using this method, and I just want to say here that it was intended to be used only once. Repeated use will not improve matters and may cause the adverse reactions mentioned above, or worse.

From:

Alpha roll - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Monks of New Skete, The (2002). How To Be Your Dog's Best Friend. Little, Brown & Company. ISBN 0-316-61000-3. "In the original edition of this book, we recommended a technique we termed "the alpha-wolf rollover"...We no longer recommend this technique and strongly discourage its use to our clients.... The conditions in which it might be used effectively are simply too risky and demanding for the average dog owner; there are other ways of dealing with problem behavior that are much safer and, in the long run, just as effective."


What will stop her is to put a leash on her and sit with both dogs on the floor and wait for her to give the signal that she's going to attack. If you miss the signal, stop her from touching Buster by stopping her with the leash. Get her back to you and tell her to sit and put your body between her and Buster, blocking her sight of him. Walk towards her so she has to move back. This body language makes her see you as the boss. When she calms down, sit down and wait for the next time.

Do not provide triggers to make her react. No petting of both dogs or just Buster... this is teasing. Let it happen naturally. Once you stop her physically, the mental part will kick in and she'll begin to think before she does it again. Work on getting the timing just right, give a very firm 'Ah, Ah' when you see her thinking about Buster. Sometimes that alone will stop her... I've also seen it provoke an attack. If it provokes an attack, do the verbal correction a few seconds sooner the next time.

Stop giving treats for her to hide. Peek a Boo does this also and hides treats in his bed in the bedroom. He will challenge the other 3 for their treats until he collects them all, then he will attack anyone that enters the bedroom. He stopped doing this when I stopped giving him treats. Now I give him Cheerios, which he'll eat right away.

This is a process, meaning it will take time. But it will work. Peek was worse at night in bed. I slept with a leash on him, but still couldn't totally stop him. Now, sadly, he does not sleep in my bed at night. But this is what works for him, and keeps everyone else safe.

Once you effectively stop her attacks a few times, you should see a change in her behavior... attacks will be fewer and futher apart. Eventually, when the verbal interupt stops her, you can work with her without the leash, but keep it handy, you may need to put it back on for a bit. Yorkies are smart and will try you.

Thank you for all of this valuable information. Cedric has been a lil aggressive (no biting just verbal, warning growling) with Lola when hes around his bones or when she wants to sit with us all. Last night he growled at her and I growled at him in almost the same manor just seconds after and it worked. Lola was able to join us on the couch with no further growls or aggression. I have told my husband this is how we will handle this so we are in tune!! This really worked and I'm exicted because with Cedric I know it's his treats he worried about he growls even when the cat walks by....LOL and they could careless what treat he has..I believe it is because Princess used to steal all of this treats so hes very protective. Thanks again everyone!!!!!

The don't belong together.

I agree about the clasp to the neck in a dog already escalating to attack mode before one is in complete control. I tend to recommend its use only as prescribed during one's training of the dog, when the dog begins to alert to or give warning body signals. That's when the leader(and that is what you have to establish with a fighting Yorkie - who is leader) wants to disagree, discipline & stop the aggression - at its beginning. Later, once that dog knows its human leader is in control, the look or a word will usually suffice but if not, disciplining a misbehaving dog with the hand over the neck works very well. As in the natural world, nothing stays the same so a well-placed reminder is necessary at times should a dog start to forget who is in control.

Just some thoughts about various training methods of this problem, for what they are worth. All who train successfully have their own approaches & reasons for them. That is why it is good to read everything & use what best fits you & your dog.

Personally, I have a different approach to kjc from lessons I've learned. I don't care to actually train the attack behavior problems OP describes on the leash as many dogs are quick to acquiesce to behavior modification training when leashed, but smartie's that they are, once off lead, all that learning & model behavior can quickly vanish. Humans want to gain control of a dog who is acting like an alpha in the family by reminding that dog that the human is the leader using things the dog naturally understands & accepts in all circumstances, even unrestrained, due to nature's laws of canine hierarchy.

It is especially important in fighting since the dog is usually throwing caution to the wind & just reacting to instinctive behavior of self-preservation, usually the strongest instinct an animal has. If the dog, however, instinctively knows to react appropriately to canine natural hierarchy laws from the beginning, before he feels the need to self-preserve, helped along by a canine or human "alpha" leader, then those more instinctive messages, taught while unrestrained & under his own self-control, will likely better keep him from aggressing over the long haul & not lessons learned while temporarily restrained - whose fix can be temporary itself or shorter-lived, in some trainers' experience. Others say restraint training of fighting dogs works very well for them. It can depend on the trainer & the dog. That's why various methods can work.

The control I like to teach most dogs from the beginning is that of the natural canine teaching/discipline method which doesn't involve leashes or pens or shock collars - things like that, when a dog is alerting/obsessing, fighting another dog. If you watch a group of dogs that live together in the wild or feral groups & one begins to behave improperly, one of the alpha dogs will just send a look or walk over and administer discipline, teaching that dog that that behavior is improper. It is in a dog's DNA to usually react to the social order of its pack family structure & accept discipline of this type quite naturally from a leader. It is the leadership & physical involvement of the leader that dog reacts to & the reason it backs off, because it is instinctive for him to do so. I've personally found that one gains more lasting control of fighting dogs from the natural, unrestrained approach of gentle discipline/anti-aggression training as they tend to have fewer rates of recidivism when later unrestrained by leashes or pens.

Those are just my thoughts on attack behavior modification for small to medium dogs that a person might want to try before seeking out a pro. But each person has to assess what seems best for them & their dog. Some cannot afford a professional trainer or it didn't help & thus the dog and its victims may go without help until it has to be rehomed or sheltered elsewhere if they don't make an effort. Training Yorkies not to fight for a healthy adult who isn't immune-compromised or ill is usually not dangerous to at least try but you could be bitten, as you know. I don't recommend this method for use on big, powerful dogs.

I always say, almost any humane method of training can work if you & your dog are comfortable with it & you administer it gently, with love, persistence & a load of patience throughout the life of the healthy dog.

Jeanie, you might like reading the books written by Tamar Geller:

The Loved World Foundation by Tamar Geller - Home

They will stay together.

Thanks Linda. I'm going to contact the behaviorist in Sugar Land tomorrow. I think she has Saturday appointments available. I've called several trainers and most of them are more interested in the basic type of training. When I tell them of the problems I am having, they ask about the food they are eating, medical issues, etc. They aren't really sure what they can do about the jealousy issue. There is help for us somewhere.

Push to the edge
 

Just want everyone to know that some yorkies will push you to the edge. They are wonderously smart but must be brought up by a firm hand with guidance and love. You must show them who is the pack leader and play dominant in every scenario. Agh, Agh are the words to signify NO. Put them on their back and hold them till they go calm for 15 minutes a day. Also, you have to do lots of time outs like putting them in a crate with the front to the wall for every consequence until they understand that this is not appropriate behavior. :)

Give them equal attention. You can hold them together, pet them together, soothe them together and if it starts crate them and make a loud noise to stop the behavior.

What area are you in. I know you can't be on top of them all the time and she is seriously jealous, enough to attack. I would not feel comfortable with them together so separate them all the time unless you can solve it. Some dogs do not have good chemistry with each other and as a responsible pet owner you have to recognize this and do something about it.

I have a friend that lives in Katy and I trained her yorkie.

:thumbup: You've received great advice already all I will add is that I will keep you in my thoughts. I know this isn't an easy situation because you love them both. I am sure with some of the advice you have been given it will all work out. Good luck!

Thank-you! And thanks to everyone who has given me advice. I will be trying everything I can to stop the attacks. I know some don't think they belong together but rehoming one of them will be like giving away a child. I can't do it. I will have to do everything that has been presented to me to bring Maggie to where she is not attacking Buster. They get along just fine when I'm not around, maybe I should be rehomed? They both want attention and when she is getting attention, she does not want him to interfere. When she is getting attention, he pouts. He doesn't attack like she does. I can accept the pouting. The attacking I need to stop.

You may want to ask yor vet if there is something that he can hive hour little one for anxiety. I ask a friend of mine who has lit Maltese who has behavior issues and a bit aggressive. That with training may help

Consistent reprimand and training is the only answer. NO DRUGS.