Cody’s first obedience lesson
 

Keep in mind Cody is 3 y/o and I adopted him almost 10 months ago.
I must have walked 10 miles today, so the session was Cody and one other student dog. 15 minutes into the session the trainer brings in her Border Collie as a decoy. Cody was taught when he looked at the other dogs and started to pull towards them, I am to tug on the leash and say “leave it” and walk in the opposite direction. He caught on fairly quickly and got many treats, but of course this has to be practiced. I was told since I live in an area where there are no dogs, take him to town. That should be fun. Some insane woman with this more insane lil lunging dog walking in town telling dog to “leave it” ppl looking for what the dog was trying to eat that this lady is telling the dog to “leave it? Then walking in opposite direction. At one point the trainer was just talking to us, the owner of the other dog (I THINK she had a miniature Doberman, a very large one, it looked more like a miniature grey hound, it could be another breed but that’s what it looked like to me) She asks the trainer what breed is my dog!!!!!!! The trainer said yorkie, then trainer calls over to me and says “Cody is a yorkie right” I say yes, this girl says to me “are you sure” I say am I sure of what” she says he looks mixed, are you sure he’s all yorkie, I say why would you say he looks mixed, she says because any yorkie
I ever saw is very small. I say, yorkie size standard is under 7 lbs, there are many larger yorkies than Cody, (Cody is close to 13 lbs he is a little tall , but his body is not long or wide) you may not have seen any or noticed them. Yorkies come in all weights and sizes. Not all are breed to standard size. She continued saying he looked mixed. I had to ignore her I was there for lessons not to dispute dog breed. I just LOVE when ppl know nothing about other breeds but will insist your yorkie doesn’t look like a yorkie. But all in all the first session with Cody and 2 other dogs went I think quite well. This was probably the first time Cody was in close company with other dogs. I asked the trainer if it was too early for her to determine why he behaves so badly, she said he was never socialized with other dogs. So we will practice this week.

Before we got Gucci and learned a bit about the breed, I thought all yorkies were small. Ignorance isn't stupidity, she just doesn't know most likely. Don't worry about teaching her, focus on Cody. Sounds like he did well on his first day.

WTG Cody! So glad he did well in class. Joan, I feel for you! I know how hard it is to take them out in public while they are acting like "brats", even though we know they need the exposure.

He is such a good boy at home and with ppl. I got his car sickness under control with a booster seat, I get an over whelming amount of joy and pleasure to see him in his booster seat, sitting there like a proud king on his thrown, looking out of the window. He LOVES the car rides now. He is perfect, except when he sees another dog or dogs. I will do what ever I can to get him to over come this. I want him stress free, confident and happy. OMG, embarrassed, humiliated when he carries on at the pet supplies stores in an under statement, I just want to run out of the store. He is a fast learner, this I am seeing. I pray this can be over come. Thank you for your concern. I am off this afternoon for the town walk:eek:

I am there to train my baby, I don't care what ppl think. I've been going through this for yearsssss. All my yorkies were 10 lbs and over, my last girl was 17 lbs, big, beautiful girl. What I went through with her and ppl's comments lol. It just ticks me off ppl not knowing breeds to insist your dog is mix, but the irritation passes quickly. IMO, Cody did very well, better then what I thought. Close to the end of the session he sat with 2 other dogs in the same room. We were all appox 15 feet apart from each other. Every time he would get up from his sit position I would tell to to sit, and he did, all he did was look at the Border Collie, no carrying on. I am anxious for the next session. I was very proud of my lil boy.

Good for you giving an older Yorkie and not a puppy a fine, loving home! And good for you taking him to obedience class! You can help him react better around other dogs by teaching him obedience and how to control his impulses and he'll be a much calmer pet.

Next time anyone disputes his breed, tell them how to educate themselves on today's Yorkie by just looking up both "Yorkie" and "Yorkshire Terrier" on "Google Image" and just take their time to look at all the different types and looks of the 21st century Yorkie.

Good luck with your obedience training!

I don't waste my time with ppl like this, I heard it from time to time for 30 + years. I would love for Cody to get along and enjoy being with other dogs. 3 years ago they built a beautiful dog park 10 minutes from my house. I would LOVE to bring Cody there to play. My last girl lost her sister in 2005, it took her 7 months to get back to being herself. I was out of the house 16 hours a day (commuting to my NY job) I couldn't get her a play mate because of my long hours, she LOVED all dogs, there were not dog parks with-in 50 miles or more from me. When she was 16 y/o blind and deaf, they built this park, of course I couldn't bring her then, but would LOVE to bring Cody. I LOVE to see dogs play with each other. But, if that can never be, I'll be very happy for him not to be lunging and carrying on like a crazy boy. Thank you for the well wishes for my lil boy.

I am so proud of little Cody and the way he is responding to his first obedience class with other dogs. Just looking at theBorder Collie and doing nothing is marvelous to hear that he did that. I hope he just continues to improve and gets to be comfortable with the other dogs he will meet in his life and then can go to the dog park and play with some of them too. Hooray for Cody!!!! :0

How nice of you Sherri, I was very proud of him too. Maybe one day we can use our new doggie park, that is my goal.

Joan,
I just like seeing all the improvements that have come about in his short time with you as his new Momma. First of all to be able to enjoy his car rides and not be sick any more is quite something to see. And then going swimming and all that new stuff that has happened in his life.I am sorry he is having all these physical ailments though but he is still enjoying his life more now I am sure and it does my heart good especially when I keep reading about all the other Yorkies with all their serious problems. That breaks my heart.

Wow there is hope for my pap to . Trouble is shes taught my gental yorky her tricks now hes going balisc now. His is just bark . Hers is bark im gonna tear you up.

Short story (I hope lol) When I lived in NY I had 3 pups, all 3 years apart, the last one was "the baby" they were all leash walked, when I had just one, every walk I was pulled to drive ways where neighbors had their dogs, my pup had to say hello and get her kisses from her gated buddys, then I got pup #2, pup #1 taught #2 how to pull to gated buds for kisses, then #3 joined the pack, so now I have 3 pullers wanting to be first to get the first kiss. Years down the road pup #1 died, 6 months later pup # 2 died in the house, just "The baby" was left. She pined and pined for her lost sisters for 6 months, I couldn't take the pain and depression she was suffering, so I got her a pal. Don't ya know the older one teaches the new pup to pull for kisses lol. What I am getting at is, they teach each other, one does it, the other follows. If you are not happy with your one dogs behavior, you have to try to fix it, as you see, your other one is picking up on it now. As I have said before, bringing Cody for obedience training lessons is for his SAFETY. I believe he wants to be friendly but just doesn't how to approach another dog. I believe with his prev. owner when another dog approached them while leash walking, Cody was picked up by his owner, as my trainer told me last week, by doing this you are telling your dog, approaching dog is danger, instilling fear in your dog. So Cody was not socialized at a young age. He now needs to be taught dogs are not threat or danger, he has to be taught how to meet and greet other dogs in a more passive friendly manner. His behavior around dogs is threatening to other dogs, Cody could get attack, even killed. I have to do all that I can to have this corrected. Your dog can be trained, it's never to late. Sometime we don't have the skills, or knowledge to correct a certain behavior, so we have to seek an outside source, we have to be trained so we can train our fur babies. I have raised 7 puppies, all were trained and well behaved. I never had a dog like Cody, I watched a lot of animal plant's "it's the dog or me" with Victoria (whatever her last name is lol) I know what the training procedure is, but, I don't have dogs walked on leash in my area to practice the training. So, basically I am paying just to be around dogs lol. But I have also learned from this trainer. You have to work with your pup soon to stop this unacceptable behavior before it becomes a habit with your other dog. Good luck to both of us lol.

Sounds like training is coming along very well. Great to hear!