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Old 04-10-2015, 12:53 PM   #1
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Default Squirrels!!!!!!!!!!

Is there any way AT ALLLLL to train these dogs from going after squirrels???!!

Cali is 16 months now and for some reason discovered that squirrels exist about a month ago. It is making taking her outside a pain in the butt! Just now she jetted after one so quickly she jerked the leash from my daughter and ran off into the woods Earlier this week she snuck out the door behind someone and ran off chasing squirrels as well. I realize it's instinct but she is making me crazy! It's like she never noticed them before, but now that she has it's made her obsessed. HELP!
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Old 04-10-2015, 03:09 PM   #2
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Only thing I can think of is obedience training, especially with the leave-it command. It's a yorkies' nature to go after vermin/rodents/small animals, as that's what they were originally bred for. (of course, I've once had a male yorkie that actually got upset seeing a screaming mouse in a trap X_x and our past female didn't bother with rodents but played with and killed cockroaches >_<;;..).
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Old 04-10-2015, 03:12 PM   #3
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GAWDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD I HATE Squirrels. My Allie has an obsession with them.

I have done everything and nothing works. It's just an instinct with them. Can I say again I HATE Squirrels. LOL
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Old 04-10-2015, 03:46 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LunarBerry View Post
Only thing I can think of is obedience training, especially with the leave-it command. It's a yorkies' nature to go after vermin/rodents/small animals, as that's what they were originally bred for. (of course, I've once had a male yorkie that actually got upset seeing a screaming mouse in a trap X_x and our past female didn't bother with rodents but played with and killed cockroaches >_<;;..).
Awwww.. and ew..... roaches are just...... ew............
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Old 04-10-2015, 03:50 PM   #5
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I hope you at least have a buddy belt or scrappy harness instead of regular harness. If she lunges alot, it might damage her throat.

Otherwise, like Lunarberry said: TRAINING TRAINING and MOOOOOORE training. If I let Zoey off leash, I constantly surveillance my surrounding and if something appears that I know would make her chase, I pick her up.
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Old 04-10-2015, 04:25 PM   #6
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That is called prey instinct.....you can train them, but I would not EVER trust training to completely override prey instinct.....I would also secure that leash to whoever is holding it....that is the only thing that keeps your baby safe at your side and not bolting into the street chasing after squirrels........ or cats or another dog.....
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Old 04-10-2015, 04:27 PM   #7
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Cody is also obsessed with squirrels, last summer he ripped the living screen, dove out of the window after 2 chasing each other on the front lawn, windows are only 3 feet off the ground. This winter he pulled curtain brackets out of the wall watching those pesty squirrels lol. All my past yorkie girls were squirrel obsessed lol, nature of the breed lol.
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Old 04-10-2015, 05:20 PM   #8
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Her prey drive has kicked in and she may be becoming obsessive over chasing squirrels rather than just having a normal, healthy interest in hunting prey. Dogs can die because they chase prey into a dangerous situation, so crazy with desire they lose all judgment, running right into traffic or under/over/through anything that stands in their way and wind up injured or lost or worse. Tibbe went through the same phase but now enjoys a good chase but doesn't go bat-crazy anytime he sees a squirrel or cat outside and still has fun barking at and chasing them. But he can redirect on command and just as happily turn and run to me for just as big a reward, in his mind, a tugowar game when we get in the house.

You never want a dog's instincts to become obsessive and totally controlling but you have to work a bit to help them learn they can control their impulses and listen more to you than their inner instincts. Border collies on sheep farms do it every day - rather than felling and killing the sheep, they were trained to ignore that instinct and taught a replacement behavior, that of herding them according to their handler's direction. GSD/Belgian Malinois service dogs do it every day - rather than severely maiming/killing while seeking, attacking and bite/holding a fleeing suspect, they back off on command of their handler. Terriers can also be trained away from chasing and catching small animals they were bred to hunt and kill.

I'm not a big Cesar Millan fan and disagree heartily with some of his disciplinary techniques over positive reinforcement and rewards in rehabilitating problem dogs but here's a link to a pretty good lesson by him for starting to teach your dog how to disengage from obsessive squirrel-chasing, gain some self-control and re-direct her behavior for an equal or even greater amount of self-gratification. Once she learns to stop chasing and redirect on command for your happy pride in her and positive rewards, she'll begin to want that equally or more than chasing the squirrels - just like the Border and service dogs do with their handlers. They are now more interested in pleasing their handlers and gaining all the positives they get by doing that than chasing and killing and terriers can be trained in the same way. It takes persistence and establishing a relationship with your dog that always rewards them in some satisfying way for obeying you to the point that it becomes an automatic habit. Being dogs, just like humans, they aren't totally perfect but can become manageable as opposed to just crazy wild.

Canine prey drive | Cesar Millan
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Old 04-10-2015, 05:26 PM   #9
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Seriously, be very careful. My aunt used to let her westie out front without a leash, did it for years, insisted it was fine, until the day he ran into the street and was ran over by a truck.
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Old 04-10-2015, 06:34 PM   #10
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Seriously, be very careful. My aunt used to let her westie out front without a leash, did it for years, insisted it was fine, until the day he ran into the street and was ran over by a truck.
Wise words. It's not good to let dogs out front routinely without a leash but their impulsive nature doesn't mean you can't train them to obey you in all circumstances. I kinda see dogs as toddlers, only faster, and you can never 100% trust one outside without restraint; but a good dog handler can work to gain 98-99% control and management of their dog's more obsessive impulses if you work with them so that they aren't constantly running off from you, digging under or working out of the fence/gate and door-darting to go chase something or run away whenever spooked or free.

A dog who will stop on command when chasing a squirrel before he gets to it and gets bitten, a spooked dog who doordarts and heads for the street when the ambulance attendants fail to restrain him while wheeling you out on a stretcher or dashing through the hole in the fence the kids made that you just saw is a joy to have. When he's been trained over and over that he'll get a big, rewarding payoff so that he sees stopping from chasing or running off as a win-win for him, even out in the front yard, he usually always stops and the training pays off huge in most real-life, unplanned situations.
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Old 04-10-2015, 06:46 PM   #11
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Zip seems to enjoy treeing them.... I bought a harness this week cause he started acting more "squirrely" a few days ago, the collar, which was fine before because he didn't pull, has been put away because now he does pull sometimes. We leash up any where near the house or city streets.
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Old 04-12-2015, 02:42 AM   #12
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My Piccolo watches for squirrels from our kitchen door. If she sees one running the top of the backyard fence (which is kind of like a squirrel expressway around here) it makes her day and she certainly has to let everyone know about it.
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Old 04-13-2015, 08:33 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by calismama View Post
Is there any way AT ALLLLL to train these dogs from going after squirrels???!!

Cali is 16 months now and for some reason discovered that squirrels exist about a month ago. It is making taking her outside a pain in the butt! Just now she jetted after one so quickly she jerked the leash from my daughter and ran off into the woods Earlier this week she snuck out the door behind someone and ran off chasing squirrels as well. I realize it's instinct but she is making me crazy! It's like she never noticed them before, but now that she has it's made her obsessed. HELP!
Go back to the obedience training...sit , wait and stay....it can be done...
Reward the good behavior...be patient...and feed squirrel corn
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Old 04-13-2015, 08:44 PM   #14
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Go back to the obedience training...sit , wait and stay....it can be done...
Reward the good behavior...be patient...and feed squirrel corn

What a great pic for this post!!! Love it!


Teddy is obsessed with birds and tries to chase them when they are flying in the sky at 30,000 ft. I agree that you should attempt to train but don't feel too disheartened if those attempts do not work in the way you expect they should. Yorkies are terriers and terriers chase/dig and lots of other annoying and potentially dangerous things. We kinda have to accept their nature and, in doing so, prevent them from harm by using training and leashes.


I used a trainer who encouraged me to let Teddy run free and I will never make that mistake again. Although he was good with recall up until that point, he developed a crush on a puppy schnauzer and chased her as she left the park. Unfortunately, although the park was huge, Teddy chased her even when she was out of sight and had it not been for some very speedy legs (not mine) who caught up with Teddy who was running free with an attached leash - well, he would have been dead because he ran right out to the road.


Kinda depressing to think about but I'm glad that I was fortunate enough to have a second chance. Teddy gets no more chances, crazy boy!


My experience is my experience, so may not be applicable to all, but just something to think about..


Have to go, now. It's nearly 6 a.m. here and the birds have awoken Sir Teddykins!
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Old 04-14-2015, 05:15 AM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SirTeddykins View Post
What a great pic for this post!!! Love it!


Teddy is obsessed with birds and tries to chase them when they are flying in the sky at 30,000 ft. I agree that you should attempt to train but don't feel too disheartened if those attempts do not work in the way you expect they should. Yorkies are terriers and terriers chase/dig and lots of other annoying and potentially dangerous things. We kinda have to accept their nature and, in doing so, prevent them from harm by using training and leashes.


I used a trainer who encouraged me to let Teddy run free and I will never make that mistake again. Although he was good with recall up until that point, he developed a crush on a puppy schnauzer and chased her as she left the park. Unfortunately, although the park was huge, Teddy chased her even when she was out of sight and had it not been for some very speedy legs (not mine) who caught up with Teddy who was running free with an attached leash - well, he would have been dead because he ran right out to the road.


Kinda depressing to think about but I'm glad that I was fortunate enough to have a second chance. Teddy gets no more chances, crazy boy!


My experience is my experience, so may not be applicable to all, but just something to think about..


Have to go, now. It's nearly 6 a.m. here and the birds have awoken Sir Teddykins!
Oh I totally get that...and every yorkie is different. I try to work on extreme behaviors like excessive panic barking....plus we have exercise pen fencing we place outside front and back door so when I open the door she jumps right in, so that contains her, plus fencing around both small patio areas....so they are "free" but not to the trees....but that didn't mean zoey didn't see them! So I had the long cold ,inside the house , winter to work on her here....

I also was too trusting ( and ignorant) with my first yorkie 40 years ago, Tish..
Having a huge front yard I just opened the front door , she jumps out to pee, then jumps back in.....till one day I opened the door and it was like it was meant to happen.....she bolted out the door and ran as fast as she could to the distant road ...and got hit by a car instantly...no trees around ...don't know what she saw....

I know not to chances with my new baby also...she's flighty. Not a crack does she get when going out .
If zoey goes on a rant I say" ok ...I see it ...that's enough" and she stops......IF they're at a distance....we're everyday instilling obedience training for the ups and mailman
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