3-year-old yorkie won't let me put her down
 

Hi All,

I have a 3 year old yorkie and we just moved to a new house. She's generally pretty neurotic and obsessed with her routines. At first she seemed to be doing really well with the move, but recently she won't let me put her down. I work from home and she wants to sit in my arms all day while I work on the computer which makes it really hard to get work done :p. Every time I put her down she cries and barks to get back up again. Have any of you had this problem? What can I do?

Thanks!

She might need something for anxiety. I know it’s hard but not responding sometimes is probably a good thing.

How about distraction - a toy, Kong, throwing a ball etc. what things did your pup enjoy doing before the move.

This is how I think I might try to deal with this:

If she has any real high value treats, toys or food she just can never, ever resist, I mean the thing she really will absolutely beg and "dance" for, such as warm, boiled chicken, turkey hotdog bite, squeaky toy or whatever she truly highly values, try placing a piece of that food/treat or the toy on the floor beside you and allowing her to ask you to lift her down or jump down to get it. Say "good separation" or "good release" or some phrase you can identify to her that tells her what you want her to do, which is separate from you to get something she wants.

High praise each and every time she does it and then allow her back in your lap. I mean really high praise with your whole face smiling right down to your eyes as you verbally praise by name what she's just done. Light up your face so she can see she's really pleased you. Repeat for 3 or 4 times every hour or so until she is readily going for it with alacrity.

When she's used to doing this, place the food/treat/toy a bit further away and keep working it away from you as she adjusts to going after her great resource, thus allowing her to think less about her surroundings and more about what she wants, plus making you VERY happy every time she successfully does it.

Thank you all so much for the great advice and ideas!!!

Some of our babies take longer to adjust to changes more than others. Give her time and just keep on loving her.

So true, when i move to a new home, Duchess walked right in and proudly took a dump on the floor.:eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:

Hehe.. Duchess marked your new home right away. "Approved" :rolleyes:

:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup: I would do exactly the same!

Toys that hold or dispense treats are really useful too :)

I just saw this and am wondering if maybe the OP's floors might be different than the dog is used to. Some Yorkies ars very sensitive to cold. Maybe a cozy and warm bed, nearby where you work, would make the the dog more comfortable and secure. My pups are my shadows and I have beds for them in places where the floors are cold. It makes life easier for all of us when I'm busy.

Yes, excellent idea. Anything that keeps her mind distracted from what is worrying her and absorbed in something that gives her fun and pleasure is a wonderful way to allow her to gradually begin to accept whatever changes in her life and surroundings are concerning her. She will gradually come to learn that nothing about her new situation is going to hurt her as she enjoys herself with her fun distraction - as long as she's not ill or in pain.

Many dogs I've cared for seem to show fear, neediness and even have panic attacks when something is wrong physically. A vet check should be considered anytime your dog's behavior changes and rechecked with you asking more questions and possibly even pushing for testing if the worrisome behavior continues - vets do miss early stages of things or even misdiagnose. Sometimes it's not always what we think that's bothering our dogs, even though a move to another home is a big adjustment for almost any dog.

Our two are the same way. If they see us trying to get some work done on the computer or checking our phones, they jump up and ask for attention! God forbid we are doing anything that takes our attention off of them for a couple of minutes!!

You have that right, for sure!! Often, when I'm (trying) to have a conversation with my mom, Piper will stand in between us and if that doesn't bring results, she'll ga-ruff 'til that gets our attention. I saw a very suitable poster for my girl that read: Excuse me. Would you please stop talking when I'm interrupting?
HAPPY SPRING ALL!!!!

The cell phone! Hahaha..
Scottie will deliberately lick us non-stop the second we pick up our phones. We look away from the phone, he stops licking. The second we go back to the phone, he starts licking. It's almost like he's playing a joke on us. So funny..