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08-08-2008, 05:23 AM | #1 |
YorkieTalk Newbie! Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: UK
Posts: 1
| Rage Syndrome Hi all, I just wondered if anyone has come across 'rage syndrome' in the Yorkie. sudden on-set of aggression for no reason and snaps out of it in a matter of seconds. I'm trying to do a bit of research into it and wondered if anyone has experienced this with a yorkie. I would be very interested to hear from anyone who has a yorkie that shows signs of unexplainable aggressive behaviour. If you could send details such as age, symptoms, what the dog is like before and after an episode, who/what the aggression is directed at etc. I would be very gratefull. Thanxs all. Best wishes Fidgetter |
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08-08-2008, 06:48 AM | #2 |
Donating YT 2000 Club Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: North Carolina
Posts: 8,317
| I found an interesting article on rage syndrome. Lack of proper socialization with humans between 7 and 12 weeks of age seems to be a factor. Did you get your Yorkie from a reputable breeder? Likely Candidates In Capers, Mugford reports that he sees the problem starting in most dogs at about 7-1/2 months of age, on average, "although some dogs exhibited symptoms as early as three months and others as late as two years of age." At Starfire, the few cases we have seen were between one and three years of age. However, in both Mugford's experience and ours, many dogs first displayed the symptoms at or around one of the five critical learning periods we have identified in dogs. These occur at about 6 weeks of age, 12 weeks (plus or minus a week), 24 weeks or about 6 months of age (plus or minus two weeks), 12 months or about a year of age (plus or minus a month), and two years of age (plus or minus two months). Says Dr. Bekker, "As is characteristic of dominance aggression in general, many more males than females were affected (68% vs. 32%) and symptoms in males were often more severe than those in females." In our work, most of our clients' dominant-aggressive dogs were intact males. Other Possible Contributing Factors Inbreeding may be a consideration but little is known about the mechanisms through which inbreeding could affect the problem. Other factors also need to be considered as possible causes or contributors to dominance aggression. Poor socialization with humans between seven and 12 weeks of age can lead to aggressive behavior toward people. Articles |
08-26-2008, 09:52 AM | #4 |
Yorkie Yakker Join Date: May 2005 Location: Mobile Alabama
Posts: 43
| Pookie is a healthy, seven pound, five year old male yorkie who was neutered at six months and definitely has rage syndrome. Pookie sometimes suddenly growls and exhibit aggressive behavior including biting. Sometimes it's in response to triggers such as bones, Greenie biscuits, or beef jerky, but often there's no real trigger. Pookie has threatened to bite me several times in the past few months and actually bit me twice, both times hard enough to break the skin. Interestingly, Pookie has never bitten my husband or threatened him in any way. We also have a four year old yorkie female named Boo Boo, who is completely nonaggressive, loving and completely attached to me. Pookie was our first dog. We got him when he was just seven weeks old from an experienced backyard breeder, who had posted a newspaper ad. Pookie was a beautiful puppy, and we were astonished when he began to exhibit aggressive tendencies at the tender age of nine weeks. He behaved well enough during the day but every night turned into a monster, growling and threatening, like a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Pookie went through a very difficult teething period (he chewed on the furniture constantly) and my husband and I spent a good deal of time feeding him dog biscuits, but we had to stop when we noticed that these were triggering aggressive behavior. Meat bones in particular set him into a frenzy and the effects can last for hours, so we have banished these from his environment. Often the rage is over in a few seconds, but sometimes it can last far longer. Weeks can go by without an episode. But once Pookie has a rage attack, he's far more likely to have another. He seems to need a cooling off period during which he's hypersensitive to any triggers. Pookie does not display affection. He will not lick your hand unless he's bribed with Beggin' Strips, his favorite treat. We also had to train him to lie on his back while we rub his belly. In the beginning he did not do this willingly, which I understand is associated with his aggressive, dominant personality. About three years ago, I caught Pookie with Boo Boo’s head in his mouth. Boo Boo wasn't harmed, but my husband believes that had we not intervened so quickly, Boo Boo would have been seriously injured or even killed. Fortunately, Pookie never attacked Boo Boo again. Other strange aspects of Pookie's behavior are that he's extremely vocal and makes a very wide range of sounds. In addition to normal dog barking, Pookie sometimes howls like a wolf or warbles like a bird. Pookie likes to be groomed and is particularly well behaved at the groomers and at home during bath time. He is compliant during visits to the vet and does not express fear or pain. I think of him as a tough little dog who wants to take life like a macho man. |
08-26-2008, 10:07 AM | #5 |
Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: West Hartford CT USA
Posts: 30
| Hello, I have a 5 mths old Yorkie that also displays aggression issues. Mostly it's when he is playing with an item that he should not have(plastic, glass, paper etc). When we try to take these away from him, he growls and shakes his head with anger. He has snapped at me twice. We are hoping that after neutering him he will begin to show less of these issues. Otherwise he is a playful little pup. Last edited by anta76; 08-26-2008 at 10:09 AM. |
08-26-2008, 01:46 PM | #6 | |
Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Albany New York USA
Posts: 151
| Quote:
__________________ Lisa Desiree Cassidy | |
08-26-2008, 02:49 PM | #7 |
♥ love my girls!! ♥ Donating Member | My dad was telling me about there being a lot of cons to neutering (either gender) dogs as well as some pros, so he sent me this link today. Should I spay or should I no... pros and cons of neutering One of the cons is increased risk of aggression. That may not explain your situation at all, but I thought I'd pass along the info. |
08-26-2008, 03:24 PM | #8 | |
Donating YT 5000 Club Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Southeast Texas
Posts: 7,959
| Aggression is one of the possible side effects of the rabies vaccination. What You Should Know About the Rabies Vaccine for Dogs Quote:
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08-26-2008, 08:06 PM | #9 | |
Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Albany New York USA
Posts: 151
| Quote:
__________________ Lisa Desiree Cassidy | |
08-27-2008, 06:10 AM | #10 |
Donating YT 10K Club Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Alabama
Posts: 11,432
| Not with a Yorkie...but had a Peke that displayed similar issues. Would just 'snap' for no apparent reason, become super aggressive and try to bite or turn on the other dog. He even 'attacked' himself once and chewed off half of his own tail. As it turned out, he had some severe issues with some disc in his back that were literally beginning to crush his spinal cord...malformed from birth? due to trauma? No telling...he was a 'rescue' and we had no knowledge of any history with him. We ended up having to have him put down when he was around 4 years old. |
08-27-2008, 07:24 PM | #11 |
Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Albany New York USA
Posts: 151
| I looked up the vaccine date and it was ten days before the post I made about Cassie acting aggressive(?) I still don't know if it was really anything but she hasn't done it since. The licking has not become "obsessive" but more like occasional. I am going to mention it to the vet next visit even though it seems like it hasn't shown up again.
__________________ Lisa Desiree Cassidy |
08-28-2008, 04:38 AM | #12 | |
Donating YT 5000 Club Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Southeast Texas
Posts: 7,959
| Quote:
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08-28-2008, 05:03 AM | #13 |
Mimi & Gabby too! Donating Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Vineland, NJ
Posts: 3,208
| There is a YT member that just had to put her 17 month baby down because of this. The vets found something wrong with her brain. Just please be careful with your other baby. I've heard of yorkies killing other yorkies. Here is the link from the other YT member that had the same thing happening to her. http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/mem...8-13-08-a.html |
08-28-2008, 05:12 AM | #14 |
Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Huntsville, Al, Madison
Posts: 44
| I have dealt with "Rage" before and what you described sounds more like dominance or rabies reaction than rage. Rage in Great Pyrenees is generally thought to be caused by a tumor in the brain causing something almost seizure-like with the aggression. when they come out of it they are disoriented and dont seem to realize that anything went on. in every other way a dog with rage is a normal, happy dog and acts like any other dog of the breed except during those moments of rage. hope this helps some |
08-28-2008, 05:53 AM | #15 | |
Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Albany New York USA
Posts: 151
| Quote:
__________________ Lisa Desiree Cassidy | |
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