Growling Yorkshire Terrier

[gohan2091]

Hi,

I have just bought an 8 year old male Yorkshire Terrier called chip and I love him to bits. He has been in the house for a week now and he is playful, he can sit, he is house trained and he comes when you call him. However, I have a problem that is conserning me....

If you try and pick him up when he is sitting he starts to growl and if by then you dont back off, he looks like he is ready to attack you. Also if he has something in his mouth whether its a bone, toy or something that he shouldnt have, you can stroke him but if you try and take it out of his mouth he growls and not long after, goes for you. He takes the bone or toy from my hand no problem, just doesnt want to give it back.

I live with my mum and my 3 year old sister doesnt understand about the dog and chip almost attacked her when she tried to move him.

Why is chip doing this? he comes to all family members and sits beside them, calm, relaxed, its just disturbing seeing the oppersite side of him.

Also just quickly, he licks the carpet, the chairs and the pillows on the chairs, why does he do this?

Thanks for any comments!

 

[gohan2091]

I wont go as far as taking him to a training center, its expensive.

When he growls i back off, I dont correct him because I dont know how to. I dont want to hit him and that, thats cruel.

Recently ive been making him sit before he gets any food from me or any treats. I hope this helps but when he does growl, i just say NAUGHTY CHIP and i dont back off. I really want to sort this out myself, he is a nice dog, he doesnt do this all the time, just the odd time.

Also like i asked before, why does he lick the chairs, pillows and carpet?

 

[Renee750il]

First, remember that this is a Yorkie. Even if he does get you, it's not going to hurt much. That said, the object of the game is to let him know that biting is not going to get him anywhere he wants to be and make him back off - not you. A dog that growls gets banished. Designate a place to send him when he acts like this. It needs to be somewhere that he's alone, but don't use his sleeping area for punishment. For the time being, while you're working on this problem, you might want to keep a soft halter on him so you've got something to grab hold of that won't hurt him like a collar around his neck might do.

Since he's eight years old, this is probably a behaviour that's of long standing. His former owners probably let him bully them and they cowtowed to his every whim. You're going to have to be very strict enforcing the concept that good behaviour gets good things and bad behaviour gets bad things.

Also, start paying attention to the circumstances when he growls. Does he do it in certain places, at a particular time of day, before or after eating, when he's approached a particular way? You may find some clues to what causes him to growl that will give you some insight into what to do to alleviate the problem. It may be that there is some physiological problem contributing, like partial deafness or nearsightedness.

By the way, is Chip neutered?

About the licking - that's one of those doggy mysteries. He could be smelling and "tasting" another animal's scent. They can do some strange things . . .

 

[gohan2091]

By the way, is Chip neutered?

I have no idea lol


thanks for all your tips and stuff, ill sure try some of these ideas out, chip has a large back garden to run around in and we take him for a walk at least once a day for at least 15 minutes a time.

What you can do is get your dog used to you taking things from him. Start by placing objects near him, but keep them at a safe distance..Tell him to sit/stay and let him see you pick them up, if he remains calm praise him. Gradually move the object closer, and always praise when he is in the sit/stay

he doesnt always like to take things, if you put a toy near him, sometimes he takes it, most of the time he dosesnt. This would be hard to do but ill try.

again thanks for all the help!

 

[agilitydobemom]

all dogs want to "work" and giving them a job is the best thing you can do even if it is to sit before he eats and wait to be told it is o.k to eat sitting or laying down for a treat or toy you shouldn't just give your dog what he wants when he wants somthing make him do a "job" to get what he wants even when he wants to go out make him sit at the door and wait to be told it is o.k to go out if you do this your dog will be much happier and you in the meantime will establish who is the "pack" leader always remember that dogs eventhough domesticated are still pack animals and someone has to be the "alpha" (or top) dog and that some one should be you meaning you should control every aspect of Chips life
As for the licking small dogs ecspecially are prone to compulsive obsessive disorders and this is probably what this licking is linked to as long as it is not destroying or annoying you it is not really a big deal
If it is annoying or bohtering you try to distract him with somthing like a soft toy everytime you see him licking and it may stop

 

[gohan2091]

Ok today he has been real bad...

He was in the corner beside my computer and i called him and he wouldnt come... he was growling lightly so i tried to lure him out using one of his favourite toys and he didnt come out. He understands the words "in your basket" but he didnt respond to those words either. He was growling alot and showing all his teeth trying to look fearsome.

So i went to pat his head to try and comfort him and he went for me... he bit my hand and although its not cut, its got a little bump and teethmarks ingraved in the skin.

Its not painful, just stings a little, so i called my mums boyfriend(mark) who was upstairs at the time and he tried to get him out by calling him nicely, luring him with a toy, all the things he normally responds to and he was growling at mark showing all his teeth at him.
Mark then tried to put a ball near him and he went for him to, then he ran out of the corner and towards his basket but not in it. Mark walked towards him and chip was still growling alot. By this time, chip was in his basket growling... showing all his teeth so mark put a blanket over the whole basket and spoke to chip (not shouting) saying stuff like "naughtly chip" "dont bite" which i think chip is starting to learn what naughtly means.

After about 15 seconds of the blanket over chip, mark pulled it off and chip completely stopped the growling, with his head down looking sad.
We discovered in the corner where chip was, was some food... a dog chew. i guess chip was thinking we would steal it off him.

How would i teach chip to not be so aggressive when it comes to food?

 

[Blondie]

I have a Cocker Spaniel, and you know what I think our problem is? We love them so much because they're so beautiful, pretty and cute, and they know that, so they're controlling! I know, because Blondie has had fits like that, not so severe but he's bit our hands, mom's, dad's, my sister's and me, when we don't let him do what he wants.

He doesn't even growl or show his teeth for a while, he just growls and barks and then bites, it's so quick! It's been a while since he did that, and he was very sick around that time, maybe he wasn't feeling well, and that helped him get aggressive, but we have learned that they cannot get away with it without a punishment, not hitting or anything, just... he gets placed somewhere apart from the family (he loves being around the family, hates to be alone) and then he stays there for a while. And we yell NO!!! so he jumps up and backs off.

Food... it's like their property. You can't steal food from Blondie, or you'll get biten. I think we need to teach them how to drop things, and little by little, with lots of time and patience, teach them you are the alpha dog in charge. Just don't give up!

 

[candy722]

He might be kinda old for training but it will improve. Most of all I think you should demand him NO when he does that so that he knows that his doing something wrong. THat is a bad bad bad behavior.

 

[leaughxp]

Congratulations on getting Chip! I'm sure he's a great addition to your family.

I wont go as far as taking him to a training center, its expensive.

Our first dog was only taken to puppy school. Right now my dog Gunner just started puppy school but I know he will need to be in training class for a very long time; not because he's hard to train but because the training is a way to give him a "job" and he needs stuff to do. We go to training class at Petsmart; I think it's a pretty good deal $99 for 10 weeks. And the training isn't where they train the dog; it's more of them teaching you how to train your dog. I learn how to correct Gunner when he's bad and doing something he's not supposed to do. I learn how to teach him comands and hand signals for sit, stand, down, come, off, etc. Also the training classes are good for him because he gets exposure to other dogs and learns how to interact with them and probably learns stuff from them too. I am assumming you haven't had a dog before and if that's the case, I highly recommend taking Chip to training class; you'll both be happier.