I have a four month old female Yorkshire Terrier and she is terrified of her lead. When I put it on she screams like a baby and runs away and hides shaking from head to toe she is distraught and I really don't know what to do. Ive took her to the vet to get her checked and she is perfectly healthy and i bought her a harness but shes far too small for it and thats the smallest size. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
2006-10-13 17:27:40 · 8 answers · asked by pinkyblueness 2 in Pets ➔ Dogs
She was totally fine with her collar no problems at all but shes always been terrified from the lead, she wont even walk around with it dragging on the ground she just hides and cries her head buryed in a corner. And i have never hit her with her lead or anything for that matter. She gets so distressed with the lead i just can't bear to put her through it, please help
2006-10-13 17:51:08 · update #1
As a Yorkie breeder for more years than I care to remember,I have trained many for pet and show, before you can get to the stages above, you will have to carry her with the lead on. Pick her up and make your usual fuss and then have the lead in your hand but not connected, reward her with plenty of fuss. DONT PUT IT ON YET. Then when she is comfy with this just clip it on , make a big fuss but don't put her down, again do this for a few days then eventually you will be able to put her down, then make a big fuss of her, then take it off don't go any where just take it off. then after a few days of this, follow her whilst holding it no pressure on the lead go where she wants and again a big fuss. then follow above procedure
Any problems email me.
2006-10-13 19:29:00 · answer #1 · answered by angelcake 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I don't like collars on little dogs. You CAN buy harnesses for tiny dogs, even small chihuahuas. I have one here and where the size should be it says "straightjacket for a midget".
Something has made her fear the lead. Dogs aren't born naturally being so afraid that they scream. So it has been used to hurt or scare her at some time. Have you tugged or dragged her along with it as some silly people do to 'train' them? For the meantime I would forget all about lead training in order to help her forget. Still put a harness on her and play games while she is wearing it and give her treats. Then after 5 minutes take it off again. Do this several times a day. Then after a week, attach the lead to the harness before you put the harness on her. Do the usual playing her favourite games, offer treats etc. Hopefully she will be more fixated on the treat than the lead. To this end, you should get her onto a proper feeding regime and don't shove treats at her all day long. Treats should remain something she gets only very occasionally so that she is eager for them and they are valuable for trianing.If you have no experience at all, have no puppy training books, or are impatient, then you should be taking her to puppy classes where you can get experienced help. Puppy training classes are an excellent idea in any case to socialise her properly.
2006-10-14 01:51:59 · answer #2 · answered by fenlandfowl 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I have been a trainer for years, and the answer above is EXACTLY the right thing to do.
Ease them into it. Let her get used to the idea. Use a collar that is properly fitted and leave it on. After she has the whole collar thing down, let her drag the leash around the house for a while (supervised, of course). After a few days, she will be used to the leash and collar and the fit-throwing will be a thing of the past.
One last thing: dogs (especially the small ones) can learn to use your guilt against you. If she learnes that throwing a hissy fit will get you to take the leash off then she will do it for as long as you continue to remove it.
The most advanced, best trained, smartest dog in the world has about the same mental function as a 3-year old. What would a 3 year old do if she learned thru your reactions that by flipping out that she got what she wanted?
2006-10-13 17:54:29 · answer #3 · answered by MegaNerd 3 · 4⤊ 0⤋
Lots of cuddles,praises and maybe not the lead but a piece of thin short washing -line to drag around will stop the fear . You have had a lot of good advice here.
By the way did you know that Yorkies can live to a very old age ,
all mine got to around 20 years of age,so have some patience
she will be your companion for a long time!
2006-10-13 21:36:33 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
When I leash-broke my puppies, I would first put their collar on and let them get used to it for awhile. It usually only took a few days. After they were used to the collar I would hook their leash on for a couple of hours a day and let them drag it around the house. Don't pull on the leash or even pick it up, just let them drag it around while they play and get loved on. This usually only takes a week or so for them to get used to the feeling of the leash weight. After they are used to the leash, you can hold the leash while it's hooked to the collar, don't pull on it or anything. Once they are ok with you holding the leash, try walking them. They should be ok with this by now.
The reason why dogs will just lay down and not move (or even flop around going crazy) when you put their leash on is because they are scared to death, have no idea what they are supposed to do, and don't know what is going to happen to them. If you ease this process slowly, they will become accustomed to the leash, and won't even realize it's on anymore (hopefully).
Please don't hit your dog or *leash whip* them. This will only make them more scared and they will become terrified of the leash because they think it means they are gonna get in trouble.
2006-10-13 17:31:43 · answer #5 · answered by Vet_Techie_Girl 4 · 3⤊ 0⤋
We tend to think of dog training as a series of steps for teaching particular behaviors. To teach a dog to stay in a particular position, you reward her as she remains in place for gradually longer times, at gradually greater distances, with gradually increasing degrees of distraction. Read more https://tr.im/SIjnC
Now, this is fine, training does involve teaching dogs specific behaviors with a step-by-step approach. This week, though, I’m going to discuss three mental habits that will not only enable you train more effectively but also make life pleasant for both you and your dog.
2016-04-26 05:14:05 · answer #6 · answered by temple 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There are many methods of dealing with this. Most trainers will isolate what is causing the fear and focus on that. Here is a program I recommend and will cover everything you need plus other issues that come up with your new Yorky!
http://skycforme.sitstay.hop.clickbank.net/?type=yorkshireterrier
2006-10-13 17:56:37 · answer #7 · answered by Meatloaf 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
About to leash training "kisses from...." gave a good technique. About the harness, What about a cat harness ? they are very small.
2006-10-13 17:48:21 · answer #8 · answered by Pauliviris 1 · 2⤊ 0⤋