Hello Its me again the novice puppy owner.  Right, my 5 month Yorkie can be a bit over enthusiastic with his play i.e. he bites, and it hurts he just seems to know the right amount of flesh to nip to cause optimum pain and bruising. 

My big idea (and it worked for a time) was to give him a firm NO then put him into the sit position then if he come at me again I would put him in the conservatory for "time out".  I did all the loud yelping it didnt seem to work. He would come out of the conservatory alot calmer. Now however I dont have to physically put him in by carrying him.  If I go through the no - sit and he bites again. I only have to open the conservatory door and he trots in himself.  He still comes out calm but he seems happy as larry sitting in there?????  Is he still seeing this as punishment???  or just loving a bit of lone time??

Sounds to me like he knows what you are going to do repitition so he just does it, in away he is getting the attention even if its not the right kind...

The minute your puppy nips to hard say NO bite and get up and walk away, totally ignore him. It is no fun playing on your own..OR. When he bites you tell him no bite and offer a chew toy and praise... Don't play rough with him either since that will only encourage rough play right back.

Leanne,

Why do want it to be punishment?  Your Yorkie is a baby and needs education - not punishment.  As education I would say that it is working, he's getting the idea slowly, if he carries on biting he goes for time out.  I think tho I would try just taking him for time out straight away, he'll get the idea much faster ;)  

The thing about the crying out when he bites is that in a litter the one who is hurt stops playing and goes away from the biter for a bit.  If you carry on playing or stay with him he just thinks its part of the game ;)

You know what I mean by punishment ;-) something that teaches him what he did was wrong. Like detention at school it wasnt painful but was punishment as you lost some freedom taught you not to do it again.   The Yelp or No and walking away isnt an option for us as my mum has had a stroke and cannot easily walk away or grab a toy quickly to distract him, so we have to take him away from the "fun" not us leave him.  He is never left for more than 2 - 3 mins in the conservatory and sits there quietly.  He is as sly as a fox and very entertaining.

Dogs don't understand 'wrong' - they just don't think in those sorts of terms.......  They do, however, understand 'if I do this, then bad things happen' and, equally, 'if I do this, then GOOD things happen' and generally seem to learn quicker if the later method is employed......  Try and give the puppy plenty of opportunity to do the *right* thing, ignore the 'bad' and distract from the sort of behaviour you can't ignore......

cheers Digger

The thing im a bit confused about is if hes biting me and I give him a toy will he not think that this is a reward for his action, thats why i do the sit as this breaks his concentration from biting without giving him a reward.  The only reason I say this is because Arthur normally bites when he brings you a toy and you dont play with it, he bites as if to say "HEY throw this for me now".   

He is now barking and making funny "talking" sounds because Im on the computer and not giving him attention Im ignorning and in the time its took to type this he has stopped :-) victory!!! lol

Cheers for all your help, it may sound petty queries but I would hate to get it wrong because he seems a very determined pooch!

LOL Leanne,

Of course he's very determined and intelligent - he's a terrier and they all have that determined streak its part of their make up.  Even a Yorkie is a real terrier :D :D :D

Hi
To right Dill!! One of the reasons I don't show my Yorkies (even though the owner of the stud dog I use who is a judge, thinks one of them in particular would have done very well) is that I would have to curtail (???how) their terrier antics. No rough and tumble in the garden together in their show coat, or chasing each other through the woods. Some people look at Yorkies and see a Lap Dog & not a Terrier :D :D
Don't suppose there's much chance they will ever have a class to show in a "pet trim" :) :)
Good luck with Arthur LeanneK
Take Care
Helen

Helen,

Thats such a shame, I show one of my dogs and never worry about them getting their coats mussed up, they don't have perfect furnishings, but in Bedlingtons it doesn't hold the dog back if there's an really good dog under the coat ;) 

Hi Dill
Unfortunately with Yorkies the coat is very important and a Yorkie in full show coat is a sight to behold. I do love to go and see some of the shows I just can't see mine done up in the crackers they use and wearing little socks! It is a shame but thats the way it is. Even so I still like to see a good specimen of the breed even if it is as a "pet". There are such bad examples of them around :(
My Grandfather used to breed and show Bedlingtons in the 1930's :)
Take Care
Helen

Hi Helen,

I do understand what you're talking about :) they do look lovely in full show coat ... but it's no life for a dog living like they do, unable to romp in the park or rough and tumble :(   this is why I was willing to give showing a go with the Beddies, they aren't penalised for being real dogs and not looking 'perfect', some do go down this route but the majority prefer to allow their Beddies to be dogs, after all they need to be fit and muscular so they need to rush about and get dirty :D

Well, you've correctly spotted the opportunity for this type of training to go wrong if the timing is 'off', which is a good start.  When using a toy to distract, the knack is to not let the dog get it until he's backed off and calmed down, THEN reward him - then you can start to ask for longer and longer calm periods, rewarded with the toy....

The poor bloke is teething at the moment I think thats causing him to be a bit grumpy.  Hes doing really well with his training aswell, terriers are clever :-).  We say he must have greyhound in his breeding because once he get on the field he goes like a lunatic its brilliant to watch.  I feel sorry for yorkies that end up living with people who dont take them out thinking they are just lap dogs. Arthur is DEFO not a lap dog, we went for a yorkie because my mums not steady on her feet and we knew a yorkie would have character but not the size to knock her over if he brushes past.  Hes going to the groomers today because he looks like a homeless dog at the moment.... 

If he's teething, some people have good results by using baby Bongela on their gums to help ease the discomfort.....

Cheers again digger.  I will give it a go because he does seem uncomfortable and keeps doing a funny action with his jaw.

" funny action with his jaw."

What does he keep doing with his Jaw?

Has he been at the vets recently?

It difficult to explain what he does.... when he yawns he wiggle his bottom jaw up and down about 3 times before he closes his mouth. Is this something to worry about?

I have just given him his bonjela and after rubbing his head on and digging on the cushion for about 30 seconds hes fine. I am just freezing his bit of knotted tea towel soaked in water for him again aswell.

It could well be fine Leanne this is the age they do change teeth and didn't and don't want to panick you. Just when you said he does funny thing with his jaw .

Does he eat ok and not seem too much in pain etc?

I hate to frighten people but it is always well worth knowing some conditions. It is not that common but jaw problems can sometimes be symptoms of a thing called CMO

Here is a paragraph I have taken from the net :

A non-cancerous growth of bone on the lower jaw (ramus or point of the chin) or over the angle of the mandible and tympanic bulla. It is usually on both sides of the head, but this is not always so. The bone is dense and hard with a rough surface that can be usually be felt. CMO is painful; the site will feel warm to the touch and inflamed. It is usually first noticed when a puppy shows discomfort when chewing or having its head or mouth examined, becomes unwilling to eat, has a fever and is lethargic. However, silent cases (no pain) have been reported. An acutely affected puppy may be unable to open his mouth but mild cases may be misdiagnosed as teething problems or virus symptoms. Age of Onset - Generally it occurs between 4 and 7 months of age, but can be as early as 3 to 4 weeks - usually not after 9 months. An accurate diagnosis requires x-rays. The disease is usually controlled with the use of steroids. The disease is self-limiting and fortunately, as the dog matures, the abnormal bony growth disappears and is often undetectable in the adult dog, even by radiography.

Another thing that is common with dogs is when the teeth are coming in and the jaw is still growning is the second teeth when you look at them can look like they are in the wrong place, they could be touching the roof of his mouth.  Once the jaw realigns this generally all sorts itself out.

Have you had a look in his mouth ??

I know why you showed concern, I have just read that twice to make sure he is showing no symptoms.

I think its teething because he seems to be grinding his teeth at night (he sleeps on my bed naughty I know) and also putting my fingers to the back of his teeth and letting me rub them.  I can see one molar half out but the back half is still under the gum.  But hes eating normally.

Also digger I think you have turned my dog into a bongela addict ha ha he keeps looking at the side where the tube is.

If you ever worry just nip him along to the vet :-) 

Will do without hesitation :-)

Yeah I have had a look in his mouth and the back teeth look like they are growing in the roof of his mouth.  His front teeth also look too big for him ha ha but i take it he will grow in to them.

Yes they can look a bit higgilty piggilty :-) they should settle down just check regularly.