Yorkie behavior help!!

[puppypal86]

I have a 7 month old yorkie mix and I'm dealing with some issues with him and need some help...me and my girlfriend both work 3rd shift, I work 6 days a week but she works 3 days out of the week so she's home with him longer..he's always downstairs, has his bed toys and food there..now every time we go to work I'll leave a shirt or a pieace of clothing for him to have my scent so he doesn't feel lonely..now the problem is his behavior, he chews up the corners of walls..the baseboards around my front door, I don't know why!? He has about 15 toys and half of them around chewing ones..i feel that when we are sleeping upstairs he's gets really lonely but we can't have him up there because the moment he gets upstairs he starts sniffing the carpet and pees everywhere..please help!!

[yorkietalkjilly]

Hi! Glad to have you on YT. I hope your enjoy it as much as I have. You'll learn much here and enjoy learning more than you ever hoped to know about Yorkies!

Your dog is still a puppy and puppies are social animals, intensely in need of interaction with its 'pack', be it animal or human. Your baby needs a schedule and confinement so his housebreaking problems won't keep him from sleeping near you. This young baby needs to be able to sleep near his pack members - namely you - just like canines do in nature where they always cuddle on or near one another during the night. Nothing sweeter than watching dogs pile up on or next to one another or their human come bedtime!

You must enrich this baby's life with lots more exercise, long walks where he can smell and take in the outside - use his nose to 'read' the messages sent by other animals' urine - a dog's version of watching the News for dogs, interactive activities that involve his problem-solving abilities, obedience training and bedtime near you. He'll feel happy, fulfilled and interested in his life, not bored to tears causing him to chew the walls for something halfway interesting to do. I'll bet he's just bored silly right now and so full of energy and the want to learn he's turning to ANYTHING to keep his poor brain and body busy DOING something.

Read our Library here on YT for housebreaking rules and how to go about it with confinement for the time of housebreaking training(18 mos. for most Yorkies to be SURE the dog doesn't get into bad habits before its brain and body have been programmed to a potty schedule), a schedule the dog can rely on and adjust his body and body-clock to. A thoroughly housebroken dog is the result of a sensible, solid schedule, limited confinement for the times you cannot be in the same room he is in, taking him out frequently with LOTS of happy praise, pride in him for his great accomplishment with every potty and EVERY TIME great, enthusiastic encouragement when he goes outside and no punishment when he has a mistake. Actually his mistakes are yours, the result of not carefully watching or over or too little confinement so reading everything you can on housebreaking and getting your dog properly able to hold his bladder and bowels will be the key to his being able to spend his nights with you.

Confinement doesn't mean long 'jailtime' long hours in his crate or stuck in a tiny bathroom, but being in there ONLY when you cannot be in the room with him. He should be confined to whatever room you are in using gates and crated ONLY when you have to leave the room or cannot watch him. When I first got my dog, I took him out every 30 minutes for the first 2 - 3 weeks I had him so he would get the idea that whatever urges he had, he could hold on since he'd be able to go outside soon. Gradually I worked him up to waiting longer in between but he was always confined to the room I was in and did not have the run of the house until he was 18 mos or so. Even then I usually kept him in the room with me for another 6 mos. of so, with no gates, only calling him back when he tried to leave my presence. By age 24 mos. or so, he had full run of the house and is accident free! And he sleeps with me! Right in the bed, right on my very pillow beside my head.

Yes, he had an accident early on but what's using mattress protectors and changing the bed linens a time or two when your dog is first in housebreaking training in order to be able to serve HIS needs to sleep with his 'pack'? After the first month, I removed the mattress pads from under the sheets and he never ever had another accident once his schedule kicked in and he 'got' it. He really didn't want to soil his bed but I just lapsed on taking him out enough before bedtime since he'd drank water late that night, water his bladder wasn't yet trained to hold for long.

Realize that your dog is chewing things out or boredom and utter frustration. Enriching his life with lots more exercise and walks, interactive games, toys, food bowls(bowls he must forage through to eat like in the wild - dogs LOVE them) and obedience training time with you will forge a much more interesting life for this little guy who must be lonely, frustrated and a bit confused by his lacking lifestyle. A shirt won't replace time and meaningful, happy interaction times enriching your dog's life and relationship with you. Spend the time with him and you'll have a lovely, happy, contented pet who won't destroy your home or soil your floors or furniture and who loyally loves you beyond measure, all too happy to obey your every wish. Why? Because you'll have taught him through obedience training that doing what you ask is a total WIN for him and he always WANT to happily obey you for the oxytocin rush Dogs, humans exchange oxytocin rushes | Health & Tech | columbiachronicle.com he gets at your pleasure when he does. It becomes a lovefest! Our Library here on YT also contains excellent obedience training guidance. Always keep it upbeat, fun and happy, with lots of heartfelt praise and treats when he obeys, showing him how truly proud you are he got it right. He'll come to see doing what you want is always a win for him - BIGTIME. He'll become addicted to it.

Great good luck with all the fun you all are going to have making this dog's life a happy, fulfilled one! And YOU will reap most of the benefits seeing how thoroughly smart, feisty fun and contented, well-balanced a pet your dog can be once he feels you are a real team and that he's a true part of your life and vice versa. Hugs and happiness!!!

[Lovetodream88]

Keep him in a crate in your bedroom at night. When you leave him you either need to crate him or put him in a play pen. Have you had him neutered?