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Toby my Yorkie

20 11:39:47

Question
QUESTION: I have had my yorkie for only a couple of days. We do not know how old he is, but he is full grown. A friend of mine saw him in her yard and found that he had been abandoned. She called everywhere to make sure no one called about a missing dog, but no one had so she brought him to me. I was wondering about some behaviors. He is very Ill and when certain things are done he grawls and tries to bite. He also does not want anyone to leave the house he barks everytime he sees someone going toward the door. I was wondering if this was normal for a male Yorkie or if it is a result of being abused and/or abandoned or if there is any other explaination. Please write back ASAP.
         Thank you so much.
         Sincerly,
         Candice White

ANSWER: Candice,

You mention that he is very ill.  I would need to know what you mean by that in order to answer your questions.  Please explain what you mean by very ill and I will try to answer your question the best I can.

Thanks,

Melinda

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hes not really Ill hes more scared I guess, but what I mean is if he is lying down he will growl and snap if he is touched. We also have a 2 month old puppy and he doesn't like her very much. She cant go near him without him biting her. I also asked about him growling and barking when people go toward the door or walk out the door.

Answer
Candice,

I would be concerned about the fact that he snaps if he is touched.  Dogs in general do not show pain the way that a human would.  The fact that he growls and snaps when you touch him could mean that he is in pain.  The fact that you got him as an adult and that you have no history on him could also mean he has been abused. There is also the possibility that he has distemper or some other illness.  I would suggest that you take him to the vet asap to make sure you are not in possession of a sick animal.  

The fact that he does not like your two month old puppy is not surprising.  Most older dogs appear to not like puppies.  The reason for that is because they have to show the puppy who is the boss.  There is always a pecking order with animals and in the beginning the way they establish it is by growling etc.  Of course if the male is sick or in pain the response would be the same.  Again, I would urge you to take him to the vet because if he is sick he could pass that on to your puppy.  Older dogs have also been known to kill smaller dogs and while that would be extreme it is a possibility and until you know for sure if the male is sick or just aggressive I would keep the two of them apart.

There is one last thing to consider and that is that the reason the male was abandoned is because of his aggressive behavior.  A lot of times people will get a dog and then when it grows up and does not have the personality they desire they abandon them.  I always caution people who buy a grown dog from someone because you always have to ask yourself, why did the former owners no longer want this pet?  The reason is usually because the pet has a defect of some kind and when you buy it you inherit that problem.

I am concerned about the fact that he is biting the puppy and trying to bite you.  I urge you to have him examined by your vet and if it is found that he is healthy and that being sick is not the reason for his aggressiveness I would seriously reconsider keeping him.  He could potentially seriously hurt or even kill your puppy and if he bites someone you could be liable for a lawsuit.

I hope this has helped.  I am sorry you are having such a hard time, it can be heartbreaking to see an animal suffer.  Let me know how it turns out.

Thanks,

Melinda

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