Yorkie excessively guarding everything

Question
Hello-
I am writing for my mother who has a 4-year-old Yorkshire Terrier who can be very sweet, but has a problem with guarding everything and anything he can get his paws on. What he will typically do is "steal" something (toy, tissue, leaf, shoe, sock, anything), meaning he will physically take the object to another room, or he will "claim" an object, which means he simply sits beside or near the object. When we try to get the object back or just even come close to him, he growls and bears his teeth, and if you actually reach your hand in to take the object, he will and has bitten. The dog once guarded his own leash while he was attached to it!! He has taken large items like shoes up to his "house" (he was crate trained) and will sit and guard his "treasure" for hours and hours (will forgo everything else for hours- potty, eating, etc.. just to guard his treasure). Tactic we usually us is to "trade" - offering a treat, which usually works-- he will drop the object for the treat. We need help! What can we do about this behavior? Thank you for any advice in advance!  

Answer
That is what dogs do when they are not obedience trained, they have trained you that they are the boss and you have to beg (treat) him to give something back.  

First take every toy, treat and other stuff he steals and put it where he can't. Nipping and biting are other strong signs of dominance-agressive behavior. Don't tolerate it. Get a bottle of lemon juice tghat looks like a  lemon. Every time he bites, nips or takes something squirt it in his mouth. Sprinkle it onhe leash too. Get the dog obedience trained. You need to be the boss. The dog gets nothing for free. No treats, food, water etc until he does something for you - sit roll over, play dead, whatever command you choose to use. Only then does the dog get anything, toys, food, affection. The dog has to wait for the item to arrive. Slowly provide the item. If the dog jumps or lunges, freeze, do not pull back, and tell or grab the dog and make him wait, then move the item closer until the dog takes it nicely. It will take a while to untrain the bad behavior and replace it with good behavior, consider it tough love.

With toys only one at a time. The dog only gets it after it "works" for it (does a command). Then in a short while, take it away. Practice giving and taking the toy away until the dog does it with proper manners.

Regards,

Henry Ruhwiedel
Westwind Kennels LLC