Yorkies gone wild

Question
QUESTION: Hello, I am on the brim of having to get rid of my two yorkies of which i love very much because of reoccuring problems with destructive behavior. Okay, let me explain. I have two yorkies (pure bred) both just turned a year a couple months ago. I got  them at 10 weeks of age. Charlie i got first and 3 weeks following i got lola (my female). I went thru the whole pad training with them, and they were doing "okay" with it, however still had accidents on the floor in one area, i was persistant about praising and did everything the vet, friends with experince, and books told me to do with training. I had a child about 3 months after I got the pups. By this time they were going on the pad about 90 percent of the time with a few accidents here and there. Then recently (now a year later) my daughter is starting to crawl and walk along the floor and I could no longer keep up with the "accidents" so i decided to take it a step back, I bought a baby gate for my kitchen access doorway and put that up. The dogs are confined to the kitchen when I am not available to watch their every move and keep them from going on the floor. I take them out to play frequently, i take them on walks outside, sometimes just to walk a mile or two, I give them toys, and they have a crate to escape to in the kitchen, where the door is always open. In a small area in the kitchen I have wee-wee pads/ newspaper for them to "go" but lately, all they want to do is tear up the newspaper, shred it all over the floor. I bought them a nice big dog bed about 5 months ago but it was covered in urine and poo everyday, until i eventually removed it. And now they tore up all the tile on my kitchen floor of which became their project at night. If i let them out, they go on the floor. They tear up the pads/newspaper before they even get a chance to use it. And i am running out of options. I feel i am giving them plenty of attention, and excersise. Now i am facing the fact that there is a choice to be made. I cannot have my daughter on the floor with reoccuring accidents (after a while the carpet will be ruined and gross) but my dogs have ruined my kitchen. Tiles dug up and chewed, cabinets chewed, urine and poo all over the floor. Everyday I spend hours moping and sanitizing. I love my pups, but i just dont know what else to do with them. I feel i put in good efforts to try everything and I just cant keep up.
PLEASE HELP!!!

ANSWER: Hi Jamie,

Yorkies gone wild? Perhaps your headline should read, "If you treat your dogs like humans, they will treat you like a dog."-:)

Everything you have told me in your e-mail has to do with your treatment of the symptoms. What have you done to address the cause of your problems?

Let's address the cause. Your Yorkies need guidelines for their behavior. When you exercise them, is it quality exercise where they must heel and obey your commands? Does your attention include obedience training where they are learning to follow your directions? My guess is you have trained them to be little self indulgent humans rather than
well balanced and well mannered dogs.

Start off by teaching them to walk on a heel. If you have a retractable leash, destroy it and get a real one. Go to my website and read my article called "Training Tips" at http://perfectdogtraining.com. Your problems sound like the very common result of spoiling your dogs.

Good Luck,

Sandy Finley
Perfect Manners Dog Training
http://perfectdogtraining.com


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

QUESTION: Well, as much as I can see you getting that from my question. My dogs are dogs. They are trained to walk on a leash and have been through classes since they were very young with Devil Dog training in my area. They walk on a short leash with me, and heel as they are told. They were perfectly trained dogs prior to this. Which is why i dont have a solution as to why they are acting this way. I confined them and do not let them run loose in the house any longer. In turn, I take them for walks because I understand the main cause of destructive behavior is lack of activities to release their energy. I do not treat my dogs like children, They are on a strict dry food diet (no people food) and sleep in the crate at night. I love them dearly, but treat them like dogs. I understand the pshycology of canines. They need that leadership from their owner.  

Answer
Hmmm, all very interesting. And I would assume that dogs trained at a school called "Devil Dog" would certainly know they were dogs.-:)

Let's try this. I assume they have separate crates. Make sure that the crates are small and snug with nice padding. Crate them when you cannot watch them and certainly at night when they enjoy destroying your floor. If while watching them, they should have an "accident", you can catch them in the act, take them roughly to their proper spot and scold them. Dogs will not continue to engage in behaviors that are unrewarding.

There may be some issues with your new arrival to their pack (your baby). Finally, keep in mind that just as dogs can suddenly exhibit strange behavior, the behavior can just as quickly disappear. Why? After doing this for thirty years, I have no idea.

Good Luck!

Sandy Finley
Perfect Manners Dog Training
http://www.perfectdogtraining.com