How to train a yorkie to stop barking?

[reveriereptile]

My MIL bought a 5-6 month old female yorkie a couple months ago. The people were selling it due to being gone most of the time and for a friend for their other dog. Only problem was they couldn't get her house broken. Since we've had her she has gotten to where she barks way to much. The other dogs bark to alert us if someone or another animal is around.
Usually when she barks is when someone comes in the house. She doesn't just do a couple barks and then quit. She keeps barking for a while. She also does this if one of the other dogs come in the house. She runs up to them barking while jumping at them. She thinks she is dominate dog when only weighing 3lbs. The other dogs try to ignore her or try to run back out the door cause they don't even want to hear her barking. She also has strong seperation anxiety. You can't even walk out of the room for a minute otherwise she will start barking non-stop. I've also noticed she will start pooping or peeing when someone leaves the room for 10 minutes even if she was let out before everyone left the room.
My FIL will hook her outside for 10-15 minutes when it is nice out to try to get her use to being by herself for a bit but she barks the whole time with a very high pitched bark that is annoying. She gets plenty of exercise, toys to play with, treats, and bones to chew on.
I've tried using a water bottle to spray her when she barks while saying a firm no but it does not even phase her. She doesn't seem to notice. I've also tried a noise maker and that has no effect. She just keeps on barking. Are there any other ways to stop her barking?

 

[Balefire]

It sounds that your baby is bored. teach some tricks and take it for walks. Only a tiered dog is a good dog

 

[reveriereptile]

She gets played with often by us, relatives, and the pekingese plays with her. If the kittens are outside she likes playing with them also. My MIL has been training her to sit up with her feet in the air to beg for a treat. She seems to be doing the barking when someone walks away or is left alone and when she is trying to act like a dominate dog when someone enters the house. When someone or another dogs enters she barks while running up to them and then takes off and hides up under my MIL's feet while still barking. That is even after being greeted. If I go outside to the freezer and walk back in she gets barking even though she knows me and just seen me 2 minutes before.
She does have jealousy problems if you pet the other dogs or even look at them. She will jump and bark all over them as we are petting the other dogs and her at the same time. She sort of nips at their faces too.
From what I've noticed she would be the typical one person lap dog that would bite if someone tried to touch their owner. Around here though she is handled by everyone in the house, strangers, and relatives so she isn't biteing but doing the barking instead. It seems like she would be biteing if she wasn't handled by everyone.
She is rarely left alone here since someone is awake at anytime of the day or night. That might be causing part of the problem since she isn't learning to be an independant dog and thinks she is going to be hurt or something if she is alone.

 

[sadies chicks]

Unfortunately she has a LOT of issues, poor girl. It sounds like you need to have an expert come in and help you figure her out. It will be very beneficial to you and especially to her since she will be able to have boundaries and parameters in place. Dogs very much need to know their place in the "pack" and it sounds like she is running in circles in her head trying to figure it all out. There may be too much excitement for her to handle with the description of your household. Too many people, too many dogs. May just be too much UNTIL she learns how to stay under control. I would strongly suggest training by a pro in this case, it would really help her.

Just because we want a certain animal in our household does not mean it is meant for that particular household. There are usually some adjustments that need to be made for everyone involved.

Best of luck!!

 

[piecemaker]

My male yorkie went thru a barking stage. We to tryed everything then we got a bark off it worked good. Cost $10 worth a try. You can get it at Walmart

piecemaker

 

[reveriereptile]

Thanks for the advice. We do have a bark off that my MIL got for my dog. I took it downstairs for her to use but it got buried some place. Just need to find it. We will try it once we find it.

 

[sadies chicks]

Good luck with the Bark Off but there are still more deep issues that needs dealt with. I would really urge training, but that is my opinion

 

[ChickenFanaticAB]

I dog sat for a yorkie that showed a lot of the same behaviors. Jumping on the other dogs yapping and biting at their ears - she was young, like yours, but it was obviously dominant behavior. She was also a barker, I was able to make her quit by calling her over, and actually she probably wouldn't have been as much of a barker if their other dogs weren't so bad about it. Also very difficult to housebreak.

Anyway, I would recommend that you keep her leashed at all times in the house. Don't ever allow her to jump on the other dogs, when she tries, give a quick jerk on the leash and a stern "no." she will learn, it will just take a lot of commitment and patience. As for the barking, I haven't done it, but I know dogs can be trained not to. Every time she barks, give her a command like "quiet" and call her over. If she stops barking and pays attention to you, treat. If not, you may have to start by actually going over to her and distracting her. Make her sit, or follow you to another room or something to get her attention on you, then treat. I'm not sure if this is the best way to do that, but I wouldn't punish her in any way for barking because it is natural (though not to her extent). You just want her to know that one or two barks to alert is ok, but not constant yapping.

The separation anxiety will take work as well. There is lots of material online about way to try to help dogs with that. Usually involves leaving for short amounts of time and gradually increasing. Always take her for a walk before leaving her alone. Don't play with her. Take her for a walk where she must control herself and be led by you. Playing with her, as exercise, will just get her more wound up.

Take whatever advice from this you would like. This is how I would start with her, I'm sure some other people will have some other good suggestions for you.

 

[reveriereptile]

Thanks for the information. I will suggest the training to my MIL. We usually tell her to be quiet when she gets barking. I've tried distracting her several times and she will turn and look at me but keep on barking and look back to what she was barking towards. She ignores treats when she is in her barking stage. My MIL has her on a leash at all times beside her when she is awake. She will sometimes sleep alright next to one of the other dogs and let someone leave her for a bit in the evening but if the other dog isn't in there you can't walk a foot out of her site without her barking.
I'll see if I can find some information online about yorkies and their barking. I'm assuming it is common among their breed.