Yorkshire Terrier - trying to kill my other pets

lolli

Hi all,

I'm looking for a bit of advice. I have a year old Male Yorkshire Terrier who is trying to kill and attack everything he lays his eyes on. I have 5 cats who have lived at my house for years now. my dog was only 9 weeks old when i brought him to my house so i thought he would take to the cats, at first he was fine with them and the cats lilke him.

When he turned about 7 months old he started playing with the cats chasing them, just playing - the cats didnt mind. He then took a serious dislike for a female cat (a stray that had been there about 2 years) he started chasing her and running her up trees and she wouldnt come down for hours, this cat has now vanished and i suspect he killed her or maybe just frightened her away.

I live in the middle of the country and we keep pet chickens and ducks. In recent weeks he has killed 2 chickens and a duck (my father is very mad over this as they are his pride and joy)

Last Saturday I went outside when he started chasing my 6 year old cat around the garden. I called the dog but he wouldnt listen to me. He then caught the cat by its tail and pinned it to the ground and tried to kill it (he certainly wasnt playing) the cat got away but he chased the cat into the bushes and attacked the cat again, my cat managed to get into a tree.

I then tried to catch the dog he wouldnt come to me, he was just running rings around me. When I finally did catch him he bit me on the hand. I had to lock him in then. I got the cat down and the dog had hurt its tail.

I just dont know what to do anymore with him, I have tried my best with him but he just seems to be getting worse. He is not my first dog, I have had many dogs but this has never happened before.

If i got him neutured would it calm him down or do i just have to face facts and realise he is just a vicious dog? I just cant take anymore of him hurting my cats (they all look worn from all the chasing they are getting) I love my cats more than anything and woul;d do anything for them. I love my dog too but i dont know what to do with him. My dad says if he kills one more thing he has to go. Any suggestions?

EGAR

Yorkies, despite their *cute* appearance were bred to hunt and kill *vermin* mostly rats. That instinct is very strong in some strains, plus, they ARE terriers and terriers in full attack mode go to a place in their head where they can't hear or see you.

How much training has he had? Does he know basic obedience? Neutering would help to calm him down but IMHO would do little to curb his hunting instinct especially since he already had a few successes.

This does NOT qualify him as a *vicious* dog IMHO, after all he does what he was bred to do and if he has had no obedience training but was mollycoddled because of his cute appearance then these things DO happen.

lolli

I have always had terriers, I actually have a jack russell as well. We have always trained them ourselves.

However Ben has been a different story, he doesnt grasp anything. The odd time he will sit if i tell him but mostly he ignores me and does whatever he feel likes himself. The two other dogs are fine, they are well trained and do as they are told.

Its like hes a rebel and will go out of his way to do the opposite of what he is told.

peasant

As EGAR said, a dog with strong hunting instincts and a few kills already under its belt is going to be difficult to control.

A few chosen words and trying to catch him won't do.

He will have to be physically separated from his potential prey by doors / fences/ lead at all times and you will have to work hard on his obedience.

It will take quite some time.

lolli

I got a pen made for him with a house and a run but i feel guilty leaving him in this, is it not cruel to keep him locked up? I thought if he was reared with the cats he'd be ok, my other dogs were.

lolli

would a dog trainer be able to do anything?

peasant

A good dog trainer should be able to give you pointers as to how to train him correctly, consequently and efficiently ...he/she can't perform miracles.

The "problem" is that through having had success in his hunting, your fellas' instincts have now been re-inforced ...what was dormant and somewhat under the surface before, is now more or less hard-wired into his behaviour.
He will not simply give it up just because you say so.

You'll have to be able to get through to him at all times, to achieve that will take some time and constant and consequent training ...until you get there you will have to keep him on a lead / behind a fence / closed doors.

arybvtcw0eolkf

I won't get too deep into this.

But my parents had a Yorkie, and sweet love of devine Jesus he was the devil himself.

Give him the house, and move out yourself!... Sorry, poxy advice, but I detest those little ba$tards.

Oh, Millie was PTS last week, old age caught up with her before my Ruger 10/22 did

fits

Mairt wrote:

Give him the house, and move out yourself!...

stcatherine

It's up to you weather or not you have the time and patience but he needs some kind of training as others have pointed out, and in the meantime he needs to be kept apart from the other animals.

It's so easy to train them once you find something to get their attention, and I would definitely go with a trainer that goes along the line of 'chess not rugby' (or google for ideas of mental games to play with him)..... this means that they teach the dogs to have fun with games like hide and seek with treats, agility etc anything that uses the dogs brains instead of things like tug of war. Mental games really help to calm them down, and you would be truly amazed how easily they pick things up once you get started.

Don't feel too bad if you cant get the results and have to rehome him in the end, because it's not fair on either of you to be going through such stress ATM, I know because I went through something very similar with my staffie and our cat, but after a lot of hard work and patience we were getting there ( the idea of getting treats and peanut butter from the bottom of her kong was much more interesting than chasing the cat up a tree). Unfortuantely just as we reached a breakthrough The cat had to be PTS due to age related illness.

Hope you get it sorted soon.