any help with a yorkshire terrier????

triona81

hi guys
first post here but i said id chance my arm as you seem to be a knowledgable bunch!

we have a 2 yr old yorkshire terrier which we "adopted" following a relative's death about a month ago. the dog seems to be unsettled and continuously burrows out under the fence etc. he was a dog which was kept outside at all times in a smallish dog run and he now has a 40ft green back garden to play around in. we brought his dog box to our place but he refuses to go into it so we have left him sleep in the shed. we have introduced him to the house and bar the first day or two he has not done his business in the house. we normally bring him in at about 5 and let him back out to bed at about 10 and he seems happy enough (curling up in a ball at our feet). he did howl for the first two nights but that seems to have stopped.... so my questions are

1. is it possible to convert a terrier from being an outside dog to being a house dog???
2. is the dog burrowing out to try and find his way home or is he doing it simply because he can (the old place had only concrete)
3. is there anyway to stop him burrowing??? (he is currently in my neighbours back garden while im at work!!!)

im really fond of the little fella and he is great company so i really would like for him to settle and not have to try and rehome him.... i know some of you will think its unfair to leave the dog while we are at work but he gets a lot of TLC and is walked everynight and is with us all weekend.... and if we didnt take him he may have been brought to a shelter

so thanks in advance as i said, any input will be greatfully recieved!

triona81

just bumping this as were still having the digging problems!

lostinnappies

first off, i know you said he is 2 years old but how long have you had him? Are there any other dogs/cats nearby?

It does sound to be a psycological thing and in most cases (unless you get a dog behavourist .. not trainer)this may be a continuing thing. One option you could try is a noise/water collor. Sensors can be placed around your garden fence and when he approaches a loud noise or a spray of water stops his train of tought and also him in his tracks. He will learn that whatever pleasure/reason he got from digging out is no longer an option. Dogs always continue forward in their thinking like a freight train ... unless there is a stop signal they will continue on?

Hope this helped.

ps. i would never sujest a shock collar as this is just wrong in my opinion

Sigma Force

Must of been why his run was on concrete because he's always been a digger.
Or it could be he's missing his owner and is trying to get out to try to find his way back.

Might be a good idea to talk to a dog behaviourist.

You could concrete the base of the fence, give him a diggy box like a kids sand box, filled kongs to help with keeping his mind busy. He's getting walks already so he could be digging because he can, being a terrier n all lol.

He should eventually want to be in the house if it's made a fun place for him where he can have the occasional treat. Is he neutered?

If you dig at the base of the fence you could pour a line of concrete down.

lostinnappies

Guineapigrescue wrote: »

give him a diggy box like a kids sand box, filled kongs to help with keeping his mind busy. He's getting walks already so he could be digging because he can, being a terrier n all lol.

Now thats a good idea, terriers are ratting dogs after all.

triona81

lostinnappies wrote: »

Now thats a good idea, terriers are ratting dogs after all.

this is a good idea.... i might try it. he seems to be calming down a bit now thnk God. i think he may be just missing his owner but hes coming around to us now!

thanks guys really appreciate it!

next thing now is to try and house train him!