# Help! My two yorkies are nuts!!



## india (Jun 3, 2012)

Hi there,

Really pulling my hair out over our two little yorkies so any advice would be greatly appreciated, ready to try anything!!

So first mistake we made....we bought two male yorkies from the same litter. I know I know....we only realised how wrong this was a few months after getting them so there was no turning back!

A few months ago when around 8-9 months old they had a fight. A very aggressive fight over a bone. So we stopped giving them bones etc. then they started doing it over toys. So we stopped giving the toys. Then they started doing it over nothing, they just used to eyeball each other and they were off. Now these fights were very aggressive-not playing but about to kill each other.

So we got them both neutered. Again this was a mistake as we later learned only to get one of them done. But anyways the fighting occurances has greatly reduced. 

Problem is now that they are just hyper. They are constantly chasing each other play fighting running around the house. It's non stop. It's at the point where we can not sit down without getting up to see what they are doing. Digging, chewing, eating dirt etc etc. The play fighting is ok but it is very noisy and constant-like all day!! 

We feel bad as they don't have much in the way of toys. We have tried introducing them slowly and noticed the signs of the territorial aggression starting again so have quickly taken them away. They love to chew on shoes so we give them a shoe each but they always want the one the other one has! But it does keep them occupied for a while.

We have tried everything to calm them. We teach them tricks, separate walks, calm aid, low protein holistic food, feeding them separately, dog obedience etc.

So my question, will they ever calm down?? They are 12 months old now and still behave like hyper puppies! Is this still a young age for them? Am I just being a little impatient and this is normal behaviour?

Thanks in advance for the help......


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## lucylastic (Apr 9, 2011)

The problem with having 2 dogs the same age is that they can learn to entertain each other and not need you. Your dogs appear to be getting all their fun and entertainment from each other. 
Unfortunately for you this will, after all this time, already be well established and will be difficult, if not impossible, to eradicate. 
Don't despair though. It's never too late to start making improvement.
It's really important that they spend time apart. Don't let them play all day together. If they are chasing each other all round the house the whole time, separate them. You will need to spend quality 121 time with each one individually. This means separate walks, separate training sessions, and separate play sessions, where YOU play with the dog. 
That doesn't mean that they must be apart all the time, but equally, they shouldn't be together all the time.


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## WhippetyAmey (Mar 4, 2012)

Firstly what are they being fed? If it is bakers or something just as crap this could have a lot to do with it. 

Secondly do they have a crate each or somewhere they can go alone to chill out? 

I personally would still give them toys and chews but under supervision and with the bones either both in their crates or in separate rooms. 

I personally still think they are very young, but playing non-stop would not be acceptable in my opinion. I would make sure they could have quiet time during the day.


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## Sled dog hotel (Aug 11, 2010)

india said:


> Hi there,
> 
> Really pulling my hair out over our two little yorkies so any advice would be greatly appreciated, ready to try anything!!
> 
> ...


A lot of the trouble as you have already worked out it that they are what I call dog dogs, they are litter mates and have continued to be and act and do all the things as they would still be doing in the litter, they have no need of anything else except cause havoc and mayhem as a combined unit.

Some pups anyway will just keep going and going and dont know how to quit and relax, they can get over tired and then often the bad behaviour starts. They get so over excited and over tired they are almost on a constant adrenaline rush, having two that are going to hype each other up constantly is going to be worse still.

I would look at their exercise levels, if they are getting adequate walking and training and play with you, that should get rid of excess energy, and provide mental and physical stimulation. Sometimes 10/15 minutes training making them concentrate on exercises and then getting them to chase after a ball or toy, is better then a walk as they become physically and mentally tired. Giving them separate training and exercise with you too at least an equal portion of the time to walking together should improve the bonding and focus on you and make training easier and get better results.

A lot of the problem too is that as they have no toys they have nothing to teach them how to self amuse and wind down with. Chewing is a de-stresser for dogs and good wind down activity, Kongs are good too, you can feed them in things like treat balls or toys or puzzles if they have kibble taking longer and mentally stimulates them. If they are just together and cant have these sort of things then they are never going to learn how to chill out.

My two girls get on but if I left chews hanging about or kongs and just left them to it, and they both went for it then these two will fight, its the only thing they will squabble and fight over, they still have them of a night all three do to wind down and chill out they have kongs too but only when Im sitting there as well, when one loses interest they are up and away out of it.

If I was you I would either do as I do evenings or when you are there supervising and ensuring they have a good margin of space and dont even allow them to eye up each others stuff, or I would crate train and have a couple of R&R sessions in the crate after activity during the day and at night,
with their chews or kongs, or I would separate them a few times a day in different rooms with Kong chew whatever and learn them to self amuse wind down and rest.

By taking over control instead with training and having them listen to you instead and giving them stuff to amuse themself and relax you should see a difference. If these didnt have chews and things to wind them down and relax inbetween I would have been carted off by the men in white coats years ago


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