Question:
I have two male Yorkshire terriers (uncle and nephew) that interact beautifully. My dilemma is that the younger one barks, squeals, screams and shrieks relentlessly. He is not in pain, but he screams when I put his leash on for a walk and when he sees me preparing his food. When we walk around the apartment, he will scream unexpectedly, which scares the heck out of me. Sometimes I confine him to one of our bedrooms, and he doesn't make a sound -- I actually think he enjoys it. I know about pet products such as battery-operated dog collars, whistles, etc., that inhibit barking. In my opinion, these are cruel and inhumane. My breeder has recommended that I spray water at him or shake a coffee can filled with loose change, which hasn't worked. My wife instructs me to ignore this behavior, saying it's his way of communicating with the family, but there must be a better way.
L.B., Silver Spring, Md Oct 18, 2010
Answer:
Your screaming Yorkie has established a conditioned alarm response in you. That's why he frazzles your nerves. His scream is a biological alarm trigger, which in the wild would alert pack mates to his fear or acute pain, warning others of potential danger. But he is neither afraid nor in pain, his vocalizations being a biological aberration, in part attributable to him being a "perpetual puppy," who gives puppy distress calls to get mother's attention. As an adult animal in the wild, he would not survive long with this trait. Other than having the vocal cords snipped (an ethically questionable, if not abhorrent, procedure but preferable to getting rid of the dog or divorcing your wife), you should try to understand that this is part of the nature of this little canine critter. He's an attention-seeker and no doubt loves life. Try to transmute his screams in your own mind to the sounds of a perpetual puppy, whose entire essence is to get your attention and win your affection.
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