Help with a dog.

Teach her you are a source of food?

The food idea is good, reward her for when she's well behaved.

Are you punishing her when she's barking at you, though? It sounds like you might need to reinforce the pack order (with eye contact, a loud and firm 'NO' and sending her to her bed when she behaves poorly). Wikihow's article on this is fairly decent, with non-violent methods and a handy reminder not to treat your dog in any situation where they might associate bad behavior with the reward.

Is there anything perfumed you use that no-one else does? A dog's sense of smell is extremely fine tuned and the dog just may hate the smell of whatever it is.

One more thing, was the dog already in the house when you came back?

Nivarion said:

Im having enough of being alienated in my own home by an animal i could chuck over the house. What can I do to stop this bad behavior?

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I think this is your problem right here. Dogs have a very acute sense about someone who feels threatening to them. The dog might well feel that you pose a risk to her and she's letting you know she's wary of sudden movements (like late night wanders or loud noises.) Likely the dog didn't react to the repairmen because they didn't react to her.

Rather than focusing on her behavior, try thinking about your own instant reaction. Do you normally like dogs, big or small? Do you enjoy cuddling small dogs? How do you feel when you encounter or are about to encounter her? Is it distaste, anger, frustration? If so, that's the equivalent of throwing a stink bomb ahead of you into a room. The dog will shy away and become agitated and proactive.

Cathy C said:

Likely the dog didn't react to the repairmen because they didn't react to her.

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Interesting, I had the opposite interpretation of this: the dog was quiet around the repairmen out of fear of the strangers, whereas she behaves aggressively towards OP because she thinks OP is below her in the pack order.

Definitely agree that the pup might be picking up on the OP's emotions though I'll add that the Yorkie might be picking up on the OP's fear or nerves rather than aggression.

EMaree said:

Interesting, I had the opposite interpretation of this: the dog was quiet around the repairmen out of fear of the strangers, whereas she behaves aggressively towards OP because she thinks OP is below her in the pack order.

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This is certainly possible, but being fearful of strangers generally doesn't correspond to simply being quiet. Fear would probably send a small dog to a covered spot or different room.

Cathy C said:

This is certainly possible, but being fearful of strangers generally doesn't correspond to simply being quiet. Fear would probably send a small dog to a covered spot or different room.

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My family's small dog goes very quiet when he's afraid -- he doesn't cower or hide, but he does start shaking (subtly at first, then more visibly). He also has a high guard instinct (barking at loud noises, barking when startled) but if he's actually faced by the perceived threat he loses his mettle and goes into that quiet-shaky mode while still standing his ground.

It's tricky to work out if the OP's dog is behaving this way, though. I'm struggling to get a read on his personality from the details we have so far.

I'm a cat person, so take this with a grain of salt, but ...

When the repair people came, who answered the door and let them in? If your parents did, then maybe the dog saw them as invited guests. If you're letting yourself in with your own key, then maybe the dog sees you as an intruder. Maybe if you went through the ritual of ringing the doorbell and having your parents let you in a few times, the dog would figure out that you belonged there.

Nivarion said:

Im having enough of being alienated in my own home by an animal i could chuck over the house. What can I do to stop this bad behavior?

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Sounds like you really dislike the dog. The Yorkie didn't choose to live in your childhood home, your mom picked up the dog.

Dogs are acutely aware of peoples' likes and dislikes, and of being made fun of. If you want the dog to stop his behaviour, you'll have to take a very close look at your own and work on earning the trust of the little guy.

In my experience, food bribery doesn't always work. Taking the dog out for walks and playing games he enjoys builds trust and is team work, plus something you may actually enjoy as well.

Bushrat said:

Taking the dog out for walks and playing games he enjoys builds trust and is team work, plus something you may actually enjoy as well.

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This is a fantastic suggestion, I can't believe it never crossed my mind to mention it. Dog walking is such a good way to build trust.

My big ol' lab became massively aggressive when we invited my family's small dog into his home, but after ten minutes on the lead together in 'neutral territory' (the outside world) he was happy to have the little guy lying beside him in the living room. Now we always take him for a walk with unfamiliar visiting dogs and they're instantly best friends.

laurasbadideas said:

I'm a cat person, so take this with a grain of salt, but ...

When the repair people came, who answered the door and let them in? If your parents did, then maybe the dog saw them as invited guests. If you're letting yourself in with your own key, then maybe the dog sees you as an intruder. Maybe if you went through the ritual of ringing the doorbell and having your parents let you in a few times, the dog would figure out that you belonged there.

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This is why I asked if the dog was already there when the OP returned to the family home.

This dog is a rescue dog. We don't know her background or her previous owner or even her exact age. I'm starting to suspect that she might have been abused by someone who looks like me.

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I think you could be right. It does seem odd that she would forget you so quickly. It could be your smell. You may use something that was used by the person who abused her and it triggers aggression.

Interesting.

I would continue with the the positive reinforcement and the play and also change the smells you carry. It may not be just perfume. Is there something you wear all the time? Do you use a certain cream for your skin condition?

Remember it may be unscented to you but it won't be to your dog.

There is really no way to say what the dogs motivation is based purely on barking at one person and not others. But pairing yourself with good things like treats is not going to hurt regardless.

Ah I see..... ok then. So it's down to positive reinforcement.

Actually, it might be a good idea to make yourself smell of something else. Something fairly strong smelling.... olive oil maybe? A couple of dabs of olive oil on your pulse points? Try that tomorrow. You never know.

Technically what I am suggesting is unconditional reinforcement with the goal of making yourself a conditioned reinforcer. rewarding randomly, perhaps according to a timer. This is easy and will help regardless of what the dog's issue is.

Positive reinforcement is more rewarding the behavior you want to increase it, that would mean giving treats whenever the dog is calm in your presence. This is slightly more difficult and can lead to accidentally shaping an unwanted behavior--but is also probably going to help unless something really weird is going on.

There are so many possible things going on in that dogs head from territorial or fear aggression to you just happening to resemble someone who was mean to the dog int he past.

Just wanted to say sorry for my somewhat snarky earlier post Looks like I got the wrong impression!

With a rescue dog, you may never know what the problem is. Maybe it's really that you walk differently--when playing with our dogs, we often move with exaggerated arm and leg movements, which always results in furious, wide-eyed barking.
It sounds like you're on the right track, though, doing fun things with her and working with rewards, so hopefully this will get better soon.

I absolutely agree with the positive reinforcement idea. Being seen as a source of treats really helps with the dogs attitude towards you. Walks, with treats along the way don't hurt either.

Negative reinforcement is very difficult when you're not being trusted in the first place. It can help if a trusted person, the one the dog sees as their primary person were to do it but not when you yourself try. And dogs, especially small dogs often bark at situations and people they are afraid of or uncomfortable with. Apparently this dog has decided that there is a problem with you.

The idea of the person needing to establish themselves as the pack alpha dog is one I hold some skepticism about. It may work with certain breeds of dogs, like Huskies, but not all dogs are like that. I have five small dogs, and they're not really a pack at all. They all have different personalities and agendas, and are Alpha in different situations and at different times. Trying to impose your will through force of personality on a Yorkie or shih-tzu is a losing battle.

And yes, who knows what goes on in the minds of rescue dogs? I think your best bet is the positive reinforcement route, coupled with a lot of patience and calmness. I know it's difficult, but you can't allow yourself to get annoyed at the dog. One episode of yelling at the dog when it's barking at you, or using some kind of physical chastisement can undo most of the trust you build up. Dogs have very long memories.

Good luck.

Nivarion said:

I'll call her when sitting in a chair (she doesn't bark at me if I'm sitting) and give her a treat.

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If she doesn't bark at you when you're sitting, then my guess would be that the barking probably has more to do with how you look or move when you're standing/walking than with your scent. If so, it might make sense at some point to try to get her to accept treats from you while you're standing.

I think the pack issue is still in play...especially for a rescue dog. There could be a history of not having a pack or simply a matter of not knowing the correct dog language and behavior to establish a position. And not knowing where she stands at all can be stressful for a dog.

Make sure as you bond with her that you benevolently remind her that you are above her in the pack order. If you are sitting, she should be on the floor, not at your face level. Also, make an effort not to approach her from a position she might see as threatening. Ziggy over there<--flinches when anyone pats him on the head. We've had him since we picked him up from his mama at 10 weeks. He knows us well. We've never hit him or done anything to create this response, but still, it makes him nervous. So scratching his chest first, or under his chin, relaxes him, then we can give him a nice ear rub.

I predict that your efforts are going to make you fast friends, and when it's time for you to go to school, each of you are going to be sad to see the other one go. Yorkies may be small, but they're still terriers: intelligent and loyal and stubborn as all get out.

That sounds like a really frustrating situation, and I'm sorry. It seems to me (and I'm doing this "diagnosis" purely from what you've typed, obviously. I haven't seen or interacted with your dog, and I only play a dog expert on the Internet, so if I'm way off with any of this, no harm no foul).

Fear barking or stress barking are not necessarily indicative of abuse. It's possible she came from poor breeding, and was then poorly socialized for all of her life, and there's a laundry list of people she does not know how to react to.

What does she do other than (or in addition to) barking around you? Will she eat or take treats? Will she ever settle down on her own, and if so, is it in the same room as you? What kind of exercise does she get? What do your parents do when she barks? Has any training been done with her, and of what sort? (clicker training is something I love and will always recommend, though it does take patience)

Bushrat said:

In my experience, food bribery doesn't always work. Taking the dog out for walks and playing games he enjoys builds trust and is team work, plus something you may actually enjoy as well.

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I think this is a fantastic suggestion!

veinglory said:

There is really no way to say what the dogs motivation is based purely on barking at one person and not others. But pairing yourself with good things like treats is not going to hurt regardless.

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Bold mine.

Also this. Making yourself a source of the positive can result in a lessening of the barking behavior. I read a blog post which I've never been able to find again where there were treats out at an animal shelter, and a sign that said something along the lines of "Give treats even if barking." Dogs can't bark if they're eating. If humans mean only positive things to dogs, their stress levels can be reduced (especially if the barking is a stress/fear reaction) and other behaviors can be developed.

You might consider what you'd like her to do instead of barking."No", which means a whole lot to us humans, doesn't mean a whole lot to dogs (it doesn't mean I'm not guilty of using it, but there's the added Fun! Wow! factor that if we're yelling too, that's reinforcing to the dog.), and it is not in itself a command. I mean, it kind of is, meaning "stop that", but it does not indicate what should be done instead. "Go lay down" may be a good interruptor, "find your ball", that kind of thing.

If your mom got this dog before Christmas, she's only been in the family for a few weeks. That can be overwhelming for a dog, new house, new smells, new routines, new people. It could be that, by this point, you haven't even seen her "real" personality just yet. I've seen people who've been in dogs for many many years talk about amounts of time it takes for a dog to get comfortable in a new space.

veinglory said:

Technically what I am suggesting is unconditional reinforcement with the goal of making yourself a conditioned reinforcer. rewarding randomly, perhaps according to a timer. This is easy and will help regardless of what the dog's issue is.

Positive reinforcement is more rewarding the behavior you want to increase it, that would mean giving treats whenever the dog is calm in your presence. This is slightly more difficult and can lead to accidentally shaping an unwanted behavior--but is also probably going to help unless something really weird is going on.

There are so many possible things going on in that dogs head from territorial or fear aggression to you just happening to resemble someone who was mean to the dog int he past.

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This. People often fail to differentiate between classical conditioning and operant conditioning. It's challenging, because elements of both are often present in behaviors we don't like. The former deals with emotions and involuntary physiological responses to stimuli (whether conditioned or unconditioned), the latter deals with voluntary behaviors.

It's impossible to say without being there, but I'm guessing that this behavior is based on fear, not an attempt on the part of the dog to be dominant over you.

Barking is a voluntary behavior, but in this case, it appears to be a response to an involuntary emotional response. It seems to be triggered by something very specific--your getting up from a stationary position or your entering a room the dog is already in.

Did something scary ever happen to the dog under these circumstances? Did you, say, ever trip over her or step on her? Do you walk loudly (my brother terrifies one of my cats when he visits because he moves very quickly and stomps more than the people this cat lives with). Some dogs are very noise sensitive. Was there ever a loud noise or other scary thing that happened when you were in her proximity early in your acquaintance? Was she ever punished for barking at you?

None of this is your fault, but dogs have their own criteria for what is scary, loud or dangerous.

Regardless, counterconditioning is probably in order. This would entail exposing her to a sub-threshold level of the scary stimuli (you entering the room) and pairing it with really, really good food.

Also, training an incompatible behavior (like looking at your mom, or lying down on a mat and staying) when you stand or enter the room might help.

This is a nice web site set up by a local trainer (I've taken her basic classes and consulted with her for issues with my own fearful dog). There are a ton of links to articles about different behavioral issues.