Yorkshire Terrier Biting: Body Language, Causes and Ways to Reduce It

Help, My Yorkie Bites When My Son Visits!

"I adopted a 9-year-old 4-pound Yorkie six months ago. I don’t know a lot about her except that she only had one owner before me. I have three adult sons; one lives with me, and she adores him. She's also fine with the son who originally flew to adopt her, but she is aggressive with the third and bites him whenever he visits.

He does push her a little more than I like, as he is a Yorkie dad and just wants her to like him. She has drawn blood.

I have told him to just give her time. I haven’t had her around anyone else and just don’t want her to be aggressive to a child."—Maryann

Why Is the Dog Aggressive Toward One Person?

Hi Maryann, thank you for reaching out in regards to your recently adopted Yorkshire Terrier biting your son when he visits. It's not uncommon for dogs to exhibit fear or aggression towards certain individuals. The fact that she is doing fine with you and your other sons is a sign that this is likely a matter of how she is approached and interacted with.

In circumstances like this, an important first step is to implement changes that are centered on carefully managing interactions so as to prevent further incidents. Behavior modification techniques, instead, can help create positive associations and build trust so as to address any underlying negative emotional responses.

In the meantime, please keep on advocating for patience and understanding. Encourage your son to approach calmly while giving your Yorkie space and more time to acclimate.

Biting Is Ultimately a Form of Communication

Biting, although ranging from annoying to potentially life-threatening, is ultimately a form of communication. Without language skills, dogs are relying on their bodies to "talk" to us.

It's therefore important to pay extra attention to the context in which the biting behavior takes place and heed the early warning signs.

Prior to biting, dogs often communicate their discomfort or distress through a variety of body language cues and vocalizations.

These body cues aren't always readily recognized, and they may be underestimated, especially when dealing with smaller dogs.

Underestimation of Biting in Small Dogs

It can be more challenging for humans to interpret a small dog's body language compared to a larger dog. On top of this, due to a small dog's less intimidating size, it is easy to dismiss or downplay their warning signs.

You are right to be concerned about your Yorkie's behavior towards your son. You want to protect your son from being bitten, as well as any visitors or children who may attempt to interact with your dog.

Small dogs are often approached because they are perceived as cute and cuddly, but it's often forgotten that they are still dogs, and they can bite, too, when put into a threatening situation.

Children are particularly at risk for dog bites. Statistics throughout the world have found that children are often targeted, and this is likely due to a combination of factors such as having lower awareness, lesser knowledge of safe conduct around dogs, and higher vulnerability due to their smaller size.

It is important to always supervise the interactions between dogs and children and intervene as needed. In dogs with a bite history, it is best not to let children approach.

Even though a small dog may not maim a person or cause disfigurement, their bites can still result in pain, risk for infections, and emotional repercussions.

What to Do If My Yorkshire Terrier Is Biting?

You mentioned that your son seems to "push her a little more than I like as he is a Yorkie dad and just wants for her to like him."

It sounds like your son has a strong attachment to the breed and is eager to establish a close relationship with your Yorkie. He is likely approaching your Yorkie in a similar fashion as he does with his own Yorkies at home.

However, all dogs are different. Your Yorkie may find your son's approach too direct and assertive, potentially causing her to feel overwhelmed and eventually threatened to the point of feeling the need to bite to protect herself. So what should we do in such a case? A multi-faceted approach is needed. Following are several general guidelines.

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A Lesson in Yorkie Body Language 101

Prior to biting, dogs usually start by manifesting their discomfort in an interaction through some very subtle signs that gradually build up.

When we miss these early signs, the dog will progress to the next step or even skip steps if the dog is startled or something particularly threatening happens.

Finally, at some point, it's as if the dog is saying something along the lines of: "I've tried really hard to communicate my discomfort, but my warnings are going to deaf ears. Now, I feel like I have no choice but to escalate my response to protect myself."

Getting better acquainted with a dog's early signs of discomfort is key to preventing putting our dogs into situations where they feel that the only option left is to bite. It's important to be respectful of these signs.

Backing off does not make the dog "the boss" or "dominant." Fear, not dominance, is what triggers biting. What happens when we move away is we simply give our dogs relief as we acknowledge their emotions and reinforce their early communication, which is ultimately what we want.

Below is an illustration of how dogs may escalate like steps in an escalator or stairwell. Consider, though, that not all dogs will follow the steps neatly. Some dogs may skip some steps depending on the situation.

In the unfortunate situation of dogs who have been punished for growling, they may skip all early warning signs and go straight to a bite.

Dogs who are suffering from some underlying medical problem or pain may bite more readily than if they were healthy. All newly rescued dogs and dogs manifesting aggression should see the vet to rule out any medical conditions, particularly senior dogs.

Dogs Don't Bite Out of the Blue

Animals use aggression as a last resort. They use subtle body postures, like looking away, avoiding, pulling back their ears, etc. Escalation occurs when these signals are ignored.

— Dr. Amy Pike, board-certified veterinary behaviorist

Practice Makes Perfect

The more dogs get to rehearse problematic behaviors, the more the behaviors become deeply ingrained and more challenging to overcome.

If your Yorkie has been manifesting her discomfort in the interactions with your son every time she meets him, her negative emotions and associated behaviors are likely to persist or intensify.

Here's the thing: When a dog's warning signals are consistently ignored or misunderstood, there are chances that the dog will eventually start to feel helpless and increasingly stressed, which could cause her to react more quickly to perceived threats or triggers.

It is therefore important to take steps to prevent your dog from reaching this point and this can be done through behavioral management which entails the identification of triggers, avoidance of such triggers and important safety precautions. Let's take a closer look at behavioral management.

Identification of Triggers

As mentioned, when implementing a behavior intervention plan, it's important to prevent the dog from rehearsing problematic behaviors. This is done by identifying triggers that elicit negative emotional responses and behaviors that may progress to biting.

The "pushing a little more" that triggers a dog to react is known in behavioral terms as sending a dog "over the threshold," meaning that an imaginary line is crossed.

If we can therefore identify the exact triggers that cause your Yorkie to feel overwhelmed and threatened, we can then take steps to prevent her from reaching this point.

Avoidance of Triggers

Thinking of past interactions between your Yorkie and your son, what happened just prior to the biting? Common triggers for dogs biting may include the following:

• Looming over the dog
• Petting the dog roughly
• Roughhousing
• Hugging the dog
• Placing the face too close to the dog's face
• Staring in the eyes
• Kissing the dog
• Holding the dog
• Handling the paws, ears, and tail roughly
• Giving belly rubs
• Tugging on the collar
• Bothering the dog when eating/resting/sleeping
• Chasing the dog/cornering the dog
• Prolonged interactions
• Ignoring the dog's body language

It is advisable to refrain from engaging in any activities that have elicited early warning signs of distress or discomfort in the dog in the past.

Establishment of Safety Protocols

Several safety protocols will need to be in place, given the past episodes, particularly the biting and drawing of blood when the son visits. Here are some general safety precautions that should be considered.

Supervision

This entails closely monitoring the dog and her body language at all times to ensure the dog isn't put into a position of feeling stressed or overwhelmed.

Separation

Depending on the dog's triggers, less or more stringent safety measures will need to be in place.

Complete separation may be needed if a dog becomes stressed and reactive by the mere sight of a specific person.

Complete separation in such a case may entail keeping the dog in a separate room or in the yard or having somebody walk her so that she is spared from the negative encounter. If visits are sporadic, this can be a long-term solution.

If the dog does fine with the specific person entering the home but only reacts when the person gets into the dog's space, partial separation may be all that is needed.

Partial separation in such a case may entail keeping the dog behind a baby gate or confined in an exercise pen. The dog can still see and hear the person, but without feeling threatened, as distance acts like a social buffer.

Muzzling

If an exact trigger is identified and can be easily avoided (e.g., not hugging the dog), the dog can be muzzled as an additional safety precaution, and the interaction can be supervised if safe to do so.

It's important that the dog is fit with a bite-proof basket muzzle and that the dog is given time to adjust to it through muzzle training ahead of time prior to visits.

One important consideration is that just because the dog is wearing a muzzle doesn't mean we have the green light to expose the dog to her triggers presented at full intensity.

It's important to consider how the dog feels, and therefore, the dog should be treated with respect and sensitivity just as if she wasn't wearing the muzzle.

If you’re even a little uncertain about your dog’s reaction, err on the side of caution and keep some distance between him and the person about whom he’s concerned.

— The American College of Veterinary Behaviorists

Advocating for Canine Comfort

Examples of Behavior Modification

Managing a dog behavior problem is similar to placing a band-aid on a leaky faucet; it may halt the immediate drip, but it won't fix the underlying plumbing issue.

If you want to address the root cause and truly repair the problem, then it's time to call in the "plumbing pros"—or, in this case, the dog behavior professionals.

A dog behavior professional can assess the problematic behavior, identify the exact triggers, and provide the most appropriate behavior intervention plan that is customized to the dog and the specific situation.

"Each animal with a behavior problem is a case study of one," points out board-certified veterinary behaviorist Dr. Lore Haug in an article on DVM360.

Working alongside a professional is therefore important, especially in cases where dogs have a history of biting and breaking the skin. The correct implementation of behavior modification, along with safety measures, is important to keep everybody safe.

The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior website offers several important guidelines on what to look for when selecting a behavior professional: selecting a behavior consultant.

What Does Behavior Modification Entail?

Based on the assessment findings, the behavior professional will develop a behavior intervention plan that is customized to address the dog's specific triggers and responses.

Behavior modification will often incorporate systematic desensitization and counterconditioning techniques.

• Systematic desensitization is a behavior change process where the dog is exposed to its triggers in a less intense form that doesn't evoke the problematic behavior. Care is taken to keep the dog under the threshold.
• Counterconditioning is a behavior change process that is often combined with desensitization. Its goal is to create positive associations with the triggers presented in less intense forms and to change the dog's emotional response to them.

For example, if a dog struggles with being touched, after excluding medical problems, the next step may entail very light and brief touches in an area that the dog doesn’t mind being touched and feeding treats. The goal is to change the dog's emotional response to being touched.

If a dog struggles with being picked up, we can start by splitting the action in several small steps and creating positive associations with every step.

If a dog gets tense as soon as a specific person enters the room, that person should be presented at a distance while creating positive associations with the person entering in a gradual yet incremental manner.

There are also general methods and techniques to help form positive associations with a particular person, such as the Look at That game and the Treat Retreat game.

Of course, while desensitization and counterconditioning can be effective in modifying a dog's response to certain stimuli, it's essential to avoid any actions that are inherently rough or aversive, or that could cause physical harm to the dog.

If the dog ever struggles with any step, that's a sign that progress was likely made too quickly, requiring one to take some steps back in the process.

The Power of Giving Small Dogs Agency

"Agency" means giving the dog the ability to make choices. When we give small dogs such as Yorkies agency, they are provided with the opportunity to control their environment and freely express their natural behaviors.

Research has found that when we give dogs control, it helps increase their psychological well-being. One of the best ways to give small dogs agency is by allowing them to decide when an interaction should stop.

By carrying out what is known as a "consent test," the dog is able to decide when she has had enough petting and affection. All that is needed is to pet the dog briefly and then stop petting and watch the dog's reaction.

Does the dog show signs of wanting to be petted again? Such as by pawing or nudging at the hand? If so, there are good chances the dog was actually enjoying the interaction.

Does the dog seem disinterested or maybe even relieved and moves away? Then, the dog has had enough and is relieved that she doesn't have to communicate in a more decisive way.

Some Breed Specific Traits

Yorkshire Terriers, like several of the other small dogs in the terrier group, were selectively bred to dig and hunt down vermin. This required dogs to be agile, quick on their feet, tenacious, feisty and independent.

Yorkies are prone to being easily aroused and very excitable, which can cause them to react at the drop of a hat. This doesn't mean that they can't control themselves, it just means that they need to learn how. Some impulse control training can help them master some coping skills and the art of delayed gratification.

While Yorkies are known for being bold and confident, Yorkies who haven't been socialized much or have undergone negative experiences may be on the fearful side. They may sometimes approach, but then they may change their mind, and so they may engage in approach-avoidance behaviors.

Oftentimes, people interpret a dog's approach as a request for affection. Some dogs will indeed approach despite their fear, but this is mostly to obtain more information, points out board-certified veterinary behaviorist Dr. Amy Pike in an article on Veterinary Practice News.

What's important to watch out for, once again, is the dog's body language. A dog who is nervous and prone to biting will typically keep the tail down, ears back, and the weight shifted backward. Although they may be wagging their tails, in this case, it's a result of arousal rather than happiness.

Why Do Yorkshire Terriers Bite? 11 Reasons

Yorkshire Terriers, just like other dogs, will bite for various reasons. To find the underlying cause for the biting, it's important to carefully observe the dog's behaviors, body language, and contexts in which the biting occurs.

From a broad perspective, it can be said that the functions of biting may consist of two main functions: increasing and decreasing distance.

Biting to Increase Distance

In the case of distance-increasing biting, the biting occurs because the dog is not comfortable with a certain type of interaction. The dog may ask for the interaction to stop, or it may ask for space.

The dog may signal the desire for space by using body language or vocalizations, but if these are ignored, the dog may bite. When the dog bites, he/she feels relief from the person withdrawing and leaving.

Following are several common forms of biting to increase distance. Notice that some forms of biting may overlap with others.

1. Defensive Biting

This form of biting occurs when the dog feels threatened and attempts to defend himself." It's the type of biting that often occurs when a dog is cornered and reached for with no way to flee. Being cornered is a common cause of dogs biting children.

2. Fearful Biting

The dog simply bites out of fear. A dog that feels threatened by well-meaning people/ interactions may have a history of poor socialization and/or past negative experiences, including a history of punishment-based training.

3. Resource Guarding Biting

In this case, the dog has access to some type of resource (bone, toy, dog bed) that is perceived as valuable by the dog. When a person or other animal approaches, the dog feels anxious about losing access to the resource and may threaten to bite or bite in hopes of maintaining access. Because resource guarding may lead to biting, it's important to address resource guarding in dogs.

4. Protective Biting

In this case, the dog may perceive an owner or particular caretaker as valuable and may bite or threaten to bite when another person or dog approaches this favorite person. There is likely a component of fear at play when dogs protect humans, considering that the dog may feel more secure when in the presence of a specific person.

5. Medically-Induced Biting

When a dog is ill or not feeling well, his threshold for biting may lower. If biting is uncharacteristic for the dog, this can be highly suggestive of some underlying medical problem that requires investigating with the help of a veterinarian. All dogs exhibiting behavior problems should see a vet first.

6. Territorial Biting

This form of biting takes place when a person or other animal approaches the dog's perceived territory. When other animals or people approach in a neutral area, the dog usually does fine. There is likely a component of fear at play in canine territorial aggression.

7. Maternal Biting

In this case, a mother dog may bite if a person or other animal approaches her puppies. This protective behavior is likely to decrease as the puppies mature.

Biting to Decrease Distance

While biting is commonly associated with defense and aggression in general, in some cases, the biting may be carried out as a means to decrease distance or communicate a desire for closer interaction.

While these forms of biting are not driven by aggression or fear, it's important to establish some boundaries.

Following are several forms of biting that share a desire for closeness or some form of engagement. As with distance-increasing biting, some forms of biting may overlap with others.

8. Play Biting

This is a common type of biting seen in puppies and young dogs. The puppy or young dog desires interaction, and by play biting, the puppy gets to explore their environment and drain excess energy. Tips on how to tackle puppy biting can be found here: How to stop puppy biting.

Puppies may also bite as a result of teething. They may be exploring different textures in hopes of soothing their sore gums.

9. Attention-Seeking Biting

This form of biting is seen in dogs who crave attention. The dog may find even attention of the negative type (such as scolding or pushing the dog away) appealing. This type of biting can be seen when dog owners sit on the couch to watch TV or are talking on the phone.

10. Signal Biting

Some dogs may use their mouths to grab a person's arm or pant legs as a way to signal a need to be taken outside to potty or the presence of an intruder or anything interesting happening in the yard.

11. Affectionate Biting

Dogs may sometimes bite as a form of "affection," such as when dogs gently nibble on the owner's hand or arm. The dog may be biting as a way to seek physical contact and closeness with their humans.

An Ounce of Prevention Is Worth a Pound of Cure

References

1. Reisner, I.R., Shofer, F.S., Nance, M.L., 2007. Behavioral assessment of child-directed canine aggression. Injury Prevention: Journal of the International Society for Child and Adolescent Injury Prevention vol 13, pp. 348–351
2. Gershman, Ken & Sacks, Jeffrey & Wright, John. (1994). Which dogs bite? Case–control study of risk factors. Pediatrics
3. Reese, Laura & Vertalka, Joshua. (2020). Understanding Dog Bites: The Important Role of Human Behavior. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science
4. Psychology Today The American College of Veterinary Behaviorists, Decoding Your Pet, Dogs Don't Bite Out of the Blue
5. DVM360, Forget dominance: Fear-based aggression in dogs
   by John Ciribassi, DVM, DACVB

If your puppy or dog shows signs of potential aggression (lunging, barking, growling, snapping, biting), please consult with a dog behavior professional for direct in-person guidance. Articles, videos, and general information provided online are not meant to replace in-person training/instruction. By using this service, you are waiving any liability claims or other types of claims related to any of your dogs' behaviors against you or others.

© 2024 Adrienne Farricelli CPDT-KA, Dip.CBST