My name is Timbit!

Here he is, the dog you've been waiting for! Young healthy male Yorkshire Terrier x who loves people, is good on leash and in the car, and is good with other animals. And cute cute cute! Everyone's dream puppy! Who doesn't want a cute as a button little Yorkie that's funny and smaller than a cat?!

Well, this is where the reality check starts. Is he adorable? Heck yeah! Is he friendly? Yup! Is he nice and small and his shamefully cute pic makes you know you have to have him? No!

Timbit is a casualty of this kind of impulsive, must-have-cute-puppy thinking. His behavior today reveals a lot about his past. He came with no idea that we pee and poop outside and don't inside, but he sure thought he was going to get disciplined when he had an accident. Or when you went to pick him up, or put a leash on him. He actually would crumple up and end up on his back, losing some bladder control. This is consistent with a dog that was trained by someone who had no idea of timing of reinforcement and was heavy handed.

Timbit is slowly coming along but he also was not taught not to soil his crate which frustrates housetraining slightly. He's coming leaps and bounds, and now pees and poos outside most of the time - but he is being taken out regularly, praised, and constantly supervised inside.

Timbit also is convinced that he will surely die if he is not coddled 24/7. While this is seen a lot in dogs, especially small ones, and it's laughed at and seen by some as "cute", this is his most concerning behavior to me. This behavior is consistent with a puppy who was coddled and doted upon so heavily in the early years, that he doesn't know what to do if he's not being held close and protected from the world by human hands. Does this sound like a happy dog? It's not, it is a dog that was not taught things like independence, security and confidence, and is now highly anxious as a result if the coddling discontinues.
Timbit's conflicted past has not allowed him to grow up to be a confident, well-adjusted young adult. While part of this is a result of intrinsic personality traits and he's just not a lead from the front kind of guy, his environment (upbringing) has played a huge role in who he is today. Puppyhood is a critical time and lessons not learned during this time make who the dog becomes. That's the bad news.

The good news is, Timbit is young, and is responding well to intense behavior modification. The first order of business is to foster his independence and help him learn how to be a confident, happy dog. This is not an easy program to run and not for everybody - he is given very little attention and spends a lot of time in his crate. Sound cruel? Then Timbit is definitely not for you! He needs this to continue. The same way it's easier to just give an alcoholic another beer and keep him happy, it would be easy for some to give him the coddling and constant reassurance he needs. But in so doing, you are enabling the alcoholic or the dog with separation anxiety tendencies, in a cruel to be kind way. A dog that becomes highly distressed when not being coddled is not a happy dog! We will be looking specifically for a home that gets this, and that will help him overcome the behaviors created by past handling, not perpetuate them. He also requires someone who understands positive motivational training and how to housetrain a dog in the 21st century. He could go with dogs, cats, and kids, and is pretty versatile in that he could fit in in various home environments. He'd be best suited to a 2 or more person home but at about 6 lbs is just too tiny and breakable for small children. He can be a bit barky and standoffish upon meeting new people but not at all aggressive and warms quickly. I suspect this will lessen a lot as he develops more confidence overall. Timbit is coexisting happily with dogs and cats and his feelings on cats are evolving; he is very very cautious yet curious - so carefully sneaks a sniff, certain he's going to be attacked and killed. He is rightfully careful with larger dogs but quick to befriend smaller ones. He does come around with dogs but is definitely a people dog more than a dog dog. It would probably be most beneficial for Timbit to have another dog companion, to help him rely less on his people for all his needs. He'd do well with older kids. He loves his walks and looks like the grinch's dog trying to bound ahead of his human. He is fairly low key in the house, but he's a jumper upper! And is doing well learning basic house manners.

Timbit's age is a bit of a mystery - we usually rely a lot on teeth to help us age a dog. Timbit has retained canines, something his adoptors will have to take care of. We will assist if possible. He is an adult, but young - probably between 8 months and 2, but it's difficult to say due to his unusual dentition. His behavior and disposition would put him in the younger end of that.

Timbit is a long haired dog and will need regular grooming. He is a HEAD TURNER, that's for sure! I'm trying to emphasize his negatives because his positives are obvious and he does have certain needs, and we don't want to match him to the wrong person where he and they won't be happy. More pictures to come, he doesn't sit still much!


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If you're interested in adopting or fostering this pet, please go to www.barlees.org and fill out an adoption application (mark it foster if this is what you wish to do).