My daughter was recently in San Francisco for the marathon, and was staying at the Westin, where she happened on your Dog Bible Pooch Party. She purchased your book and gave it to me for watching her Yorkie while she was away. I’ve been going through it, and need some help with my problem. We have two Yorkies. One is an Alpha female that has the strangest personality at times. Sometimes she cowers and absolutely will not go out unless I physically pick her up. Other times when she is outside she acts like something is about to get her, and sits, scared to death. On top of all this, at times, when I go to pick her up, she piddles. Is there a section in the book that deals with this sort of problem? I say she is possessed. Thank you for any help you can give me. I am enjoying your Dog Bible.

From: Marilyn in Dublin, Ohio

Hi, Marilyn. The one thing I can tell you for certain is, your Yorkie is not possessed.

The concerns you raise are hardly unique. In fact, many small dogs have issues with going outside for walks. There’s a threshold consideration you need to look at. Although everyone seems to pick up their small dogs in one sweeping motion, many of these animals do not appreciate the surprising sensation of being swept off their feet and being held up in the air. Many people start their walks with their small dogs this way, and it creates an aversion to the whole process: having the leash or harness put on, being held in an elevator if there is one, with other people reaching out to touch them, and then being plunked down outside all of a sudden and having to get their bearings on where they are and what is going on around them outdoors. Just imagine the “startle factor” and loss of control over their own limbs and location.

So don’t be surprised if your small dog cowers or even pees when you try to take her for a walk. My advice? Stop picking her up. Small dogs are animals, and have four legs for a reason. They’re happy to use them to explore their world. When you constantly pick up a small dog, they have the amusement park physical sensation of being lifted out of their natural element, and suddenly the world is rushing at them at human chest level -- they’re suspended in air with no way to retreat or to orient themselves, or defend or protect themselves, if necessary, which is disorienting at best.

The quickest way to turn things around would be to work short-term with a dog trainer who uses click training, which is an effective way to transform the way your dog perceives the leash and going for walks. You can do it on your own, but you might just aggravate the situation rather than turn walks into positive events in your little dog’s life.

Hope this helps, and thanks for writing, Marilyn.

Tracie