Q: I have a 1 1/2 year old male Yorkshire Terrier. I have had him since his was 6 weeks old. Unfortunately, I started out wrong by holding him and petting him all of the time. He will not let me step into the shower or walk out the door without throwing himself at me barking like a maniac. If I dry my hair and put my shoes on, he runs around whining and crying.

I read a book that said I should not pet him so much and only as a reward. That worked for a week and then I couldn't help myself. I tried taking short walks around the block but he barks from the time I leave until the time I get back. Do you have any suggestions?

A: Go to an obedience class. Go first without your dog, and observe to make sure it is a safe atmosphere where dogs are treated humanely and are not allowed to jump on each other. One way to find an obedience class is through a local obedience training club. They are listed by state on the AKC website at http://www.akc.org.

Once you get involved in class with your dog, you can teach him lots of responses to commands you give. You can teach him tricks, too. Then you can use petting as a reward for his obeying your wishes. He'll have lots of fun--dogs love to interact through commands--and you'll get to pet him all you want.

You have a huge advantage with him, in having taught him to love petting. Now you just need to integrate it into other interesting interactions with your dog. It would also be a good idea to get him used to resting calmly in a crate. This helps dogs accept that it's okay to be alone sometimes. Introduce the crate gradually, and at first just have him in it for a few minutes when you are there.

I'm glad to hear you have such a loving relationship with him. Now you just need to put a little more leadership into it--and it will be fun!

Follow up Q: I really love your answer. People can make their dogs overly dependant on them by constantly touching them and carrying them around. This separation anxiety can be a real problem and it is one that I see so often. I feel it's good advice suggesting taking a positive reinforcement obedience class and getting the dog interested in pleasing the owner and the owner educated in communicating in dog language and working as a team. The change can be such a wonderful one and can prevent the dog from becoming another statistic. Thank you!!