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01-12-2005, 08:15 AM | #1 |
YorkieTalk Newbie! Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Kirkland, WA
Posts: 6
| Better to have 2??? Hi there...so i love my little Oliver dearly...and lately ive been thinking about getting him a friend. Being away at work all day, i feel it would be less lonely with a buddy for him and maybe i wouldnt feel so bad leaving him alone. Does any body have any input on this??? Are 2 yorkies a handful??? Is it better to have the same sex, or opposite??? Thanks |
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01-12-2005, 09:17 AM | #2 |
No Longer a Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Missouri
Posts: 189
| I have 2 I have 2 yorkies. I'm home all day, so not sure if they would destroy things together. I know mine sleep better @ night, but we keep them in a kennel at night too. They are great together, and to me, it's no harder than one. |
01-12-2005, 09:45 AM | #3 |
YT Addict Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: ohio
Posts: 427
| the more the merrier HAHA I have 2 yorkies a male Max who is 4 yrs old and gidget is new 4 months. They love to play together. Gidget is very rough for the old man but they get along great. I do crate the baby when I'm gone. She does cause trouble but the older dog stays out. He lays by her crate and she doesn't mind that he's out and not her. They have different personalities and have adjusted well to each other. Hope this helps. |
01-12-2005, 10:00 AM | #4 |
BANNED! Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: New York
Posts: 446
| Two is Company The short answer, generally, with dogs is YES, two can be better than one. With Yorkies specifically, the answer is - it depends. Dogs, in general, are pack animals and need companionship, be it human, canine, or even feline if need be! However, Yorkies, like 90% of all other terrier breeds were bred to be solitary hunters. They are not pack dogs, like for instance, hounds. Rather, they were used in coal mines and mills in Northern England during the industrial revolution to hunt vermin. So a single Yorkie did the job similar to what a barn cat, for instance, would do. Therefore, Yorkies and many terriers can be highly territorial. In fact, a common "sport" in England at the time of the development of Yorkies was to bring your pocket terrier to the local pub and drop him into a "pit" and have him attack a rat (and even for a 10+ pound yorkie, a rat is big animal with mighty sharp teeth!). Terriers were also pitted again one another to show gameness. At dog show up to fairly recently, it was common for judges to ask terrier handlers to have thier dogs face one another to show that they still have this "gameness." Now from the general to the specific: All that said, what it really comes down to is the temperment and personality of your own dog! First: how long have you had your pup? If he's still a young animal and not used to be only the only, it will probably be eaiser to bring a new dog into the home (notice I did not mention whether this will make it easier for them to bond?). Second: do you take your dog out often? Do you or did you take him to a puppy socilization class or to a dog park on a regular basis? Some dogs have no use of other dogs because they've never been given the opportunity to play with other dogs and are only used to human companionship. If this is the case of your dog, then the addition of another dog may not be a solution to your dog's lonliness. If your dog has been around other dogs, how does he react? Is he excited to see them? Does he want to play? If he does, that is a good indication that he will like to have a canine friend. Now a lot depends also on the temperment of the OTHER dog. Personally, I'm not convinced gender has a lot to do with it (with the one exception when you are talking about two intact males). I think its more like it is with people - some personalities work well together and some don't. I used to walk a little Poodle whose owner warned me not to go near other dogs with. Once I got to know "Albie" well enough, though, I picked up that his dislike for dogs was not as general as that, MOST, other dogs, he disliked. I then got a new client who had a wire-coated fox terrier. Funny thing was the two dogs looked like they could be simblings with the exception of the shape of the heads. Dottie, the Fox Terrier, was tuff, no-nonsense kind of gal who had no interest in the annoying puppy behaviors such as pouncing on other dogs which was exactly to Albie the Poodle's liking. So the two got on famously and although I would NEVER have walked those two together in a pack of OTHER dogs, they shared a walk together each day and truly enjoyed each other's company. Reminds me of a very funny personal story. When I was a little kid we had a Yorkie named Freddy. He as a very "odd" dog to begin with, but to his credit, he was 10 pound Yorkie who tolerated a household of three rowdy children as best he could. Since the family was at school and work during the day, my parents went out and got "Jimmy" a Yorkie puppy to be Freddy's pal. By this point, Freddy was at least a year or more old. Well, at some point that first week, mom and kids came home to find Jimmy, but no Freddy. We searched the house but could not find him anywhere. Now, the family hysterical, began searching outside the house. We then searched the neighborhood, calling his name. My mom got in the car and began driving around searching for Freddy. We called the pound, the cops, prepared leaflets to put up. That evening, my father came home and went upstairs to hang up his office clothing. All of a sudden we heard a screach! My father was startled to find Fred all the way in the back of his closet HIDING behind a box of shoes! Freddy hid in that closet on and off for a week or so before he finally warmed up to Jimmy. From the time these two guys were pups onward, Jimmy became the boss of the house and Freddy became known as the closet case! They did eventually bond and we have family photos of Jimmy "walking" freddy with Fred's leash in his mouth!! Last edited by yorkipower; 01-12-2005 at 10:23 AM. |
01-12-2005, 10:33 AM | #5 |
YorkieTalk Newbie! Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Kirkland, WA
Posts: 6
| Wow thank you for all of the infomation. My puppy is only 9 months old, and his only socialization with other dogs has been a puppy class, and once a week he goes to an all day playgroup. He is excited to play with other small dogs that he is familiar with, and if they are new to him he will sniff and bark, then play. With bigger dogs it takes a lot more barking before he calms down....im working on this!!! I know that he adores human companionship...but i am just trying to find a solution to something other than 9 hours of alone time 4 days a week (or does this bother me more than it bothers my pup???) |
01-12-2005, 04:10 PM | #6 |
YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: tx
Posts: 624
| I have a 3 year old male maltese (Bentley) and an 18 month old female yorkie (Mia). It was the best thing I could have done for Bentley because he suffered seperation anxiety in the form of depression. He is so much better having Mia as a companion and playmate.
__________________ Emme & Faith R.I.P. Mia & Bentley |
01-12-2005, 07:07 PM | #7 |
YT 2000 Club Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: California
Posts: 2,990
| be repared to be second best with oliver when the new puppy arrives...... |
01-12-2005, 11:23 PM | #8 |
YT 6000 Club Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 6,238
| I think my Yoda loves being an only doggy, but that said, when he's home alone, I'm sure he wants a buddy to play with (he just usually sleeps). I dunno if it's too late for us to get another one, as we really don't have time to baby the new puppy 24/7 and train him, though I'm sure Yoda could help some. But if you have the time and resources, get another one! Two bundles of joy around the house would be amazing, I'm sure! |
01-13-2005, 12:46 AM | #9 |
YT Addict Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Dublin California
Posts: 476
| I have two yorkies my male is 1 year old and my female is 9 months old. they play all day together, almost too much somedays it drives me crazy because my female is the aggressor and she is only 3 lbs. and my male is 5 lbs. she beats the crap out of him lol it's way too funny. and I'm getting another one the end of Feb. so I will have 3 babies. I can't wait to see how it will go with 3 but I'm hoping they will all play together well.. |
01-13-2005, 04:20 AM | #10 |
YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: tx
Posts: 624
| FastEddie is right..there are some dogs whom are happier being an only child. Some do not adjust well to adding a second dog to the family. So if you decide to go for it be prepared for the possiblity of it not working out. I think most times it does work out wonderfully.
__________________ Emme & Faith R.I.P. Mia & Bentley |
01-13-2005, 05:50 AM | #11 |
Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Tuscaloosa
Posts: 199
| Consider how attached you may be to your first too. Beyond having a playmate for your lonely pup, will another addition be hard for you if you've become very attached to the first? Just a thought, as my first dog HATED my second, but both now tolerate Dean. The first dog is grumpy and older and doesn't "play" anymore. But Luca Dean and #2 are best buddies. They are asleep together on the bed right now -- they take up the warm spots when we get up. I feel sometimes like dog #2 gets less attention and it's a struggle to still get in a good hour or two of playtime with him while at the same time nurturing, training and caring for a brand new yorkie. It definitely makes your house feel "full" having more than one! |
01-13-2005, 08:48 AM | #12 |
YT Addict Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Northeast Georgia
Posts: 251
| Hello, I'm new to the forum but not new to yorkies... I have a house full and have been 'collecting' them for 6 years now... Occasionally breed them. I don't have to work so all my time goes into my 4 legged children. I wanted to comment on multible yorkies in a household. I have been told to wait at least a year so that your yorkie can bond to you before you bring another one in.. Also based on my experiences and others its best to have a female & male as opposed to same genders.. and most importantly they must be spayed or neutered. someone else mentioned disposition... This I have to totally agree with.. Most yorkies have the terrier attitude and want to be alpha so if you get one with a laid back type disposition you most likely will not have any problems.. You will have to depend on the breeder to tell you what kind of disposition the pup has.. I'm looking forward to making new friends on this group. |
01-13-2005, 09:20 AM | #13 | |
YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Maryland
Posts: 861
| Quote:
I have a 4 month old yorkie, Hercules. He's my first yorkie and my first pet dog ever. He's crazy, but great. Brandi | |
01-13-2005, 09:37 AM | #14 |
YT Addict Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Northeast Georgia
Posts: 251
| Sometimes I lose count... . I'll name them... Zoie(6yo), Pixie and Kiki (3yo),Skittles (3), Ginger(4),Honey(2), Muffin (4) Cookie (7months), Shasta (6months) and my studs Kilo (3) and Beamer (4months)... I would send pictures to the forum if someone would tell me how. |
01-13-2005, 11:11 AM | #15 |
YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Maryland
Posts: 861
| Oh my goodness, you sure do have a lot! Here's the best help I can give about photos. Click on "Photo Gallery" at the top of the page. Then on one of the blue horizontal bars, click on "upload photos." I don't know how to make the pictures appear in an actual thread, but if you upload pics to your gallery, you can cut and past that link in the thread for us to go into and look at them. Hope this helps some! Brandi |
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