Questions 4 u........

[aanjsmom]

first, THANK-YOU to all who replied to my first post..... as I said, I am trying to learn everything BEFORE making a dog decision.....that being said, I have lots of questions , hoping for answers.... ; )
1. A lot of you have spoken on the concerns with small children and yorkies..... I am wondering if having the children first , then getting a puppy is better than having the dog for a few years, then having children. I would hope it makes more sense for training, to accustom children to having a small dog, rather than trying to teach a yorkie to "share" his owner( since the census is that they are VERY protective ) ????? does this make sense?

2. can someone explain the health issues that Yorkies have over other dogs....are they worse? that was mentioned more than once...and was it mentioned for expense purposes, or because I have children and that being a cause for concern??? I wasn't totally sure I understood why that was mentioned ( other than just General knowledge)....I have owned many dogs in my life growing up...all breeds have their own issues....but are Yorkies susceptible to far more etc????

3. There are 2 breeders here in my province that breed Yorshire Terriers....but I am not sure what the KEY words are that I should be looking for ....or the RED FLAGS that I need to know. could someone clarify to me what is good vs. bad???? thank -you!!!!! : )
looking forward to the responses.......

[AlicetheYorkie]

Originally Posted by aanjsmom

first, THANK-YOU to all who replied to my first post..... as I said, I am trying to learn everything BEFORE making a dog decision.....that being said, I have lots of questions , hoping for answers.... ; )
1. A lot of you have spoken on the concerns with small children and yorkies..... I am wondering if having the children first , then getting a puppy is better than having the dog for a few years, then having children. I would hope it makes more sense for training, to accustom children to having a small dog, rather than trying to teach a yorkie to "share" his owner( since the census is that they are VERY protective ) ????? does this make sense?

2. can someone explain the health issues that Yorkies have over other dogs....are they worse? that was mentioned more than once...and was it mentioned for expense purposes, or because I have children and that being a cause for concern??? I wasn't totally sure I understood why that was mentioned ( other than just General knowledge)....I have owned many dogs in my life growing up...all breeds have their own issues....but are Yorkies susceptible to far more etc????

3. There are 2 breeders here in my province that breed Yorshire Terriers....but I am not sure what the KEY words are that I should be looking for ....or the RED FLAGS that I need to know. could someone clarify to me what is good vs. bad???? thank -you!!!!! : )
looking forward to the responses.......

#1 - the thing about small children is just that they tend to play "roughly" with dogs -and tiny dogs, Yorkie's in particular, can be a bit "fragile". So as far as that goes, if you know that you can teach your kids to always be very gentle with the dog, you should be ok. It is definatly easier to have the kids first, then get a puppy, the only thing you have to consider is whether or not the breed you choose does well with children and is hearty enough to hold up to their playing. Like I said, the main issue there with Yorkies is more that they can very easily get injured by a young child who doesn't know any better or if a child is running around playing and doesn't see the dog and they step on him or something, a small Yorkie can get really injured, where a bigger, sturdier breed won't have an issue there. It really depends on the specific children's personalities IMO. It's more about whether the dog will be safe with young children and not be too scared by their rambunctious playing.

#2 - You're right, each breed has their own predisposed issues. I don't think Yorkies necessarily have a longer list, but since they are very common, their "breed issues" tend to happen more frequently. Luxating Patella (slipping knee) is common (and that one can go back to the young child issue too, if they were to drop the dog for example) - sometimes it's just hereditary, sometimes it's caused by too much jumping. They tend to have sensative stomachs, pancreatitis is common and they also tend to be very picky eaters. Liver shunts are also common. None of these things are going to cause any harm to your children, but treating some of them can be very expensive (I think those that had surgery for LP paid on average $2000, just for an example). Like you said though, these types of things can happen with any breed, Yorkies just seem to have their own "breed issues" surface more frequently.

#3 - Red Flags are things like them advertising "teacup", "mini", "micro", not letting you meet the dog first or not meet it's parents, wanting to ship it to you, not being willing to answer any and all questions you have before hand. The main thing is that you get to meet both of the litter's parents and the puppies before you choose. You should get a health guarantee, vaccine records, high quality food recomendations etc. Here's a good link to learn about some "rules" in choosing a breeder :Guide to Finding a Reputable Breeder

Good luck with your searching and research, keep the questions coming if you have more

[KendraE]

[DvlshAngel985]

I just wanted to add, the price mentioned above for LP surgery is per knee. At least that's what I was qouted for my little man.

As far as red flags go, there is lots and lots to read in the YT library. If you don't know how to get around yet, just say the word and we can link those threads to your thread so you can read them. The most important rule is BUY YOUR BREEDER FIRST. All puppies are cute and can steal your heart in an instant, which is why we urge new yorkie parents to look at breeders first. They need to be someone who is knowledgeable about the breed, their lines, can tell you what testing was done on the breeding pair, and they will also be your puppy support system from the moment you take your pup home, until the day your pup takes his/her last breadth.

[Mardelin]

Originally Posted by DvlshAngel985

I just wanted to add, the price mentioned above for LP surgery is per knee. At least that's what I was qouted for my little man.

As far as red flags go, there is lots and lots to read in the YT library. If you don't know how to get around yet, just say the word and we can link those threads to your thread so you can read them. The most important rule is BUY YOUR BREEDER FIRST. All puppies are cute and can steal your heart in an instant, which is why we urge new yorkie parents to look at breeders first. They need to be someone who is knowledgeable about the breed, their lines, can tell you what testing was done on the breeding pair, and they will also be your puppy support system from the moment you take your pup home, until the day your pup takes his/her last breadth.

LP is one disease that can plague this breed. There is also Hip Dysplasia, but the dreaded is Liver Shunt.

The other thing that one needs to ask oneself before obtaining a dog, do you have the committment/tenacity/devotion/patience it takes to train one of these yorkies. If you are missing one of these don't even consider any pup.

[ArmaniMan]

Originally Posted by aanjsmom

first, THANK-YOU to all who replied to my first post..... as I said, I am trying to learn everything BEFORE making a dog decision.....that being said, I have lots of questions , hoping for answers.... ; )
1. A lot of you have spoken on the concerns with small children and yorkies..... I am wondering if having the children first , then getting a puppy is better than having the dog for a few years, then having children. I would hope it makes more sense for training, to accustom children to having a small dog, rather than trying to teach a yorkie to "share" his owner( since the census is that they are VERY protective ) ????? does this make sense?

I would think it is better to have the kids first honestly. This way the puppy grows up with children- I have no children and now my dogs don't really like kids because they were never exposed to them. I know most people say kids and toy breeds don't match. However, I grew up with toy poodles so I don't think that is necessarily true. It is about the parents- my parents taught me and my sister from day 1 how to treat animals, we knew how to handle a small dog. We were taught to bend all the way over and make sure the dogs feet were touching the floor before we let go and not just drop them from waist high, for example. We had neighbors who had a small dog and small child and that poor dog was abused- the mother said many times she would not yell at her child over the way she treated a dog That is where problems come from. My parents taught us respect for all living things and had no trouble yelling at us if they thought we weren't treating the dog right. My (long winded) point is- if the parents teach the children right, small dogs and kids can be fine together.

2. can someone explain the health issues that Yorkies have over other dogs....are they worse? that was mentioned more than once...and was it mentioned for expense purposes, or because I have children and that being a cause for concern??? I wasn't totally sure I understood why that was mentioned ( other than just General knowledge)....I have owned many dogs in my life growing up...all breeds have their own issues....but are Yorkies susceptible to far more etc????

Yorkies do have more health issues then other breeds, I am sure people told you this just as a General Knowledge thing- and maybe for expense purposes- I know my one dogs health issues cost a TON of money- but it is my fault because I got her from a bad breeder. The only way I could see the kids factoring in is if they feed her things she shouldn't have- high fat snacks for example could lead to pancreatitis. I would buy a good treat your pup can have and then tell the kids that is the ONLY thing they are to ever give her.

3. There are 2 breeders here in my province that breed Yorshire Terriers....but I am not sure what the KEY words are that I should be looking for ....or the RED FLAGS that I need to know. could someone clarify to me what is good vs. bad???? thank -you!!!!! : )
looking forward to the responses.......

Its hard to answer this because breeders can talk a great game and then not really be great. But RUN if:

* they say they breed "teacup" yorkies.
*they let the babies leave before 12 weeks old
*they guarantee you the yorkie will be a certain weight.
* they say the mom has been "vet checked" but has had no real health testing.
* they give a 48/ 72 hour health guarantee.

[aanjsmom]

Thank-you, all...... I am glad I can ask these question and get such a prompt and knowledgeable reply. I think before even considering the dog, I was ready for the time, training, expense and patience....otherwise I would not even fathom the idea of a "dog" at all..... but, that being said, I'm sure a lot of people feel that way at the beginning...... I had a PB CKC reg German Shepard, so the hip dysplasia was Co$tly, and training was extensive.. but I believe you are not a good owner without time and training. I actually have a pet peeve( pardon the pun) when people do not extensively train their dog...... my GS was trained into a top dog, and competed...... but I LOVED it.
like I said at the beginning , I am ready to take on the task of dog owner, very lucky that I DO have all the time etc, because of the position I am in to stay home......
that being said, I am still trying to find my "fit" with a dog, and Yorkie was one of the top choices...... I have never had a Yorkie,but have always had a fondness for their breed. I hope to learn much more.....who knows, this in the end may NOT be the "fit" that I was hoping for....but at least I have the pride of knowing I cared enough to take the time first.