I need help w/boyfriend letting me get a yorkie!!!

[Mobious15]

I have had several types of dog breeds growing up but I have always wanted a yorkie! They seem adorable and I want a cuddle buddy as my boyfriend (who I have just become engaged to) works nights. I really am uneducated as of how yorkies are as pets and so is my boyfriend as he has always had large dogs and we currently have Brandy, a female german shepherd.

I need help on what I can say to my boyfriend to convince him to let me get a yorkie! His mom has Rocky, a 5 year old male yorkie, who my boyfriend claims has a very hard time not going to the bathroom in the house and is much more difficult to train and properly take care of then say Brandy, his german shepherd (I will admit that he has trained Brandy so well and she is so smart that she seems more like a human than a dog!).

How difficult is it to potty train a yorkie and what is a good amount of time that needs to be spent with a yorkie each day to give a proper amount of love and attention?

[intilis]

Hi, and welcome to YT. The members here are great & can offer you lots of help & advice if you do get a yorkie.

I can tell you that your boyfriend is right, yorkies have tiny bladders and are generally much harder to house train than larger dogs. Its also important to understand that they are very attached to their people, so it's not fair to leave them home alone for hours on end. I would NEVER leave a young pup home alone for more than a few hours because I would worry about their blood sugar levels. When they are adults, leaving them for awhile is not such worry.

Having said all of that, I would never be without a yorkie (or 4 lol). They are happy, loving dogs.

I rescued my first yorkies 25 years ago because no breeder would sell a puppy to me since I had very young children at the time. I adoped a pair of larger yorkies from the pound, and taught my boys to be very careful with them. Since then, I've always had rescue yorkies. I definately think they require more care and attention that most larger dogs, but they are well worth the extra effort!

If you do get a yorkie, spend as much time here as you can. you will get tons of help & support! Good luck in your decision! Lori

[Marhcarter]

Welcome to YT. Having had a lab rescue-who potty trained himself in less than 1 day- and a yorkie, I will say that the yorkie is absolutely, positively a nightmare to potty train. I will also never be without a yorkie ever again. They are the most loving, fun, entertaining dogs on the planet. There is never a dull moment, as Huey is always doing something that cracks us up. If you work days and your bf works nights, IMO that is the perfect situation. I am nights, dh is days and Huey only has 2 or 3 hours of alone time 4 or 5 days a week. Yorkies do not like to be without their humans for very long. That is why they are called velcro dogs. A yorkie will follow you to the bathroom, laundry room, kitchen, wherever you go. You will find that you don't want to take a vacation unless it is a dog friendly spot. You can't wait to get home from work because you know that bundle of love is anxiously waiting for you, knows what time you are supposed to be home, and gets tore up if you are late! A yorkie is a long term commitment, as they can live 15 to 18 years, and they can have expensive health issues. Weigh the pros and cons, and if you decide to get one, welcome to the wonderful world of yorkies!
This forum has tons of great information that can help you make that decision, so check out the different areas and absorb the knowledge!

[Mobious15]

Thank you for your advise and help!! I am already shopping for breeders, if I don't rescue a yorkie first. I must admit I am very excited at the thought of having a yorkie and the companionship. I try to not be a jealous person but it does get to me in a way (and sometimes it makes me feel a bit lonely) how Brandy, my BF's german shepherd, only listens to him and she seems like a yorkie herself in the aspect that she literally will follow him to and from the bathroom and wants and tries to go where ever he goes lol! The main issue I am worried about is if getting a yorkie would cause us to argue or come with too much added stress in the beginning. My boyfriend is not much of a small dog person, unlike me, and would probably joke/tease me about how great and smart Brandy is compared to my new baby (which I would not take lightly bc I am already in love with which ever yorkie I adopt or pick out in the near future and see them as my own child). I know every yorkie is different but what can I expect on how long it would probably take to potty train? I would love for my yorkie to be able to do tricks like Brandy and would these be possible?: My bf can look at Brandy (no matter where we are in the house) and say "go to bed" and she'll go upstairs and jump up on the bed. Or if we are outside he'll say "Brandy, go potty" and she'll go potty within seconds after given the command. Like I said earlier, I don't have any experience with yorkies so I do not know but are these things I could possibly teach to my new yorkie??

[Maximo]

Welcome to Yorkie Talk. These are the things I would consider in making your decision:

1) You already mentioned potty training. There are a number of people here who had an easy time with it and the dogs are 100% reliable, but I would say that the majority of people have problems.

2) Potential health care costs: possible liver shunts, broken legs, pancreatitis. Each of these can cost a $1,500 to $3,000 or more. Cost of routine vet care is substantial. Small dogs also tend to need more dental care.

3) What are your living arrangements -- house or apartment -- and how will things work with a large German Shepherd and a small Yorkie? Training that combination of dogs is not for everyone. It's beyond my capabilities and comfort level.

4) While Yorkies can be cuddle bugs, most need lots of exercise and activity. Will this fit into your schedule?

5) Do you like to travel and/or bring Brandy along? Traveling with 2 dogs is much more work than 1. Same with making arrangements for care if you leave them at home.

Wishing you the best in making your decision.

[Verbena]

Hello and Welcome to YT. "Yorkies For Dummies" is the first one I recommend. ."Yorkshire Terriers: A Smart Owners Guide" is the second book. These are excellent resource books .Another book "How to Housebreak Your Dog in 7 Days" Is very helpful. They are not as easy to housebreak.

[MyDearSam]

Well, my first thought is to get a new boyfriend, lol. I'm sorry, I'm just don't believe in a woman having to ask her partner's permission. He's your mate, not your dad!

Anyhoo, that aside. You definitely need to have a heart to heart with him about what you want. It does make it much easier if you're both on the same page.

Research everything you can about Yorkies while you are searching for your perfect pup. Start putting money back NOW. You can plan to spend around $1500 in the first year, and that's on top of the cost of your pup. Vet visits, vaccinations, insurance, food, grooming, spay/neuter; and these are just costs you can budget for. Illness or injury is another story altogether. And then there's the supplies - harnesses, leashes, bed, crate and or ex pen, and on and on.

What others have said is spot on. Consider your lifestyle and how well a tiny pup will fit in. Can you and are you willing to make concessions for a little one? Are you ready for a 15-20 year commitment?

Good luck with the BF!

[Donnainohio63]

My husband did not want a little dog either but needless to say, he is my husband, not my Daddy. We now have 4 little dogs, Scooter-Yorkie-poo, Sadie-100 percent pure silky, with the attitude and all, Thor-Yorkie-poo and Little Bit-Yorkie-Poo. Scooter, Sadie and Thor are all 100 percent housebroken, Little Bit still has accidents and he is two, Thor is his brother, same litter but Thor is also a lot bigger. Hubby would kill anyone who tried to mess with his babies, as he calls them. Most people think they dont like little dogs but once they get one, that all changes. Good luck

[spiritwings1202]

welcome to YT.... I have to say I too will never be without a yorkie but they are hard house break. Daisy was completely house broken in 3 wks!
Pixie..............well she is almost 4 and she still has poop accidents every now and then. That is not too bad considering all that she gives in return with her love loyalty and laughter to me

[jessica30]

My fiancé wasn't keen on us getting a dog when I first suggested it, I grew up with a yorkie as a family pet and always wanted to have my own (they are fab dogs). I eventually convinced my partner to go and look at a puppy(after finding the right breeder) and what I thought would happen did.....as soon as he saw the puppy he was hooked! And that puppy turned into our Riley he loves Riley as much as me and he even says getting Riley was the best decision we made! We're both 30 and don't have any children as of yet (careers came first)and it was the right time to get a dog. We both work and Riley is normally on his own about four - five hours a day during the week, he is fine with this length of time. I miss him so much when I'm at work so when I get home he is showered with love from me and my partner! H has become our baby
I would definitely recommend a yorkie as a dog

[jessica30]

Ps I managed to teach Riley to go on his pee pads pretty quick (luckily), he is nearly seven months and doesn't have any accidents. They are also brilliant to teach tricks! Riley picks them up straight away!

[lovespandp]

If this isn’t de ja vu all over again. LOL I was pretty much in your situation. I wanted a Yorkie, boyfriend ( now husband) did not. Like your BF Tom had a big breed (Massif) for 5 years or so before we got together- he never had a small dog- he did have cats but they were outside inside.

So what did I do?? I went and got that Yorkie I always wanted!! At first he told me he was going to sell him and where were the papers- blah blah- I just said “ I don’t know I can’t find them… At the time I was working 12/14 hours days and Tom ( Husband) was working 12 hours days as well, but he left way earlier than me so he got home early.. before me- I think spending those evenings alone with Peanut really did him in.

It took about… hmmm maybe like 3 weeks for Tom to get attached.

We both worked full time plus and Peanut did fine alone. You can very well work a full time job and still take care of your puppy- I did and it worked great for me.

You are the only one that knows your BF. I knew Tom well enough that once I brought that sweet Yorkie face home he would get attached- and so he did.

Peanut is 5 now, will be 6 May. He still has accidents. Not as bad as he use to LOL, but given I have his doggy door open and pee pads around the house… They are hard to train, but they are so worth it!! I would give anything for my baby- he has made me so happy. Once of the reasons I wanted him was because Tom use to ride his street bike a lot.. Like every weekend almost- so Peanut was my little buddy. To this day he is my buddy. We go shopping together, I take him down to visit my Mom, we lay in bed and lounge all day, Tom also works a lot of hours still and Peanut is always there to keep me company.

I say if you know your Bf will be forgiving and accept a Yorkie then you must have one!!

[lovespandp]

Originally Posted by jessica30

Ps I managed to teach Riley to go on his pee pads pretty quick (luckily), he is nearly seven months and doesn't have any accidents. They are also brilliant to teach tricks! Riley picks them up straight away!

YES!! Peanut learns quick too!! He also LOVES to sit there and have me teach him things. He really gets excited when we have our little “trick training time”.

[jessica30]

Originally Posted by lovespandp

YES!! Peanut learns quick too!! He also LOVES to sit there and have me teach him things. He really gets excited when we have our little “trick training time”.

Riley is exactly the same! His tail goes wild when he knows its "trick time". They are such cleaver little dogs

[lovespandp]

Originally Posted by jessica30

Riley is exactly the same! His tail goes wild when he knows its "trick time". They are such cleaver little dogs

Yes they are..