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01-26-2016, 07:14 PM | #1 |
YorkieTalk Newbie! Join Date: Jan 2016 Location: Boston, MA, USA
Posts: 8
| Is my lifestyle compatible with the demands of a Yorkie? Hey everyone! Thank you for taking the time to read this. 11 months from now, I will be graduating from college. I will have 7 months off to do whatever I want then. 18 months from now, I will be starting a grad program that will let me do a fair bit of studying from home, and will require me to be away from home for a maximum of 6-8 hrs/day for 5 days. It could very well be that I am at home 5 out of the 7 days in a week, but I want to give the absolute worst case scenario of being out 8 hrs/day for 5 days a week. On days where I had 8 hr days, I would come back for 20 mins mid-day and take him out for a walk. At home, he would be in an ex-pen. I am considering adopting a friend, and well, Yorkies, Morkies, and everything Yorkie-related has captured my heart. I love their velcro-dog character. I love their intelligence and obedience. No matter what, I walk or run at least two miles a day, so I know I will be able to deliver on the Yorkie's exercise needs. I will also likely be getting a generous stipend that will let me provide for it financially. The question is on emotional satisfaction- will a Yorkie's needs be satisfied with the above schedule, or should I keep looking for a different breed? I was thinking of adopting a Yorkie in December/January, once I graduate from college, and then training it until August, when I begin my grad program. I'd appreciate your opinion! P.S.- I fully understand the commitment I'm signing on for by adopting a dog as a student; I know that it is a 15 (hopefully more) year commitment, and I understand the freedoms that it may restrict (such as social events). However, I am not considering those to be sacrifices as I enjoy being around dogs and I believe the companionship would more than compensate for the time cut elsewhere. |
Welcome Guest! | |
01-27-2016, 03:31 AM | #2 |
Furbutts = LOVE Donating Member Moderator | Hi and welcome ! Love the user name . I think you've put a lot of thought into this and that you understand what the needs will be. Even though you'll be away up to 8 hrs a day, I think your little one would be okay based upon you coming home mid-day and the fact it will get really good daily outings w/ you via walking or running.
__________________ ~ A friend told me I was delusional. I nearly fell off my unicorn. ~ °¨¨¨°ºOº°¨¨¨° Ann | Pfeiffer | Marcel Verdel Purcell | Wylie | Artie °¨¨¨°ºOº°¨¨¨° |
01-27-2016, 04:26 AM | #3 |
YT 2000 Club Member Join Date: Sep 2014 Location: Lake Geneva, WI
Posts: 2,776
| As you well know, each dog is unique...You might want to research how Yorkies change, etc., as they grow because it will help you to determine if you want a puppy or a more mature dog. That's about all I got! Congratulations on your upcoming graduation and I wish you thee very best in all of your endeavors---be they scholastic or/or canine! |
01-27-2016, 06:44 AM | #4 |
YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Aug 2015 Location: New Yok, NY
Posts: 723
| I had the same feelings as you when I adopted my two yorkies. I wondered if I could give them all the love and attention they needed as I work 5 days a week and with commute away from the home upto 11 hours a day. I hired a dog walker to come in the afternoon and let them out for 30 minutes. It has worked out great. You will have to make some sacrifices but in my opinion it is all worth it. My dogs can even stay in the kitchen all day without a dog walker but I want them to have some more human interaction and exercise. Just do what you feel is right. |
01-27-2016, 07:41 AM | #5 |
YT 2000 Club Donating Member | Kudos to you for doing a lot of pre thought on this. Your schedule seems very very amenable for your potential dog. I like that you if you get a puppy have 7mths at home to train and rear your little one. With that generous stipend at grad level make sure to purchase health pet insurance. One that covers in particular genetic diseases. Start slowly on the exercise program for your Yorkie. Roughly speaking 5 minutes per day per 4wks of life. Non slip surfaces no jumping. By the time your guy is a year old he should be able to keep up to a mile jog - depending on how fast you jog. I will say though a larger dog is probably better if you plan on inviting your friend daily in a long run or jog. My experience with an in shape adult healthy Yorkie - I hike and not jog is that my Yorkie can easily do a 4-6 hr hike dependent upon the difficulty of the terrain.
__________________ Razzle and Dara. Our clan. RIP Karma Dec 24th 2004-July 14 2013 RIP Zoey Jun9 th 2008-May 12 2012. RIP Magic,Mar 26 2006July 1st 2018 |
01-27-2016, 07:53 AM | #6 | |
Donating YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Northern VA
Posts: 3,192
| Quote:
The only thing I have to add to this is, have you considered adopting a 1+ year old instead of a puppy? They'd be grown into their personality and you'd be able to better assess what his/her needs would be. I have two and both personalities are SO DIFFERENT! One is a valcro as you mentioned, the other is bit more independent. One gets tuckered out after few rounds of fetch while the other needs ALOT more activity. Either way, I think you'd make a good fur parent. You certainly put a lot more thought/research into this than most do. Congrats on your graduation and good luck on your search! | |
01-27-2016, 08:51 AM | #7 |
YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: GA, USA
Posts: 693
| I would recommend a slightly older dog than a puppy/baby. I was lucky i had family that can keep her company and watch her along with other older dogs to socialize her. But if you're on your own like that, I agree with Magnus, a 1+yr furbaby would be better as they are more settled and out of that stage where that cannot be alone for long. Yorkie puppies are alot of work and require lots of attention. For one thing Hypoglycemia is something that you have to watch for and also them really getting into things and tearing them up (or eating them).
__________________ R.I.P. Mick & Mandy (before 2010), Mila - 4/3/15, Chloe - 2/18/16, Kimchi - 6/2/2021 |
01-27-2016, 09:20 AM | #8 |
Donating YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Delaware
Posts: 2,663
| I would say your schedule is reasonable as many people who have yorkies work full time myself included. I also adopted an older yorkie so that may it a little easier as I didn't have to worry about all the things that come with a puppy. Your setup is actually identical to mine. I worked 40 hours a week but I am allowed to work from home at least one day a week. I walk my little one at least two miles a day (she actually could outwalk me....I'm the one who gets tired ) I have pets my whole life and they were just fine when being out the house for 8 hours a day. I think it is people who have extremely busy lives where i wouldn't recommend it. For example my current yorkie came from a household that loved her very much. She was extremely well taken care of but the owner was working fulltime, in school part time and had a 1 yr old child. She would leave for work at 7 in the morning and wouldn't get home until 10 at night. So in the best interest of Duchess, she gave her to me because she knew Duchess needed more attention. She actually changed her mind as she was looking for a way to keep her. Now Duchess is in a household where she probably get's too much attention. I think she hides from me just so I can't play kissy face with her |
01-27-2016, 09:31 AM | #9 |
YorkieTalk Newbie! Join Date: Jan 2016 Location: Boston, MA, USA
Posts: 8
| Thank you for the input everyone. It is reassuring. Looks like I will proceed with Yorkies! I actually prefer a 1+ yr old dog as well. The question is- where do I get one? I looked on PetFinder and found many I liked, but I'm a little hesitant because I do not know their lineages/if they are destined for significant medical problems (I do plan to get my dog on pet health insurance, but it can be emotionally upsetting to see a dog go through so much pain, and I'd rather pay a little more and get one that has a strong constitution). Should I look for a breeder who is retiring an older dog? Aren't most of these 6-7 yrs of age though? I'd prefer a dog around 1-3 yrs of age. |
01-27-2016, 09:36 AM | #10 |
YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: SoCA
Posts: 1,895
| There are so many people on this forum that work and have yorkies but for me I did not get a pup until my schedule allowed me to be home most days. I did not think it was fair to the pup to leave it for long hours 5 days a week in a pen or enclosed area - just my opinion. My need for a pet that required less attention was fulfilled by a cat. They are loving (on their terms) and don't care if you are gone all day. Lol.
__________________ RIP my darling little Gina |
01-27-2016, 09:38 AM | #11 |
YorkieTalk Newbie! Join Date: Jan 2016 Location: Boston, MA, USA
Posts: 8
| Thank you everyone. I think I will proceed with Yorkies. I am interested in adopting a 1-3 yr old dog. Puppy is not a "must." Any recommendations for where to get one from? -I looked at Petfinder, and I liked many, but I'm worried that their health backgrounds may not be good (i.e. they're from puppy mills). While I will have my dog on health insurance, I do not want it to go through several emotionally taxing medical episodes. -Breeders generally retire their breeding dogs around age 6-7, and that's a little too old for me. Last edited by Pragmatist; 01-27-2016 at 09:40 AM. |
01-27-2016, 09:45 AM | #12 |
♥ Maximo and Teddy Donating Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Northern Virginia
Posts: 25,041
| Welcome to Yorkie Talk. Always nice to hear when a person carefully considers bringing a pet into her/his life, and the breed. I researched and was still surprised by how challenging a Yorkie puppy can be. Max was 13 weeks when he came home with us and he was like having a highly mobile toddler for about a year. Cost: glad you are thinking about this. In addition to basic vet care, be prepared for potentially large unforeseen vet bills. Even if everything goes right, dental cleanings are a big expense that almost all Yorkies require. Best wishes in making your decision.
__________________ Kristin, Max and Teddy |
01-27-2016, 12:19 PM | #13 | |
Donating YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Delaware
Posts: 2,663
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01-27-2016, 12:37 PM | #14 | |
Donating YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Delaware
Posts: 2,663
| Quote:
Also I was able to get pet insurance for Duchess even though she was 2.5 years old when I got her. Fortunately for me she doesn't have any pre-existing conditions. Don't overlook the older pups as well. I adopted a 7 year old yorkie who turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to me. She was the one who taught me how to be more compassionate and empathetic. Adopting her was the best decision I ever made. She passed away at 13 years old. However Brandi did have special needs as she was used for breeding and was horribly neglected. I still miss her so much. Try not to let age be the deciding factor. There are so many older pups who need just as much love as the younger ones. No matter the age, all of these babies will be emotionally taxing. Hell, if they don't poop for two days we get emotional and worry about them. I don't think you can avoid the emotional stuff no matter what age you get them. | |
01-27-2016, 01:16 PM | #15 |
Donating YT Addict Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: SW USA
Posts: 2,505
| Yorkie? Welcome to YT. Great to see someone research having a pup so well as you are doing. I think that you would be a wonderful mom and that you would see to it that your pup was well loved and taken care of. I agree that an older dog would be easier for you and also you would be better able to see the personality in an older pup. Apart from rescues, sometimes breeders keep pups back for breeding or show etc and then decide not to do so. If the breeder decides to rehome these dogs they are a good buy as you would know the history of the line and hopefully get a healthy dog. The extra you may pay over a rescue is well worth it to know you will probably not have to deal with often expensive health issues in the future. Insurance purchase however is still a great idea as health issues can develop in the most well bred dog, and they can have illnesses and accidents! If you seriously want a dog, it may be worth putting a request here on YT and contacting good breeders to be put on a wait list for a suitable pet. Good luck and please let us know when you get your furbaby. |
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