Have you become more protective or less?

[alaskayorkie]

Has experience made you a more protective Yorkie owner or a less protective one? Do you find yourself learning new risks and taking precautions to prevent them? Or are you easing back after seeing that these little dogs are pretty durable?

I ask because I'm unquestionable a more protective Yorkie owner than I used to be. I realized that today when a loose dog was walking about 200 yards away when we were in the far corner of the park walking unleashed. I didn't even wait to see the dog's intentions, I gathered up mine and leashed them and was fully prepared to pick them up.

In earlier times, I might have ignored the other dog, and even let it approach.

The examples go on and on. The more I've learned how delicate they are, the more steps I've taken to protect them. Fortunately, I don't think I've gone overboard yet.

[MauiGirl]

I am so much more protective with my Yorkie and Morkies than I ever was with my mini Schnauzers. They mean the world to me and I adjust my life and behavior around keeping them safe.

I have always been alert and defensive with the possible presence of other dogs, but more so when my lil pups are with me. I'm also more dedicated to protecting them against toads and other poisonous plants and things.

[alaskayorkie]

You didn't vote!

[dalady25]

To begin with, when I first adopted him, my little guy definitely needed more socialization, so when we walked in my quiet neighborhood (always on a leash) & other dogs approached (which was a rare occurrence) I would let him socialize with them. But, now that we have had two very scary incidents with other dogs, I pick him up whenever I see another dog approaching. I also used to let him stay on my back deck whenever I would be working out in my back yard but we live only a few miles from a national forest & since I have seen a hawk on my back fence a couple of times & found out on Yorkietalk about hawks attacking small animals, I no longer do that. My baby is very precious to me & I will never do anything that I feel might put him in any kind of danger.

[matese]

I have always been very protective and watchful over my pups, more so now as other pet owners have become very careless with theirs. I now have to carry some means of protection just to walk my pup, or pick him up if I see a unleashed dog and no owner. I now live in a heavily wooded area, have black bears, coyotes, bob cats just to name a few, frogs / toads none of which are Poisonous, but can choke a dog to death if swallowed. My pups were / are never left unattended when in the back yard. I have become more aware and more protective over the last several years.

[alaskayorkie]

I'm seeing the same kind of sentiment that I share. Our dogs are just so important to us, and the longer we own them the more important they become. Sad that we have to be so paranoid, but I love seeing the special bond we have with our dogs.

[Marhcarter]

The more I learn and the more sad stories I read, the more protective I have become.

[Maximo]

I was born 'overboard' protective, so not much change here.

After several scary encounters with loose dogs, I would say that I am more on edge. Our local paper had an article this week about a Chihuahua who was out for a walk in his neighborhood, on leash, and was killed instantly by a loose dog.

I drive the boys to an office park to walk daily. My sense of security there has been undermined recently by a couple of loose dogs. One was a very large Boxer mix running off leash with his owner riding a bike behind him. The other was a huge dog whom we have encountered twice running from a restaurant patio.

[Britster]

I actually have probably gone more protective in certain ways. I think as far as the YT boards go, I'm probably one of the more laid back owners. But, I think I was TOO lenient when I first got him in certain ways, or maybe just naive. Through the years, I've seen the majorly stupid side of dog owners more and more, and have become more cautious about others. I used to let him meet nearly every dog on-leash that he wanted to, go to the big side dog park all the time, etc... There's been a few instances that made me nervous and I can't believe I used to let him in the big dog side of the park with almost no worry. Live and learn. I do let him around big dogs that I KNOW. I actually don't even do the dog park much anymore because Jackson doesn't seem too keen on playing with a bunch of dogs he doesn't know anymore. Even though he loved it as a youngster. But I'm definitely laid back in other regards, some things that some a lot of YT'ers may not like, but I'm confident in my dog ownership skills and always keep Jackson's best interests in mind. Ha, so yeah I guess I'm somewhere in between. Not sure where to vote. I'm probably less protective in some things and more protective in others.

[jadabug]

I have been way overprotective since day one. I will always be that way. I can't help it. These babies are so small and it only takes a second for a tragedy to happen

[BabyGirl Rosie]

Way more protective now! I was always protective of mine but since I have learned so much more about the breed I know I am way way way more protective now.

[katy-yorkie]

I am a lot more protective. A couple of nights ago we were walking around the lake, Buster was walking, Maggie was in the stroller, there was a young couple fishing with their big boxer type dog staked to the ground. When the dog saw Buster he broke out of his stake and was on us before I could move. I'm glad Maggie was in the stroller...I was trying to block the big dog but Buster was not being still, the young man finally made it over to get his dog. But by this time I was screaming like a girl, scaring Buster and Maggie, attracting attention. I usually pick them up when we approach a big dog or a loose dog but I thought we would be able to safely walk past this one.

[MikaTallulah]

I am not super protective of them. Heck I took my smallest on to Dog Camp last year for Labor Day weekend. It was mostly Golden retrievers- Close to 100 total dogs I think. She loved it. She told the golden pups off- All bigger than her and kept right on playing!! She even participated in Kids vs. Dog Baseball

[alaskayorkie]

Originally Posted by MikaTallulah

I am not super protective of them. Heck I took my smallest on to Dog Camp last year for Labor Day weekend. It was mostly Golden retrievers- Close to 100 total dogs I think. She loved it. She told the golden pups off- All bigger than her and kept right on playing!! She even participated in Kids vs. Dog Baseball

I LOVE to see Yorkies who can play like big dogs! That camp looks like so much fun.

[MissKellee]

I am so much more protective Molly than I am with my other dog Aja.. Molly mean the world to me. I would be devastated if anything happen to her.