Greetings All,
I feel so blessed to have found this forum...and I have so many questions to ask all of you. First Ill start with a bit about myself, my family and why Im here....Please hang in there, I tend to be very long winded and I hope you all got a cup of coffee to keep you awake.....
I started three years ago looking at Yorkie's and decided that my children were not old enough for one of these little guys....they are now 9 and 7. ( let me preface that my children are incredibly respectful of animals....and would never treat any of gods creatures with anything but kindness...but I was worried about "accidents" and decided that I needed to wait) We finally after two years on a waiting list had the honer of bringing a King Charles Cavalier into our home and Maxwell had been a wonderful blessing. Hes a bit over a year now and I always find myself back looking at Yorkies, we will only be adding one more dog to our family....and thats what found me here.
I have several questions and after looking over this message board and several links still find them unanswered...and Im hoping all of you can help. ( Please forgive my spelling errors...I use big words on occasion and dont always know exactly how to spell em )
Im wondering how to find a reputable breeder ( I would never support a puppy mill or the like and actually have my reservations on hobby breeders, Im not interested in showing but from my limited experience with hobby breeders they dont always know how to go about whats best for their dogs....NOT ALL ~ JUST SOME) ....I know there is a link to suggested breeders thanks to My Little Mia website but Im worried about inherent issues with this breed...I know about luxating patellas and have that issue with my Cavalier..hes got a grade 1 in one leg and a 1 1/2 in the other....and I understand they hypo can happen....but what about other medical issues? What are the other problems with this breed? Im wondering if some of you can speak from experience what to look for and what to ask?
Im also wondering How my Cavalier will get along with another dog...and if the breeds are compatible....Max is male, and Im thinking of another male if we decide to bring a yorkie into our home.....Max is very well socialised and loves all people, children and our kitten...actually its his kitten now....hes the little mumma to her. Max is a bit big to travel to my moms easilly and tends to be a bit insecure at her nursing home...I dont travel with him much there as it seems to stress him out. ( Hes much better at the childrens soccer games....there hes got more area to move)
Im worried about house breaking,From all that Ive read tonight and yesterday it can take up to a year ( Heck, with kids Im used to messes so that doenst bother me so...but Id like to start on the right track from the beginning as to keep us all in check) Im also looking at maltese dogs...and yorkie~ Maltese mixes ( How do you all feel about Malts and yorkies mixed...is that bad and why so? ) I just seriously want to be educated on all aspects of both breeds and what will be the best fit for our family.
A little about my family: Im a stay at home Mom, two kids and a husband. We live on a large property in Wisconsin and have lots of time to devote to a small/ higher need dog. My mother suffered a massive stroke in her 50"s and resides in a nursing home and misses her small malt terribly...Im hoping to brighten some of the residents day with a small dog as Im visiting her in the nursing home three times a week ( have been for 6 years) and thinking this may not only help my mother overcome some of her lonelyness~ but a few of the other residents as well....I think they may make~ wonderful visiting dogs...but Im also aware with small dogs they do become insecure being around strangers espressially if being held by a number of people. Im can limit the amount of time but Id also like to bring some joy into some older peoples lives if I can ~ but I also worry ...so this is a concern of mine...I would never want to cause a dog any kind of distress.
Is this the right breed for us? Please ...all thoughts, suggestions and Ideas are welcomed...be honest. This is a life decision for us and Im not going into it lightly....I want the good, bad and ugly. Do you think we would be a fit? Thanks so much in advance...I really looking forward to learning and participating here......