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Originally Posted by Suzetteb523  I love the yorkie breed, from what I have researched so far, but have never had one and do not know of anyone that has one to actually be around them to really know their personalities. A friend of mine just told me that I need to rethink my decision on purchasing a yorkie (she really means well). She said they bark incessantly. Need more attention than the average dog and if left alone (for example when I have to go to work) can become insecure and skittish (although I do work for a dog-friendly company  ). She also said they are not good apartment dogs. I have a pretty large (larger than most) two bedroom apartment with a back yard, part grass-part concrete, with a tall fence around it. I want to hear thoughts from all of you because I know you know this breed! Thank you for your help! |
Everybody is going to kill me, but I agree with your friend. This isn't to say, you can't train them to be non-yappers, but most Yorkies need much more help with the no barking command than other breeds. They do make great watch dogs, and are very protective of you and their environment. Concerning apartments, I don't think the size of the apartment matters as much as the noise factor, and how thin the walls are. You have to be prepared to do consistent training. My house is very close to the neighbor's house and Joey still barks when he hears the neighbor banging his trash can, so they will be inclined to bark at noises they hear. I do think Yorkies need more attention than the average dog, they seem to be much more people oriented than any other breed I've owned, and I don't think it's fair to leave them home alone all day, although many people do it. If your job is pet friendly, and you could take him that would be great, many people do this, or buy another dog as a pet for their Yorkie!
House training is probably the biggest problem, Yorkies seem to have much more problems with this then other breeds, and here too, you can train, but you need more patience. I read many "frustration/rehoming" threads, and I think too many people think that Yorkies will be easy, at 3 years old, Joey's easy, but the first couple of years took lots of training. Best of luck with your decision, at least you are not going into it with blinders on.