[Britster]

I've found that Yorkies tend to gravitate towards one person... I wouldn't really call them 'family dogs' if you know what I mean.

I have a big Yorkie who is 16lbs and he's great with my young siblings (3 and 7) and most kiddies who are respectful of him. He's not "yappy" but he definitely is an alert barker! What I mean, he does not bark when we are on walks, or in pet stores, or even walking past a fence of barking dogs does not phase him. But if someone comes in the door, he will definitely alert you! If he hears a noise that is not normal, same thing.

He's a terrier and very active... he needs quite a bit of exercise to be content and is pretty needy. We generally do 2-3 mile walks per day along with dog park visits a few times a week, swimming, and other activities we find. But he is able to chill around the house for a day if necessary (rainy day, etc).

Have you looked into Havanese, Bichon Frise, Coton De Tulear's? They all tend to be super friendly, laid back, good with kids and dogs, etc. All non-shedding.