[aimee]

First off, GOOD FOR YOU for doing research on different breeds before making a purchase. You are already one step ahead of the game. That said, I find that Yorkies are kind of "needy" - now for me, that is great as I am home almost all the time. For people who need to leave their dogs for that long of a time (10-12 hours) I really wouldn't recommend this breed to them.

Older dogs do sometimes do better with being left alone DEPENDING on their circumstances before you get them. My older girl, Sandy, is very dependant though and does not like to be alone for long periods of time. She regresses with potty training and I'm told this is because of her former life. Our solution is to take her with us whenever possible and if we must leave for a day, a petsitter or friend stays with her. She's not as small as Tia so it is not always feasable to take her with us everywhere.

I would continue to research Yorkies. Are there any other breeds you are interested in? Again, I commend you for being realistic enough to ask these questions before bringing a dog into your home.