Hello all! My name is Kelly, I'm a stay at home wife and mom to two boys, ages 11 and 9 in Dallas, TX. We have a very old, sweet, lazy well-trained labrador. We used to have a Shih-Tzu mix, and our two pups got along really well.
Anyway, now that my boys are older, I'm missing having a sweet, fluffy lap dog. I've gone around and around with research, and I think maybe a Yorkie mix is the way to go for our family. I like the look of Yorkiepoos and Morkies, and it seems their temperament tends to be a little more balanced - but I could be wrong. I'd love a pup between about 5-10 pounds - or just a little bigger. I want it to be small enough to sit in my lap.
My older son is mildly on the autism spectrum, and LOVES animals - has a special kinship with them - and is very gentle. There is a therapist here who uses dogs for pet assisted therapy, and she's had great success with Yorkiepoos - because of their size and temperament.
I started to research buying from a breeder, but it sounds like that's not a great way to get a healthy dog. But I worry about getting a rescue, because although we definitely have the time/energy to train a pup, I don't think I have it in me to rehabilitate a pup in this season.
It seems like often pups are fostered, so their temperament can be assessed - so I guess that's what I might be looking for. I'd be happy with a full bred Yorkie, Yorkiepoo (my favorite) or Morkie - but I really would like a relatively mellow snuggler. I know there are no guarantees, but it does seem like there's a fairly large variation in temperaments, with some being more alpha/bossy/aggressive and some being more mellow and sweet.
I'm also not against having a little older dog - if it was potty trained. Maybe not older than about 2, because we want a long life with the pup.
I know I'm asking a lot, but we'd be a great home for a sweet pup. I'm home a lot, and my husband actually works from home, we live across the street from a park, and having a sweet snuggly, fun dog would be a great addition for all 4 of us.
If you know of a pup like this, would you let me know? We will be in Durango, Colorado for a month this summer (mid July-mid August) so ideally we'd bring a new pup home in mid August, but we could bring the pup with us to Colorado, too, if the right pup came along. We'll be staying in my parents' home there.
Thanks for your help!
Kelly