Should I get a yorkie or not?
 

I wanted to post this question on this forum because I am considering getting a yorkie but I am not 100% sure. The part that I am unsure about is whether a yorkie will fit my current lifestyle. I understand that this breed is dependent on a person which is why I’m hesitant on getting one. I work about 8 hours a day and like to go running after work..which takes about 1.5 hours (of course I would go home at lunch and after work to let the yorkie out…). But I wanted to see what the opinions are of other yorkie owner’s. Do you think that if I got a yorkie she or he would live a lonely existence? Do yorkies handle alone time pretty well? I have babysat a yorkie and that is how I came to love the breed, however the yorkie that I watched was very attached to me and it was tough to leave her at home alone. This is why am concerned bout getting a yorkie of my own. What do you guys think?

I work 8 hours also. I leave my little boy at home in a playpen. i go home at lunch to feed him and let him out and play for an hour. I've found that mine adjusted to my schedule just fine. But i'm thinking you might want to get a slightly larger breed that could handle going running with you. i don't think a yorkie would be very good to go on a run with. But i think as long as you are able to feed them three times a day, you should get on fine. they adjust to your schedule. Mine was the alpha male of his litter which might help with his ability to not be so needie. i'm not sure about that though being that he is my first.

While Im no expert here, but the stuff I have read on yorkies is that they need alot of attention. :aimeeyork I think that would be too much time alone ,especially in the "new" adjustment time. (JMO) My Shadow doesn't like being left at all.

You should get *two* yorkies. That way, they will have a friend to play with at all times, and won't be as lonely when you're gone.

Jennifer - who is out the door this minute, to look at a potential 2nd Yorkie :D

It's great that you're asking the right questions before getting a dog! Yorkies (and other toy breed dogs) can go through something called "seperation anxiety" which can happen if they're left home alone too often for long periods of time. When I first got my Maltese, Codie, he suffered from seperation anxiety. So I got him a friend - my little Yorkie, Katie. Now he's completely ok and they're the best of friends. So you may want to consider getting 2 dogs. Some people work long hours and have 1 Yorkie and it works out fine for them. But in my case, I needed to have 2 dogs because of the seperation anxiety. And 2 dogs isn't a problem at all ... just more to love!

The only other thing I'd be concerned about it your Yorkie's health. Many times these little dogs suffer from hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) and they can fall into a coma and die if not treated immediately. They should be given NUTRICAL 2 or 3 times a day - Nutrical is a vitamin supplement and it helps prevent hypoglycemia. I use to work part-time, so I was able to be home in the afternoon w/ my dogs. But now I am working full-time (9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.) and I worry a lot about my dogs. Either I drop my dog's off at my mom's house in the morning, of my husband, Jim, takes them to work with him. If these 2 options are not possible, I'll have my cousin, Robert, come over for an hour or so to check up on them and play with them. It's a tight schedule but I'm always worried about my dogs, especially my little one, Katie, who is only 2.6 lbs, having a hypoglycemia attack.

Sorry this post is sooo long but there are a lot of things to consider. If you have any more questions, please feel free to PM me. There are a lot of breeders on this website who are more experience and may have better advice to offer too. Good luck with your decision!! Yorkies are a blessing to own! :D

Before I herniated my back and my Yorkie devloped Addissons, we used to run together every day. Now, I am NOT a "runner" -certainly not becoming a track star in my next life, but did enjoy traill running and he did enjoy bunny hunting at the same time. He's a bigger yorkie - 8 pounds and leggy and as you can tell from my bunny hunting story - very "drivey" - sort of a Jack Russl in yorkie clothing (mind you, I don't recommend JRTs to people who live in small spaces and who cannot give them the exercise they crave. But if you are an active person without small children, they ARE a great breed too!). My other Yorkie is a total princess and wont even gait around a ring if the temperature is high and the grass is long. She's also smaller, finer boned and all around more "delicate." So, you could find a nice running partner in a Yorkie but you'll need to pick your dog carefully, keeping in mind what you need. I'd favor bigger Yorkies who are playful and active.

One more idea would be to look into doggie day care. I see that you live in Texas so I don't know what they offer but here in NY, there is doggie day care. Or you can even look into hiring a dog walker.

oh..
i would not take my yorkie to run with me.. i know they can't not handle vigorous exercise like that...but i did mention it..cause that would be more time left alone..

Yorkies are great, I love my little guy. I am not working this summer so am home with him or I can take him wherever with me, but come September, I will be back at work and Chewy will be at home in his pen with animal planet on!!!

Many people here leave their yorkies at home during the day and they do fine. As long as they have some food and water and the TV or radio on, I think you will be OK. Just shower the pup with attention when you get home ;)

I leave animal planet on too! lol

If you are not 100% sure, it would be prudent to wait until you see that you can devote the amount of time required to these demanding little bundles of love. The working 8 hours shouldn't be an issue, they sleep a lot of the time. Yorkies are very demanding high maintenance dogs. To those who love them, they are worth every sleepless night, sacrificed social engagement, chewed up piece of furniture, and emergency trip to the vet. In return, those of us who are owned by Yorkies are rewarded with more laughter and love than we could ever imagine.

You can read here countless stories of undying love, laughter, heartbreak sleepless nights..... These stories are all typical of having a Yorkie in your home. If you go YEEK!!!! I would kill the little booger if he _________ (fill in the blank) then a Yorkie might not be for you.

i have not yet considered getting 2 yorkie...but will now...
hahaha

My Yorkie has almost never been compltley alone. I have a bigger dog, Cailee, who guards her and keeps her company all day long. The only time she's ever been alone is when she got spayed, she stayed overnight, but that's it. Hehe. Definatley think about two dogs, but not at the same time.

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i was undecided also when before i got my puppy too... all worked out though. she is home during the day for about 8 hrs.. she does fine.
when i come home, she attacks me... you just have to give them all the attention you can .. leave them water alittle music... they are great little babies and i wouldnt trade her for the world.

One of the questions I would have is how old was the Yorkie you babysat? I sat for one once too. She was about 6 years old and nice and calm and sweet as all get out. You have to remember that a new puppy will not be ANYTHING like that. They usually don't calm down very much for the first year and then some. I think you are responsible to come on here and ask the question you did; I commend that. I would read up on the breed, see what they are prone to, some general characteristics, and balance that info. out with your schedule (do you like to go out on weekends or weekday nights, do you go on vacation, and such). In regard to reading up on the breed, some real hands-on info. will come from reading through the posts on the Forum. Good luck with whatever you decide! :)

The yorkie that i babysat was about 1.5 years old. She was very playful but at the same time could calm down and just hang out.
I am trying to learn more about this breed before I make this commitment....which is how i found this fourm. and I am glad that I did..

If i did decide to get a yorkie (2 at this point would be too much for me to handle) would it be advised to take a week of vacation during their adjustment period? would that be enough?

also how do you potty train them when you work 8 hours a day and they need to potty every 2 hours as a puppy...do piddle pad work better or litter training?

I would definitely look at getting 2 dogs of whatever breed you end up getting (if at all) I know some people do work long full time hours and still have a dog, but in my opinion 8 hours is WAY too long to leave any breed of dog on its own, it must be boring and lonely if a sole dog is left for that long on their own even if you pop back at lunchtime. No offence to people that have to do it, and if you have a dog that has adapted to it then great, but what dog would choose to be on their own for that long....
good luck with whatever you decide :)

Simon is alone for about 7 hours a day while I work, he's older so nothing like leaving a tiny puppy would be. I think the main reason he is ok with it is that I leave tv on for him and that he has a big sister to play with and keep that empty head of his out of trouble lol.

It's commendable to be looking into the breed before spontaneously getting a yorkie.

Jeni

I commend you for getting opinions, but IMO nine and a half hours a day is too much time away from home to leave even two dogs, especially Yorkies. They are such a social breed. Have you thought about getting a cat or something that is more independent and doesnt need so much social interaction?

If you ever find a yorkie pup that can go two hours, please let me know! ;)

I would discourage anyone from getting a yorkie and leaving it alone for that many hours a day. Consider the time you go to bed. How many hours a day does that leave you to spend with it? Not many! :(

I'm a college student and Toffee's daddy has to work all day, so Toffee has to be by himself at home for 5-7 hours a day. He's fine with it, when I get home he's a big bundle of energy but that's fine if you can just take him out for a walk around the block. They tire out pretty easily from walks since they're so little and have to run to keep up with you. I think getting a Yorkie is definitely worth it, and I don't think he'll give you too much trouble about leaving him/her home. Like someone else suggested, if you're worried, you could always get two and they can keep each other company!

I have a yorkie and have only had her for two weeks now. She has adjusted very well to our schedule. On the days my husband can't come home from work we have a petsitter come to our house. She has come to like her quiet time when we are not there. In fact, she now knows in the morning when it is time for me to go to work and walks into her playpen and gets ready. Our vet recommended Pet-Ease for the first few days to keep her calm and now she doesn't cry when we leave. I also leave classical music on for her when we are gone.

Good luck with your dog search!

Though I agree that getting a yorkie is better when you are at home, I will have to add I know I don't have that luxury just yet. I have to work, but I don't think I should sacrifice my love for yorkies just because I have to work. I work full time, but let me tell you, Coco is one of the most well adjusted and happy dogs I've ever seen. I will admit that my social life has gone out the window but I don't care. It is possible to have a puppy and have it get used to your schedule. I put Coco's baby gate up when I leave and she is fine with it. She just chomps on her breakfst and sleeps. I've recorded her while I'm at work. She just sleeps, pees and poops, and she has enough room to play with her toys. When I get home, she gets the royal treatment EVERYDAY! So while I agree that it's best when you're home a lot more, to get a puppy, it's not such a terrible thing if you have to work. As long as you give them love and attention from the time you come home to the time you go to sleep. JMO

I forgot to also add. Daisy has done well with housetraining. She is home alone for two hours in the morning until my husband comes home from lunch and there have been no accidents. He then returns three hours later for the afternoon and again no accidents. I think if you are consistent with your training he/she will learn quickly. We have piddle pads down for her, but she only uses them if she absolutely has too.

I agree ... Coco is one of the most well adjusted and happy dogs out there because she's Codie's girlfriend. Why would my smart boy Codie date a mental case? LOL hehehehehe :D But Nobella has a good point - you can make working full time and owning a Yorkie work. You just have to take the correct steps and make sure you give your dog lots of love after work and on weekends. To pretty much everyone here on YT, these dogs are our FAMILY - not simply pets. And they come everywhere with us. I take my dogs everywhere with me on the weekends and even after work. If I go to my mom's house for dinner, Codie and Katie come. If I go to my sister's house for dinner or any of my friend's homes, Codie and Katie come. It's like everyone already know that when they invite me and Jim out, Codie and Katie come with the package and are always invited (unless it's a restaurant where dogs are not allowed).

Right now, while I get my daily fix of yorkietalk, Chloe and Lacey are chasing each other throughout the house. That's exactly why I got two. Even though I am home most of the time, Chloe would drive me nuts with dropping toys at my feet for play. What a guilt trip, I couldn't read the paper, watch TV or anything. I've gotten pretty good at keeping one eye on the TV and holding a toy for tug of war at the same time. However, even though I too leave the TV on Animal Planet for their enjoyment, I researched one year on the breed of dog I wanted. I could not have picked a better dog for me. They are small, don't smell , don't shed, are very smart and are good company. The downside people have listed already, there are health considerations, safety considerations and some are more fragile than others. They love attention and love company. However, there are day cares, friends who might come help and I really think they are better adjusted than we give them credit. Good for you for giving it a lot of thought because once you go see them, that's all it takes, you are hooked.

I wanted to thank everyone that posted to this thread. It has given me a lot more to consider before I get a yorkie.
thanks again.

Hi!

Both my fiance and I work 2 jobs. Sydneys is completely fine. She loves her crate and I put her Nylabone in there so that she has somthing to play with. She is used to our schedule and she is never in there for more than 5 hours without a break. I come home on my lunch break and between jobs to let her potty, and a little play time. The only time she ever fusses is if she is crated at a time that is against her normal schedule.

If you work 8 hours and are planning to come home during lunch...I am sure that he/she will be fine. That is only 4 hours. As far as your run...if I were you...I would get a chest carrier, strap him/her on and run with them. At least until they are older and may enjoy running with you. Your puppy might enjoy this as a set 1.5 hours of mommy-time each day. Just make sure that you pay attention to him/her when you are home...and I'm sure that you will have a healthy and happy puppy.

The hyploglycemia comments made by other people are valid. I have never had a problem with Syd except when she had fasted 24 hours for her spaying. I would suggest that you try to get a bigger yorkie (one that will grow up to be at least 5 lbs. That way you should not have to worry about that and maybe they will be a better running buddy.