Some questions for a hopeful Yorkie owner

[elliottandnolan]

Hello All-

I am sure you must get these questions all the time, but I have wanted a Yorkie for a very long time now, and I think there is a chance I might be able to get one in the near future (a friend's dog MIGHT be pregnant). It will be a puppy. However, I have some questions. That is where you all come in ...Would anyone mind helping me out so I can make an informed and wise decision?

Thanks in advance!
Heather

1 - I have a 10-year-old black lab, male. He is the most gentle, sweet boy in the world. How do Yorkies interact with other dogs?

2 - I have two young boys (4 and 6). I am, of course, a bit nervous about getting a small dog due to the fact that I have children, and this puppy will always be around kids. Obviously as a puppy, I am not worried, but I do worry that as it gets older, it will be grumpy, nippy, and not very good with kids. What are your experiences?

3 - Are they easy to train? And what sex is easier to train? I am going to admit that being surrounded by boys, I desperately want a little girl so that I can be a little fru-fru with her . Sounds silly, I know!!

Thanks again for helping me out! I am loving all the pictures of your babies! So cute!!!!

[ckuz13]

I too, do not have a yorkie yet but I want to answer some of your questions because I have or had the same concerns..I think since having a male senior dog the best choice would be a female. Even though your lab is older, there is still a dominance issue. The puppy, if male, as it matures, will likely try to assert himself into the pack leader role. Older dogs do not have much tolerance for this..even when they are sweet. You may end up with "marking wars". I too, have 2 sons. 14 and 5. I am looking for a 4-6lbs.. not too fragile, with 6lbs being a lilttle more sturdy. I don't have a Yorkie but have been around a lot. Like people, they all have different temperaments. Some sweet, moody, energetic, mellow.. Also this will give you the chance to finally be able to buy pink..that is why I keep going back to the "girl Idea". So I hope this helps until someone with a yorkie chimes in..good luck and let us know what you decide. It time for AMERICAN IDOL..

[erickajm]

Originally Posted by elliottandnolan

Hello All-

I am sure you must get these questions all the time, but I have wanted a Yorkie for a very long time now, and I think there is a chance I might be able to get one in the near future (a friend's dog MIGHT be pregnant). It will be a puppy. However, I have some questions. That is where you all come in ...Would anyone mind helping me out so I can make an informed and wise decision?

Thanks in advance!
Heather

1 - I have a 10-year-old black lab, male. He is the most gentle, sweet boy in the world. How do Yorkies interact with other dogs?
My personal experience is that they interact just like any other dog would. I have a large breed and my yorkies love him!
2 - I have two young boys (4 and 6). I am, of course, a bit nervous about getting a small dog due to the fact that I have children, and this puppy will always be around kids. Obviously as a puppy, I am not worried, but I do worry that as it gets older, it will be grumpy, nippy, and not very good with kids. What are your experiences?
I got Zoe when my youngest was 5 almost 6. Originally I was going to wait until he was a teen. I think you just have to be careful with the little ones. My son was very rough with Zoe at times...and still loves to torment her & Peppee.
3 - Are they easy to train? And what sex is easier to train? I am going to admit that being surrounded by boys, I desperately want a little girl so that I can be a little fru-fru with her . Sounds silly, I know!!
I am also surrounded by boys and I couldn't wait to dress Zoe up...however, she is the biggest tomboy. Hates bows, hates clothes. Loves rolling in the dirt, grass and anywhere else she can find. So good luck with that one!

Thanks again for helping me out! I am loving all the pictures of your babies! So cute!!!!

Good luck with your search! & BTW..

[elliottandnolan]

Thank you so much for your insight! I appreciate it!

Heather

[mscat]

I am a fairly new Yorkie owner... She is only 11 weeks old. I can answer a couple of questions for you.
First of all, a Yorkie is a very small dog, and a puppy is even more delicate. What I have read and heard is that young children and Yorkie's are not a good match.... I have read that a child under the age of 7 is too young for a Yorkie, just because of the nature of the dog, and that they are delicate.
A male or female dog is more of a manner of preferance. They both make excellent pets.
I have seen Labs that are extremely gentle and nuturing. I have witnessed a 150 lb. female lab mother a 7 week old kitten. They can be great at it . However, I would not ever leave them alone together though.
I love my little Yorkie, and have found great joy in owning her. All young children are not the same , and can be taught how to handle a very small little puppy. I would be exceedingly cautious though and make the wisest decison that best meets your family's needs, as well as a very tiny puppy.
Best of luck !

[DukesMommy]

I can't answer the kids question because I don't have kids, but I have a male Yorkie who grew up with my mom's Rottweiler. They got along great (the Rott was a female) Duke would try to get her to play with him and as soon as she would get excited and bark he would lay down becuase it spooked him Anyway they got along very well.

As for training, they are very smart dogs, but I'm not sure if you meant potty training, obedience training, or tricks. Duke was fairly easy to potty train but he still has accidents and he is 7yrs old. I've also been able to easily teach him tricks to do, and he is pretty well mannered. I only have the male so I don't know if females are easier, harder, or the same...

[oopsmyhalofello]

Hi Heather, welcome to YT!


1 - I have a 10-year-old black lab, male. He is the most gentle, sweet boy in the world. How do Yorkies interact with other dogs? I have 2 labs (1 more coming soon), 1 boston terrier and 2 yorkies. My yorkies have 2 totally different personalities one is what I lovingly describe as a diva, the other is just a submissive luvbug. The luvbug (Coco) get's along with all of the dogs, but she doesn't really interact with them as far as playing goes, she does play with Bella though (the diva) I think because she is way closer in size. Bella likes to be dominant and is strongwilled. She plays with my Boston terrier and 1 of the labs while in the house and being supervised. My other lab is older and not tolerant of puppies or small breeds come to find out so she just hides from them. One thing you have to be very aware of with large breed and yorkies is that accidents can happy very easily and a 60lb+ dog is huge compared to a yorkie.

2 - I have two young boys (4 and 6). I am, of course, a bit nervous about getting a small dog due to the fact that I have children, and this puppy will always be around kids. Obviously as a puppy, I am not worried, but I do worry that as it gets older, it will be grumpy, nippy, and not very good with kids. What are your experiences? My 2 yorkies are still very young so I can't offer any advice with attitude and age in this breed. I have 5 boys (18, 16,11,5,and 3) they have always been around dogs, cats and reptiles and taught to treat animals properly .. and ongoing lesson. My worries wouldn't be so much with the dog as it is older but with making sure the children are good with the dog. Any dog is going to be a grumpy turd to a kid if it isn't treated nicely by said kiddo. I really think that as long as the kids respect the animals they will grow to love each other unconditionally

3 - Are they easy to train? And what sex is easier to train? They are extremely intelligent dogs, however don't expect potty training to come even close to as easy as it did with your lab. Maybe you will get lucky but I've noticed a good 98% of the yorkie owners on this board have had potty training frustrations. They do get there, it just seems to take more time.. and their bladder isn't nearly as large so i'm sure that may be why. As a mother to all boys my advice on male or female is FEMALE! You can do her hair!!!! You can dress her up if you want!!! Pink, Frilly... prissy... love it

[elliottandnolan]

Thanks so much for the advice!! It seems like the biggest concern is that the kids might be too rough for a Yorkie right now, and not the other way around. We did get a tiny kitten a year and a half ago and the boys did very well with her. I suppose it might make more sense to wait until they are older just to be on the safe side though.

BTW - Your puppy is so adorable!!!

Heather

[elliottandnolan]

As a mother to all boys my advice on male or female is FEMALE! You can do her hair!!!! You can dress her up if you want!!! Pink, Frilly... prissy... love it

That is exactly what I was thinking!!!! Those bows are so adorable!!!! Thanks for the advice. These little dogs are so cute!!!

Heather

[Amazing Yorkies]

Yorkies tend to take more abuse than they should from kids. They don't bite or get grumpy, but you can see it in their eyes they're not having fun. I would worry much more about the Yorkie than I would about him getting grumpy with kids. It can be done, but with strict rules, and the bigger the better.
My Grandkids grew up with my Yorkies and their puppies. Here are their rules;
1. No running in the house. Use the Yorkie Shuffle at all times.
2. Never pick up and hold a puppy. They can sit down on the floor and get all kinds of kisses.
3. Make sure there is no puppy under your little bottom when sitting down.
4. At no time is there rough housing, carrying the Yorkie around, or using the puppy as a baby doll in a doll stroller.
They do really well, and they know I am a nut when it comes to my Yorkie's safety.

[livingdustmops]

From a rescue point I had 3 Yorkies come into rescue that had bitten the children. It used to be on the AKC website and I have heard it said at the Westminister Dog Show that Yorkies are not the best breed around small children. I know most reputable Yorkie rescue will not adopt out to a family with children under 14. With all of this said there are always some Yorkies that love kids and some kids that love Yorkies and understand how fragile they are and get along great. You have to decide how vigilante you want to be with these little ones and your children. You have to also decide if your Lab jumps up and down and could he come down on the dogs back - this has happened more than once on YT.

Good Luck with your decision.

[oopsmyhalofello]

Originally Posted by livingdustmops

From a rescue point I had 3 Yorkies come into rescue that had bitten the children. It used to be on the AKC website and I have heard it said at the Westminister Dog Show that Yorkies are not the best breed around small children. I know most reputable Yorkie rescue will not adopt out to a family with children under 14. With all of this said there are always some Yorkies that love kids and some kids that love Yorkies and understand how fragile they are and get along great. You have to decide how vigilante you want to be with these little ones and your children. You have to also decide if your Lab jumps up and down and could he come down on the dogs back - this has happened more than once on YT.

Good Luck with your decision.

That is an exact scenario of what happened with my lab and yorkie. I was mortified. My labs have free roam in the backyard and I brought Bella out there, tied to my belt loop so she couldn't get very far. Fate had it that Willow approx 60lbs had brought out an inside toy and I called her to me to take it from her. Took it from her and she jumped up a bit to try and get it from me. Well she landed on Bella and Bella curled up in a ball and was letting out the most horrifying screams, feces was coming out her rear end. I thought for sure I was losing her. I rushed her to the vet and by some miracle she didn't even have a broken bone in her tiny little body. That was my huge lesson on never underestimating any circumstance. I will not allow the little dogs out back with the big dogs, they are only playing together in my livingroom while i'm right there.

[oopsmyhalofello]

Originally Posted by Amazing Yorkies

Yorkies tend to take more abuse than they should from kids. They don't bite or get grumpy, but you can see it in their eyes they're not having fun. I would worry much more about the Yorkie than I would about him getting grumpy with kids. It can be done, but with strict rules, and the bigger the better.
My Grandkids grew up with my Yorkies and their puppies. Here are their rules;
1. No running in the house. Use the Yorkie Shuffle at all times.
2. Never pick up and hold a puppy. They can sit down on the floor and get all kinds of kisses.
3. Make sure there is no puppy under your little bottom when sitting down.
4. At no time is there rough housing, carrying the Yorkie around, or using the puppy as a baby doll in a doll stroller.
They do really well, and they know I am a nut when it comes to my Yorkie's safety.

Deb, that is a great list and it is very much what my rules are

[morningsting]

Originally Posted by elliottandnolan

Hello All-

I am sure you must get these questions all the time, but I have wanted a Yorkie for a very long time now, and I think there is a chance I might be able to get one in the near future (a friend's dog MIGHT be pregnant). It will be a puppy. However, I have some questions. That is where you all come in ...Would anyone mind helping me out so I can make an informed and wise decision?

Thanks in advance!
Heather

1 - I have a 10-year-old black lab, male. He is the most gentle, sweet boy in the world. How do Yorkies interact with other dogs?
They can get along with other dogs just fine! My Yorkie puppy loves my Chi, but my Chi doesn't really like his puppy ways, lol. I'm sure as he calms down a bit they will be the best of friends. I have read a lot about people getting a new Yorkie when they already had another dog on this forum, & everyone has said that the two dogs got along just fine eventually Sometimes it takes a few months for them to get along, & sometimes it can take only a few days! It really depends on the disposition of your dog. Since your lab is really sweet & loving, I'm sure he would be very gentle towards your Yorkie puppy. Like someone else said on here however, I would never leave them alone together.

2 - I have two young boys (4 and 6). I am, of course, a bit nervous about getting a small dog due to the fact that I have children, and this puppy will always be around kids. Obviously as a puppy, I am not worried, but I do worry that as it gets older, it will be grumpy, nippy, and not very good with kids. What are your experiences?
Right now I have a toddler. I've had my Chi for three years now, & the two of them get along very well. My Chi loves my daughter, & she would never ever hurt her. We teach our daughter to treat our Chi with respect, & to not handle her roughly. Even though she is still very young, she IS old enough to understand that dogs need to be treated with respect & are not to be handled roughly. You are going to have to teach your puppy that he cannot be rough with your children, including biting & barking at them. My Yorkie is only two months old & already we have taught him that biting others is a huge no no. Needless to say, he does not nip us or my daughter anymore! They can learn from a very young age what is appropriate & what is not. Of course he does get carried away sometimes, but for the most part he knows that he can't bite others. My daughter isn't really curious about our new puppy. She ignores him for the most part. The only time I have him out is when she is sleeping, because I know that she would step or sit on him, & that could really hurt or even kill him. I keep him in a play yard when my daughter is crawling around, & this works very well for us.

3 - Are they easy to train? And what sex is easier to train? I am going to admit that being surrounded by boys, I desperately want a little girl so that I can be a little fru-fru with her . Sounds silly, I know!!
Like others have said, both sexes are pretty much the same when it comes to training.

Thanks again for helping me out! I am loving all the pictures of your babies! So cute!!!!

Welcome to YT!! I hope that you can get a little furbby

-Amy

[morningsting]

Originally Posted by Amazing Yorkies

Yorkies tend to take more abuse than they should from kids. They don't bite or get grumpy, but you can see it in their eyes they're not having fun. I would worry much more about the Yorkie than I would about him getting grumpy with kids. It can be done, but with strict rules, and the bigger the better.
My Grandkids grew up with my Yorkies and their puppies. Here are their rules;
1. No running in the house. Use the Yorkie Shuffle at all times.
2. Never pick up and hold a puppy. They can sit down on the floor and get all kinds of kisses.
3. Make sure there is no puppy under your little bottom when sitting down.
4. At no time is there rough housing, carrying the Yorkie around, or using the puppy as a baby doll in a doll stroller.
They do really well, and they know I am a nut when it comes to my Yorkie's safety.

Great rules! When my daughter gets a little bit older, these will be my rules as well!

-Amy