Do you let kids pet your yorkie? - YorkieTalk.com Forums

QuickSilver · 03-09-2010, 09:19 PM

Thor has always gotten along well with children. As you can see from my avatar, he's really cute

, and he gets lots of attention. As long as they ask first, I generally let children pet him and play with him.

Ironically, it's usually kids who have dogs and are comfortable with him that are too rough with Thor. Shy kids just stand there while he sniffs them, whereas "experienced" kids treat him like he's bigger than he really is. We had sort of a bad experience tonight, and I think from now on, I'm going tell kids that he gets nervous around strangers, and maybe let them give him a treat, but keep him off-limits for petting. I hate to do it, but I am worried that he might start fearing children, and maybe even start showing some aggression.

Anyway, just wondering what people around here do.

TwoforFun · 03-09-2010, 09:29 PM

You are so right about that. I will let them pet them but I give them a little lecture just as I would with having them touch a baby. And I do say something if I think there to rough especially in front of there mom. My maltese normally scares the s**t out of them before they get to my yorkie. And she's the one that really want to play. I know I have friends who had/have dogs and are a little tougher with theirs but I do tell them how I treat and train mine so they know I'm on my guard.

joeyandtanksmom · 03-09-2010, 09:35 PM

Yes, I will typically allow children to pet my boys. Joey is extremely outgoing, and he LOVES kiddos. Tank is my very shy boy, and he will usually cower and go up against or in between my legs. sometimes I will bend down and put my hand on him to hold him still and comfort him while allowing the children to very calmly pet him - I make sure to let them know that he's very shy and they need to be very quiet and calm with him. When I see that either one is getting a little too much stimulation, I will pick them up or begin giving the signals I'm done. I've never had a bad experience letting my boys be handled by children. Oh, I don't allow them to be picked up by kids though, unless they're my brothers (ages 7,8, and 13 - I'm the oldest of 5 @ age 22), who are around Joey and Tank quite often, so they're good with them.

xoxodoglover89 · 03-09-2010, 09:41 PM

I normally don't let children pet Sasha. She didn't grow up around any kids and was never really socialized with them. Although she loves people, she generally isn't sure of kids. Most of the kids that have pet her before usually got in her face a lot which I'm pretty sure made her uneasy about them. She does tend to growl at kids a little bit now, so from now on, I don't typically let kids pet her.

ellabee · 03-09-2010, 09:44 PM

no, i don't. and the reason is because on the off chance that something happens (my pup nipping or biting a kid) I would be responsible and what if the SPCA came and said the pup would need to be put down for being aggressive? I know thats a worst-case scenario, but I am very protective of my pup and would never put her in a situation where I am not 100% confident as to how she will react.

yorkiepuppie · 03-09-2010, 09:47 PM

i like children petting milu or davinci as long as they are gentle. i think it's good for the dogs to be socialized and get used to kids. i think what you should do is stop them/interfere when you think they are too rough and correct the kids, tell them they need to be careful and that they are too rough with thor.

this usually works for us. and the kids will listen to you because they want to continue to play with the dog and they dont want to hurt the dogs, they just want to play with them.

there was only once when a very young kid will not listen and her parents won't stop her, she was hurting milu. i was at a friend's birthday party when this happened. so we just left the party because the child was being a brat and the parents won't do anything about it.

so i would suggest letting kids play with thor, but keep a very close eye on them.

one mistake i did make was letting children pick up the dogs. i would suggest never letting young kids pick up your small dog.

MauiGirl · 03-09-2010, 09:51 PM

Yes, I let kids pet all my furbabies cause they love kids... they love everybody! I do make a point to tell kids to always stand back and ask the owner first before approaching a dog, just in case it is not a friendly one, or that the owner doesn't want them to.

msjagg · 03-09-2010, 11:56 PM

My 2 Yorkies have been socialized around Children from the very beginning. Sammy the Papillon is a PM Rescue and I really have to watch him around children. I give them a little talk about sitting down to pet them and asking them to please not try and pick them up and keep their faces away from the dogs faces! When I'm out walking and they're in the stroller the kids come over to talk to them. I remove the mesh cover and let them 1 at a time pet the dogs. I keep my hand over Sammy's mouth in case he would snap! Even around my 3 yo GrandSon I watch if Sammy gets tired he just wants to be alone and Christopher knows to let him alone. I think it's good for kids to come up and talk to my gang, It's good for the kid's and for them!

violet voon · 03-10-2010, 12:04 AM

I allow kids to play with Sugar, but if they want to hold her, I will make sure I'm standing next to them, and supervise... Sugar is very rough sometimes, I just hope she wouldn't scare the kids off and of course I hope kids won't drop her when they are scared

yorkie mad · 03-10-2010, 12:09 AM

I let Tia decide. Shes a real good judge of people, some children she wants to pet her and others she don't, either way I trust her 100% with them

Yorkiegran3 · 03-10-2010, 12:34 AM

I think that's sensible of you. Mine are very friendly but I always say
just say hi, cos you never know.

Hugs Shirl x x

Roxiesmama · 03-10-2010, 01:55 AM

Roxie loves everyone, and usually greets them by jumping up on their leg or dancing around on her hind legs in front of them. I do let the neighborhood kids pet her and most of them ask first, which is good. I did have two kids fighting over her one day, and both of them were trying to pick her up. I had to jump in quickly to end that. I now keep a much more careful eye on things when she is around the neighborhood kids.

I also have 5 nieces and nephews...4 of them are terrified of my little dog. The oldest one is 12 and really good with Roxie.

MollysMum54 · 03-10-2010, 02:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ellabee

no, i don't. and the reason is because on the off chance that something happens (my pup nipping or biting a kid) I would be responsible and what if the SPCA came and said the pup would need to be put down for being aggressive? I know thats a worst-case scenario, but I am very protective of my pup and would never put her in a situation where I am not 100% confident as to how she will react.

same here. Molly is a rescue dog and quite scared of children. I was her 5th owner in the first 2 years of her life, and her 3rd owner had a big family, so i don't know what went on there. There are a couple of young children we meet on our walks that i let stroke Molly, but i am always down at their level and i make Molly sit and turn her back to them so they can stroke her back.
Like you,i am always aware that if something went wrong, i risk losing her, so i dont take chances. when kids ask to stroke her, i just say 'sorry, but she's not as cute as she looks'...that usually works!!

yorkiebebe · 03-10-2010, 02:48 AM

No I don't let kids pet my Chewie, but thats only because Chewie wont let them. He goes crazy and starts barking whenever he sees a kid nearby.
Does anyone else have a yorkie that doesnt like small kids?
But I wouldnt let a child pet my yorkie, I also had an experience with a 2 year old grabbing Chewie by his hair on his back and slightly lifted him up when he was a puppy. hmm...maybe that is why he hates children...hehe..

Unless you know the kid really well, I would not let a child pet my dog. And certanly not a strange kid.

RemydeHaviland · 03-10-2010, 04:05 AM

yes, but depends on my impression of the kid and the parents

yesterday we met a toddler on our walk. the little guy was probably 2, just adorable. he kept reaching for Remy. I actually got down on the ground with Remy and held him by his halter so he would not scare the little guy. They were both really good - the kid got one good pet in on Remy's head. Then Remy wanted to jump up on him...so we parted ways

03-09-2010, 09:19 PM	#1
QuickSilver Thor's Human Donating Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: San Francisco, CA Posts: 5,929 Blog Entries: 31	Do you let kids pet your yorkie? Thor has always gotten along well with children. As you can see from my avatar, he's really cute , and he gets lots of attention. As long as they ask first, I generally let children pet him and play with him. Ironically, it's usually kids who have dogs and are comfortable with him that are too rough with Thor. Shy kids just stand there while he sniffs them, whereas "experienced" kids treat him like he's bigger than he really is. We had sort of a bad experience tonight, and I think from now on, I'm going tell kids that he gets nervous around strangers, and maybe let them give him a treat, but keep him off-limits for petting. I hate to do it, but I am worried that he might start fearing children, and maybe even start showing some aggression. Anyway, just wondering what people around here do.

03-09-2010, 09:29 PM	#2
TwoforFun YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: TX Posts: 646	You are so right about that. I will let them pet them but I give them a little lecture just as I would with having them touch a baby. And I do say something if I think there to rough especially in front of there mom. My maltese normally scares the s**t out of them before they get to my yorkie. And she's the one that really want to play. I know I have friends who had/have dogs and are a little tougher with theirs but I do tell them how I treat and train mine so they know I'm on my guard. __________________ XOXO JiJi , JiJa Lil' Man and Mommy

03-09-2010, 09:35 PM	#3
joeyandtanksmom YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Kuna,ID,USA Posts: 557	Yes, I will typically allow children to pet my boys. Joey is extremely outgoing, and he LOVES kiddos. Tank is my very shy boy, and he will usually cower and go up against or in between my legs. sometimes I will bend down and put my hand on him to hold him still and comfort him while allowing the children to very calmly pet him - I make sure to let them know that he's very shy and they need to be very quiet and calm with him. When I see that either one is getting a little too much stimulation, I will pick them up or begin giving the signals I'm done. I've never had a bad experience letting my boys be handled by children. Oh, I don't allow them to be picked up by kids though, unless they're my brothers (ages 7,8, and 13 - I'm the oldest of 5 @ age 22), who are around Joey and Tank quite often, so they're good with them. __________________ Sandy: Joey & Tank's Mom Jackson Ryan

03-09-2010, 09:44 PM	#5
ellabee Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: british columbia, canada Posts: 145	no, i don't. and the reason is because on the off chance that something happens (my pup nipping or biting a kid) I would be responsible and what if the SPCA came and said the pup would need to be put down for being aggressive? I know thats a worst-case scenario, but I am very protective of my pup and would never put her in a situation where I am not 100% confident as to how she will react. __________________ billie ralphie sophie maddy boo sadieben

03-09-2010, 09:47 PM	#6
yorkiepuppie Donating YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: San Jose, CA, USA Posts: 2,883	i like children petting milu or davinci as long as they are gentle. i think it's good for the dogs to be socialized and get used to kids. i think what you should do is stop them/interfere when you think they are too rough and correct the kids, tell them they need to be careful and that they are too rough with thor. this usually works for us. and the kids will listen to you because they want to continue to play with the dog and they dont want to hurt the dogs, they just want to play with them. there was only once when a very young kid will not listen and her parents won't stop her, she was hurting milu. i was at a friend's birthday party when this happened. so we just left the party because the child was being a brat and the parents won't do anything about it. so i would suggest letting kids play with thor, but keep a very close eye on them. one mistake i did make was letting children pick up the dogs. i would suggest never letting young kids pick up your small dog. __________________ www.yenspiration.com i love milu

03-09-2010, 09:41 PM	#4
xoxodoglover89 YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Michigan Posts: 747	I normally don't let children pet Sasha. She didn't grow up around any kids and was never really socialized with them. Although she loves people, she generally isn't sure of kids. Most of the kids that have pet her before usually got in her face a lot which I'm pretty sure made her uneasy about them. She does tend to growl at kids a little bit now, so from now on, I don't typically let kids pet her.

03-09-2010, 09:51 PM	#7
MauiGirl Donating YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Maui, Hawaii Posts: 7,740	Yes, I let kids pet all my furbabies cause they love kids... they love everybody! I do make a point to tell kids to always stand back and ask the owner first before approaching a dog, just in case it is not a friendly one, or that the owner doesn't want them to. __________________ SANDY, MOM TO TIKI , KAYLA , KARLEE , R.I.P. MEIKA

03-09-2010, 11:56 PM	#8
msjagg YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Lancaster, PA. U.S.A. Posts: 1,449	My 2 Yorkies have been socialized around Children from the very beginning. Sammy the Papillon is a PM Rescue and I really have to watch him around children. I give them a little talk about sitting down to pet them and asking them to please not try and pick them up and keep their faces away from the dogs faces! When I'm out walking and they're in the stroller the kids come over to talk to them. I remove the mesh cover and let them 1 at a time pet the dogs. I keep my hand over Sammy's mouth in case he would snap! Even around my 3 yo GrandSon I watch if Sammy gets tired he just wants to be alone and Christopher knows to let him alone. I think it's good for kids to come up and talk to my gang, It's good for the kid's and for them! __________________ Jodi G. Mum to : -Sammy,:-Baron Georg, :-Sophie Kennedy, and Carys Bella...

03-10-2010, 12:04 AM	#9
violet voon YT Addict Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: M'sia Posts: 454	I allow kids to play with Sugar, but if they want to hold her, I will make sure I'm standing next to them, and supervise... Sugar is very rough sometimes, I just hope she wouldn't scare the kids off and of course I hope kids won't drop her when they are scared __________________ Sugar - 6th February 2009

03-10-2010, 12:09 AM	#10
yorkie mad ♥Tiny Tia my Furbaby♥ Donating Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: portsmouth england Posts: 1,824 Blog Entries: 7	I let Tia decide. Shes a real good judge of people, some children she wants to pet her and others she don't, either way I trust her 100% with them __________________ Lots of love from Julie , Olly &Tia's mummy. Yorkies leave paw prints on our hearts

03-10-2010, 12:34 AM	#11
Yorkiegran3 Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: England Posts: 212	I think that's sensible of you. Mine are very friendly but I always say just say hi, cos you never know. Hugs Shirl x x

03-10-2010, 01:55 AM	#12
Roxiesmama Donating YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: NY Posts: 849	Roxie loves everyone, and usually greets them by jumping up on their leg or dancing around on her hind legs in front of them. I do let the neighborhood kids pet her and most of them ask first, which is good. I did have two kids fighting over her one day, and both of them were trying to pick her up. I had to jump in quickly to end that. I now keep a much more careful eye on things when she is around the neighborhood kids. I also have 5 nieces and nephews...4 of them are terrified of my little dog. The oldest one is 12 and really good with Roxie. __________________ Roxie

03-10-2010, 02:48 AM	#14
yorkiebebe Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Manila, Phillipines Posts: 72	No I don't let kids pet my Chewie, but thats only because Chewie wont let them. He goes crazy and starts barking whenever he sees a kid nearby. Does anyone else have a yorkie that doesnt like small kids? But I wouldnt let a child pet my yorkie, I also had an experience with a 2 year old grabbing Chewie by his hair on his back and slightly lifted him up when he was a puppy. hmm...maybe that is why he hates children...hehe.. Unless you know the kid really well, I would not let a child pet my dog. And certanly not a strange kid. __________________ I MY CHEWIE www.ajdeeandme.blogspot.com

03-10-2010, 04:05 AM	#15
RemydeHaviland Donating YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Lake Winnipesaukee, New Hampshire Posts: 641	yes, but depends on my impression of the kid and the parents yesterday we met a toddler on our walk. the little guy was probably 2, just adorable. he kept reaching for Remy. I actually got down on the ground with Remy and held him by his halter so he would not scare the little guy. They were both really good - the kid got one good pet in on Remy's head. Then Remy wanted to jump up on him...so we parted ways __________________ Susanne and Remy