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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!:)

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 :(

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

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

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.

:thumbup: 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!!

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.

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

I will let children pet Shay (bella hasn't been out yet)...BUT I say he is really fragile so be soft...

My grandchildren are absolutely wonderful with Shay...they are so gentle and know they have to sit when holding him.(they havent met Bella yet)

I did have a lil boy here, while hosting my sons wedding last august, I could tell he was a hyper kid and heard he was mean, so I had Shay in his kennel. what did this kid do? called Shay over then poked him in the eye, I was like in slow motion, I couldnt get there fast enough... as the parents just laughed, I moved Kennel to my bedroom, only to see this kid out of corner of my eye, run into my bedroom to start kicking and screaming at the kennel, laughing! when I told them they said "it is just a dog maggie! (laughing) relax, he will get over it" lets just say, I am sure they wished they hadnt driven 600 miles to the wedding, when I was done with them!

I have a 7 year old and usually there are kids at my house all the time. I do let the kids pet and interact with Troy but only with a supervision and a lecture first. When we are out Troy of course ears up the attention but I only let kids touch if a parent is present and they ask first.

Troy is not a toy or accessory, he is a dog that's little and I try to keep the fact he's a dog in mind. I have the philosophy that if he's not socialized with lots of different things, encounters, people, handling and I if I "baby" him he will eventually have a dislike for certain situations that I need him to be ok in.

Crosley I do, because she LOVES kids!! She loves everybody actually! :D

I don't with Wrigley & Camden, except my niece & nephews and even with them, I tell them to sit down and let the dogs come to them!
Wrigley & Camden are both shy & get nervous and our experience with kids wanting to pet them has been kids running up and getting in their faces or wanting to pick them up!
I would hate for either of them to get scared and bite someone!
We don't have children that live in the house and they are just not used to them!
Having said that, the neighbor behind us has grandchildren and the little boys love to run back & forth the length of our fence & Camden will run with them, all day if you let her!! She's in 7th heaven!! :p

For me it depends on the child, and I always tell them to be gentle because Bailey is so tiny. So sorry you had a bad experience!

I do. Jackson is very shy when it comes to strangers in general. He's not mean or aggressive, he usually just kinda backs away like "I don't know you! don't pet me!" It's almost like he thinks every stranger is like a vet or something, lol. Now my little brother and sister, he adores. They can be all up in his face, doing whatever and he could care less, he just wags his tail and kisses them.

When it comes to stranger kids, he's definitely a lot more reserved and weary. So I generally will pick him up first and then show them how to pet him. He's more comfortable with them petting him under his chin rather than their hand going overtop of his head. I usually have treats on me too that I ask the kids to give him.

He's gotten *much* better with kids in general. The other day we were visiting over my dad's house and this little girl, maybe 8 years old, just moved in across the street. Jackson went up to her voluntarily and allowed her to pet him! He also seems to like little girls better than little boys. Another thing... when we're at the dog park, he is sooo much friendlier to people and will go up to them by himself and ask for a petting. Maybe because he sees the other dogs doing it?

Overall, he'd much rather be around dogs than people but with some practice, he's gotten better with people! I think it's an important part of socialization to get them used to kids and strangers.

Well since I have 4 kids and run a small daycare in my home the answer is yes, I allow children to pet my dogs. My kids know how to handle dogs very well, the daycare kids are taught as soon as they come into my house and will ask first if they can pet or hold the dog. Im always there when they are doing so. If we are outside of the house. I allow it, if they ask.. I ask them to hold thier hand out first so the dog can smell them then after a few seconds they are allowed too. I dont let strangers, adults or children hold my dogs. If someone tries to pet them without asking, I turn the dog away. I think its rude for an adult or a child to pet a dog without asking first.

When we are out with both dogs, (the 125 Pound Cane Corso and the Yorkie), kids always come up and ask if they can pet the little dog. We always tell them no, not the little Yorkie, but to pet the big Dog...

Our Yorkie just does not like kids, even though she has been heavily socialized. Better not to have her try to nip one...now the big dog loves the kids, and the older folks....he is just so gentle with them. Sort if funny in a way. I am just so glad that the Yorkie is not 125 pounds...could you imagine a 125 pound Yorkie with their big attitude.


The Yorkie never had a bad experience with a little kid before, but she does warm up to them after a while if she sees them more than one time

Buddy enjoys being around kids and allows them to pet him, that was
never a problem. He adores my two young granddaughter's and gives
them kisses and cuddles with them. We had one accident, a bite but
that was regarding guarding what he thought to be his while he was
sitting at the table which should have never been allowed.
In general he loves all kids and people especially when they come to
the house. Outside he still loves being approached by kids but
adults he seems to back off. I would never allow anyone to pick him
up neither would he.
I think it's important for dogs to be friendly with people and kids,
while being watched that is.

i do but i pick Gatsby up first and hold him i tell people its because he jumps up on them (which he dose not) but in reality im afraid they will be mean i always have the kids ask there parents first because once i was at a sort of street fair and a little brown haired chubby girl walks up and asks to pet him and her mom standing a few feet away nods her head they little girl gets a pet or two then she calls over another little girl who was also brown haired and slightly chubby and that little girl starts petting them and i assumed they wear sisters and it was okay then a woman comes up and yanks the secound girl away "dont touch that dog you do not know whear its been" okay i understand but then she yells at me for not asking hr prmission and had security ask me to leave i said no and they could not force me so she left instead

I absolutely let children pet my yorkie, she LOVES everyone, adults and children, friends and strangers. I want her to be well socialized and be comfortable, not nervous, around people. I just keep a close eye on them and supervise.

Sometimes!

Yes, I want them to have as many experiences as possible.

I will usually bend down to the childs level and pick up my dog... I then let them pet the dog but if they get too rough, it is easy for me to just stand up and then the dog is out of their reach.

Yes! I encourage it (as long as it is supervised) but its great socialization for Lexi and a good lesson for the child to learn if they don't have experience with small dogs.

I do the same. Kaji is just so fearful of kids. As soon as he sees one he tries to dart in the opposite direction or find a bush or car to hide under. Scary because he doesn't care if the car is on or off! I try beating him to the punch by picking him up before he has a chance to react, or walking him far far away from them. I don't want him to be fearful of kids but I much rather pick his experiences. Like the above story. Kaji was out with my family in a crowded area, which is a lot for him, and this cute toddler saw him and was going nuts. His mother quickly held him back and asked if it was ok for her soon to meet my boy. I picked up Kaji, kneeled down to the boys level and allowed him to pet Kaji's back. Kaji wasn't nearly as scared and after a few seconds I could feel him relax in my arms. The mother was so nice, holding her son and guiding his little hands gently as they petted Kaji's back. It was a great experience!

Not so great experience... my mom's friend was visiting with her toddler. Kaji was going to the living room to pick up his ball when the little girl saw him and screamed her head off. Kaji didn't know we had company and that was no way for him to find out. He peed all the way back to my room. :( He was so scared he didn\'t even eat until they were long gone. I think I have to be choosey, I want him to associate only good things with people.