Disappointed!! He's too heavy for me!!

[Fantastic49]

Originally Posted by mscat

Ok , I thought you already had him .... A service dog is trained to help the disabled with certain tasks that can make life a whole lot easier for the disabled.
It can be any breed of animal . The dog learns how to get things for their person , and is very inturned to the disabled persons needs. Once the dog is certified the animal can go with you , everywhere inside public places.
Placing a vest and having patches that say dog is working tells others that the dog is a service animal.
Also having a card with the dogs picture telling others that the animalis a service dog helps.
You can have a service dog in apartments or condos ,that do not want pets, because a service dog is not considered a pet.

i see!! what kinds of tasks does your little one do for you? that sounds very cool....

[brina05]

Best of luck finding a yorkie that will fit your physical limitations. Back injuries can be very painful and you never intentional want to make them worse. How soon will you have to have surgery? You might want to wait until after surgery to get your yorkie, unless someone is in the home to care for it while you recover....just a thought. Take care.

[Fantastic49]

Originally Posted by keokis mom

My baby is 7 pounds ( if not more form all the treats) and he fits fine in a bag and is not heavy at all. I babysit my best friends tiny yorkie and I am so nervous with him around because he is so delicate. I feel bad for this rescue Maybe you should just give him a chance- when I first met my baby I was a bit put off- thought he was too big for me but I am so grateful for him and his sturdy size- which by the way is light- he is the love of my life- good luck!!!

i totally agree, 7lbs is not a heavy dog at all ... for someone with a healthy back ... i soooo wish that was me right now!! even with surgery, who knows if it ever will be?!? but don't worry about this rescue, this baby will get snapped right up, he is absolutely adorable!!!!

[Fantastic49]

Originally Posted by brina05

Best of luck finding a yorkie that will fit your physical limitations. Back injuries can be very painful and you never intentional want to make them worse. How soon will you have to have surgery? You might want to wait until after surgery to get your yorkie, unless someone is in the home to care for it while you recover....just a thought. Take care.

thanks!!! you're so right, don't want to do anything to make it worse.... not sure exactly when i'll have surgery, but i'll be sure to have someone there to care for it (and ME!!! )

[anevarez]

7 lbs is the ideal weight for a Yorkie. Unless you get an adult, there is really no way to predict how big your yorkie may get. My Chloe is 17 weeks and 2 lbs, 3 oz. Her mom was 3 lbs, 9 oz and her dad was right on 3 lbs give or take a few ounces - The breeder knew most of her parents siblings as well - but still told me there were no guarantees on size. You could get a pup that would end up being much more than 7lbs - or you could end up with a teeny tiny Yorkie. Good luck to you!

[Fantastic49]

Originally Posted by anevarez

7 lbs is the ideal weight for a Yorkie. Unless you get an adult, there is really no way to predict how big your yorkie may get. My Chloe is 17 weeks and 2 lbs, 3 oz. Her mom was 3 lbs, 9 oz and her dad was right on 3 lbs give or take a few ounces - The breeder knew most of her parents siblings as well - but still told me there were no guarantees on size. You could get a pup that would end up being much more than 7lbs - or you could end up with a teeny tiny Yorkie. Good luck to you!

thank you!!! i am only looking for adults b/c of that uncertainty. i think 7lbs is the maximum weight under the AKC standard (though i know many are larger)....

everyone's yorkies are sooooo cute!!! i can't wait to get mine!!!

[Mardelin]

Originally Posted by Fantastic49

thanks!!! you're so right, don't want to do anything to make it worse.... not sure exactly when i'll have surgery, but i'll be sure to have someone there to care for it (and ME!!! )

I recently placed a boy with a woman that just had back surgery. She too was worried about lifting anything over 5 pounds. I couldn't guarantee her her boy would stay at 5 pounds, although he has. But, what she did was wait to pick out her pup closer to her surgery, this gave her time to bond and work with him, but knew that after she had her surgery she'd be able to lift him even if he did get to 6 or 7 pounds.

[lil fu fu girl]

Originally Posted by Fantastic49

i totally agree, 7lbs is not a heavy dog at all ... for someone with a healthy back ... i soooo wish that was me right now!! even with surgery, who knows if it ever will be?!? but don't worry about this rescue, this baby will get snapped right up, he is absolutely adorable!!!!

I understand about your back. I have spondylolisthesis with degenerative disc. Injured it about 5 years ago and it still is a pain, literally. I have two pups; 1 is about 4.7 lbs. and the other is about 7.5lbs. I have to be careful when I pick up the bigger one. I go down to my knees and pick him up that way, keeping my back straight. When I play with them, I sit on the floor and keep my back straight as possible. It is so important that you do not bend, as you probably aready know! I use ice packs alot. That seems to be the key in keeping the inflammation down without constantly taking meds.

I commend you on your hope to find an adult rescue. Do not give up, there are tons out there to be rescued and many will meet your requirements.

Please keep us posted in your search....
Best wishes

PS: I declined the surgery as my chances for recovery were not very good, so I manage it with holistic treatments. So far.....so good!

[QuickSilver]

I wonder if you could get a little baby bjork or something to carry him in, so it would put less strain on your back? A purse is not going to distribute a dog's weight evenly.

Best of luck to you!

[violet voon]

Maybe you can wait, and see how thing goes after your surgery? Because you will need someone to take care of you and your future furbaby during that period of time.. just my opinion

[red98vett]

Originally Posted by Fantastic49

unfortunately, at some point, i will most likely need to have surgery to solve this problem.... but i look forward to rescuing a bit of a smaller dog that i can lift to my heart's content!!! tiny ones need love too!!!

so do bigger ones ! Sounds like you got good advise - try an adult yorkie that way you'll know weight etc...you may have a hard time finding a tiny in a shelter - they do go quickly...it's the poor bigger doggies that end up staying longer...

ps...7 lbs is very small -

[gaiasdaughter00]

have you looked into decompression therapy? i also have the same thing as you,(i fell out of a tree when i was 7 and thats when i screwed it up) my yorkie is 8 lbs and my cairn is pushing 11lbs i also have three kids (my two year old is 30+lbs) and it hurts to pick any of them up but i do it causei have to. the decompression therapy worked on my mom, she had blown a disk out in her shoulders and her lower back. they do the therapy and they do a pt thing that helps to re strengthen the rest of your core. that might help you.
it is so sad when you think you found the one and someone that is out of your control comes up! best of luck to you dear and yes ice packs help me as well, although ever since i threw out my back about 6 months ago i have been using heat pads instead as the ice seems to make it hurt worse.

[red98vett]

Originally Posted by keokis mom

My baby is 7 pounds ( if not more form all the treats) and he fits fine in a bag and is not heavy at all. I babysit my best friends tiny yorkie and I am so nervous with him around because he is so delicate. I feel bad for this rescue Maybe you should just give him a chance- when I first met my baby I was a bit put off- thought he was too big for me but I am so grateful for him and his sturdy size- which by the way is light- he is the love of my life- good luck!!!

I have to agree - depending on the structure - a 7 pounder can FEEL like 4 lbs. A very tiny yorkie can have more issues than you may be ready to deal with especially if you're facing surgery.....

My Cheri is 5-1/2 and FEELS like a little feather when I hold her

[Cerise]

Originally Posted by Fantastic49

i want to be able to pick up and carry my furbaby with me when i leave the house!! i know it may sound petty, but those couple of pounds make a big difference for me and my health!! i couldn't even carry a purse for months after my car accident!! grrrrrrr i've waited for over 2 years to get a dog and i love, love, LOVE yorkies!! no chihuahuas ... they're cute, but i'm sticking with the yorkies!!!

Perhaps instead of carrying your future furbaby in a purse you could invest in a nice dog stroller. It would be much better for your back. That way you won't have to worry about the weight and he or she can still go places with you. 7lbs is a standard and great size for a full grown Yorkie. You may find a rescue that weighs less but keep in mind that the very tiny ones a lot of times come with health issues and that could be another challenge.

[AmyChristine]

I am sorry that he wasn't right for you. I remember when my aunt first injured her back she was told not to lift anything over 5lbs, or heavier a bag of sugar. It has been 3-4 years now and she still cannot lift much more than that. Good luck with your search.