EEEEEP going to look at a puppy today

[Mardelin]

Originally Posted by LifeLovePassion

Well, we are thinking about it (still undecided about a dog over all). She was a sweetie. She is a bigger yorkie. about 5lb and 14 weeks. Not fragile at all. My dd1 is very high functioning w/Autism most people don't know she has it. She loves animals and comes out of her shell with them. We, as a family are looking for a small breed dog to fit our needs and have had a yorkie cross before so we are familiar w/temperment. And we are not looking at a rescue this time because we want a puppy/to be able to train it properly from the get go. Our last dog (yorkie cross) we had doing obediance and flyball.

While I don't place a dog in a home with young children, you are doing the wiser thing. Picking a larger dog.

There is one thing I noticed and it is very telling in a breeder; the pups ears aren't shaved or assisted to help them stand.

Check on the guarantee; vet checks. Once meeting the breeder if you don't feel comfortable that she is going to be there for you for the rest of that pups life or if she sells it to you on open registration.....walk away.

You buy your breeder first then your pup.

[LifeLovePassion]

Originally Posted by Britster

I totally agree- especially on the skittish thing. I definitely think you wanna search for a more outgoing puppy!

The puppy herself wasn't skittish. Mom and Dad were totally. Here siblings were somewhat (when just DH and I were looking at them), but were drastically different when they were playing together in the pen with their siblings before we went in again. She was the most social of the pups when away from her siblings. She was maybe a tiny bit slow to warm up, but I didn't feel like she was showing running away/tail hiding/fear behavior like her parents. If I hadn't seen the parents I wouldn't have guessed that is what they were like based on seeing her first.

Originally Posted by Mardelin

While I don't place a dog in a home with young children, you are doing the wiser thing. Picking a larger dog.

There is one thing I noticed and it is very telling in a breeder; the pups ears aren't shaved or assisted to help them stand.

Check on the guarantee; vet checks. Once meeting the breeder if you don't feel comfortable that she is going to be there for you for the rest of that pups life or if she sells it to you on open registration.....walk away.

You buy your breeder first then your pup.

Interesting about the ears, tell me more. The ears were clean, but not standing.

I'm calling her vet today to get some questions answered.

[Mitzis Mom]

I really really admire your effort to make the right decision! Our youngest Yorkie, Mylo, was about 5 lbs. when we got him at 14 weeks old and now he is 7 months and weighs in at a whopping 8 lbs., well on his way to become an adorable 'tea pot'. He is just the sweetest puppy I ever had and funny and outgoing now even though he was very skittish when we first saw him. That was probably the reason why he was not sold yet. He is still skittish with strangers and even bit a lady who was putting her finger through the fence. I know he should be more socialized but I don't have a lot of opportunities. Mylo is also not fragile and has to take quite a few hits from his 'siblings' b/c he can be a pest...LOL... Oh... and his ears were not standing either so I shaved and taped them for a few hours and voila, there they are big like Dumbo's and flopping funnily when he is running...
What I wanted to say is go with your guts and if you feel that this Yorkie girl is right for you and your family it will be.

[lizzieg]

I believe that if a puppy and children grow up together, it makes it easier. I have a 6 y.o. and a 5 y.o. and we are always together, and I always supervise. They are very gentle and respectful of Khloe, and in turn, I've taught Khloe to be respectful to them, their toys, and their toes. (: It can be a beautiful thing. Every situation is different. Yorkies have fragile bones, but with good training, an accident will be prevented before it even happens. I expect my kids to respect an animal that is 1 lb. or 100 lbs. the same; of course these two types of dogs will have different needs. The best of luck to you; research breeders and keep looking at puppies. Bring your kids to look at puppies and see how they interact together. We let Khloe choose us. Between her and her brother, she came to us first, was very friendly and outgoing, and really took to my kids. She's much more playful and spunky around them; she acts like an old lady around the adults of the house. lol. It sounds like you know the responsibility and you are very close to your children, and like myself, would do anything to make your family happy. And IMO, every child needs a dog.

[Teegy]

ask if the parents have any hereditary ailments and I agree you should look at a larger dog. Yorkies are small and little bones can be crushed easily. But if your mind is set then so be it. They are stubborn and have a habit of not being fond of children. That isn't all of them though.

[bribunny]

I think children and yorkies are perfectly fine as long as the children are respectful of the yorkies size. We have a 2 year old and 4 year old who LOVES our baby and fully understands that they cannot pick her up without supervision or rough play with her. Since these are your kids, you will be able to make these rules and help teach them.

Also, my nephew is autistic and a dog really helped him improve.

If you feel it is best for your family, I say go for it!

[Mardelin]

Originally Posted by bribunny

I think children and yorkies are perfectly fine as long as the children are respectful of the yorkies size. We have a 2 year old and 4 year old who LOVES our baby and fully understands that they cannot pick her up without supervision or rough play with her. Since these are your kids, you will be able to make these rules and help teach them.

Also, my nephew is autistic and a dog really helped him improve.

If you feel it is best for your family, I say go for it!

While I don't ever place a pup in a home with children under the age of 12, my decision is on a case by case basis. A larger pup may be of consideration.

Yorkies are usually very loveable and love children. However, it's based on their pedigree, if the were bred for temperament, and well socialized.

[bribunny]

Originally Posted by Mardelin

While I don't ever place a pup in a home with children under the age of 12, my decision is on a case by case basis. A larger pup may be of consideration.

Yorkies are usually very loveable and love children. However, it's based on their pedigree, if the were bred for temperament, and well socialized.

I agree with you, it is solely based on the individual family. I have 2 very sweet little girls who are well mannered and have done extremely well with our yorkie. That being said, I'm not too sure my BIL's kids would be okay. They are rowdy and don't listen very well.

I just wanted the OP to know that having a yorkie with small children can be done! It's not easy, trust me, but if her kids are able to understand the dangers, it could be a possibility.

[Rhetts_mama]

When my mom was searching for Oliver, the rescue she ended up with had two pups that had been turned over due to injuries. One yorkie who's back leg had been broken so badly that the orthopedic specialist was considering amputation. The other was a morkie with a head injury and seizures. Both of the injuries were caused by young children. I can bet you anything that those families would have said their kids were good, respectful children who would never hurt an animal. But accidents happen because kids get careless or over excited around small dogs. No matter what we say, they just DON'T have the cognitive ability to really "get" the fragility of these type of dogs. Puppies wiggle out of grasp and they get grabbed or they fall. And everyone says that they will supervise the kids and the dogs together- but life intervenes. The door gets knocked on, the telephone rings and dinner needs to get made.

Too me, it's just not a chance worth taking. Not when there are other options out there.

[Britster]

Originally Posted by Rhetts_mama

When my mom was searching for Oliver, the rescue she ended up with had two pups that had been turned over due to injuries. One yorkie who's back leg had been broken so badly that the orthopedic specialist was considering amputation. The other was a morkie with a head injury and seizures. Both of the injuries were caused by young children. I can bet you anything that those families would have said their kids were good, respectful children who would never hurt an animal. But accidents happen because kids get careless or over excited around small dogs. No matter what we say, they just DON'T have the cognitive ability to really "get" the fragility of these type of dogs. Puppies wiggle out of grasp and they get grabbed or they fall. And everyone says that they will supervise the kids and the dogs together- but life intervenes. The door gets knocked on, the telephone rings and dinner needs to get made.

Too me, it's just not a chance worth taking. Not when there are other options out there.

I'm not disagreeing with you in that if you already have kids, you should specifically look for a bit bigger of a Yorkie if you want one. They are not as fragile and much sturdier for sure. And also do your research and pick the "RIGHT" puppy.

However, anything can happen at any moment to any person or any dog by accident, that's why they are called accidents. I would bet that 99% of people here on YT have at ONE point accidentally stepped on their little ones paw, or tripped over them, or accidentally hurt them in some way. It just happens! We can be as cautious as we want, but things still happen unfortunately. I always remember the story of a poor little Yorkie on here who was tiny and ran into a wall and ended up passing away because of it. She was simply running around the house having fun... we can't not let our dogs outdoors, or to play with other dogs, or to run around the house, or play fetch, or go for walks, or car rides, or do anything... all of those things have the potential to hurt them but we still do them. Dogs need to live out their lives!

I'm w/ you that there ARE other options. Like I said, look specifically for a larger yorkie, or one that you KNOW already likes children, etc. Those are very smart things to research before adding a dog to your family. But it just seems like to me, sheltering our dogs from children (or the world) is not going to help them. I think so many little dogs are mean towards children simply because we don't give them the chance to socialize with them and are too frightened by what could or couldn't happen. I'm all for being over protective of our dogs (I am overprotective of Jackson) and being sure they are safe as possible at all times but I really don't think keeping them away from well mannered children is the answer.

What happens if a couple has small yorkies first, and THEN have kids? And these small yorkies LIKE the children...? Would you say that's not a good idea, rehome them?? I dunno, just playing a little devils advocate here. Because I do see both sides. I understand what kids can do to a small dog and I think supervision is a must with ANY size dog. But there's potential for danger all around us.

[rik20101]

Well, I am glad that two people have taken that chance with me and my kids. We get to experience the love and devotion of a smaller dog. I'm sorry to those who have seen injuries first hand and I will always do everything in my power to keep that from happening. It makes me sad that my choice to have children could interfere with my choice to have yorkies, but such is life. I took my time and found people who trust me with their babies. I am thankful for that.

[lizzieg]

Originally Posted by rik20101

Well, I am glad that two people have taken that chance with me and my kids. We get to experience the love and devotion of a smaller dog. I'm sorry to those who have seen injuries first hand and I will always do everything in my power to keep that from happening. It makes me sad that my choice to have children could interfere with my choice to have yorkies, but such is life. I took my time and found people who trust me with their babies. I am thankful for that.

I am very thankful that our breeder met with us and approved our family. I literally have 3 kids (2 humans and 1 Furbaby), but we all treat her like an infant. Puppies and children are not a lot different; both are curious, adventurous, and will get themselves into harm's way without supervision, guidance, and training. And some accidents will happen, regardless of how much you shelter your kids and your puppy. The important thing is to accept it, respond to accidents quickly, and try to prevent them before they happen. IMO, a home that isn't puppy proof poses more of a risk for an accident than children do. And every child is different, so I'm thankful some breeders grant approvals for a dog to go to homes with children on a case-by-case basis.