It's been my experience that most of the smaller breed dogs are very protective and territorial while your pup may love you it may not be so happy to see others being that you have a phobia it may not be a great idea to get a small dog that is possibly bark at others this may make you fearful of him/her my advice to you would be to find a local shelter or rescue group and explain to them your fear and ask to go spend some time around the puppies in general most ppl are afraid of adult dogs so if you can handle being around pups you can acclimate yourself and get used to them and move on from there i applaud you on doing your research and thinking before jumping at the impulse to just get a puppy. A new family pet is a lifelong commitment that so many people take for granted and is a big reason we have population problems people don't think things threw and impulsively get a pet they aren't ready for just because its cute!

Thank you boopster and all you other guys/gals you suggested I get a lot more exposure to dogs of different breeds. It's how I planned on spending the next year or so before I get a dog. I WOULD NOT volunteer at a shelter. I visited some a couple of months ago when my friend was looking for a dog to adopt and I almost had an anxiety attack just sitting in the waiting room. Way too loud and just overall overwhelming.

I will take your suggestions for exposure. I have a couple friends with (well-behaved) small dogs so I will work on interacting with them.

When I do decide to get one, I will likely go through a rescue and let them know my problem so they know to suggest dogs that wouldn't make the phobia come back or get stronger.

BeyonceMomma23: thanks for highlighting just how much time and commitment Yorkies need. You're right. I would never get a dog if I knew I couldn't dedicate the appropriate time and energy to it. And sadly, I won't be able to be a stay-at-home mommy for a yorkie while working on a PhD lol.

Sadly, I think I have to cross Yorkies off my list :unlove: I wouldn't be doing the dog justice. Thank you all again for your very honest feedback.

I have to research other breeds you suggested for me like the Maltese and Pom. I don't know if those breeds have a website as useful and open as this one :cry8: :yorkietal

If you can excercise him everyday, groom him everyday and raise him very well, with positive training, then I would reccomand a yorkie for you :)
Just beware of bad breeders, get a yorkie from a GOOD breeder who has all of his dogs in his home always.
Dont get a dog from a backyard breeder,petstore or nothing like that, don't buy the dog if the breeder doesnt let you see the parents and if she ONLY says positive things about her dogs and her breeding, every good breeder can say something negative about it also :)

Good luck!

There is no shedding on Yorkie or Maltese. Do you have allergy problems, if so, looking for a breed that doesn't shed is important. The Yorkie's hair is more like human hair, not fur like most dogs. There is no undercoat, and this is what sheds on most dogs. The teething is annoying, and a little painful, if they bite, you wouldn't be able to react in fear or anger.

Luckily I don't have allergies. I am however, a neat freak and hate the look of hair/fur all over the place hence why I prefer a dog that sheds very little or not at all.

Great point about not being able to get angry about the teething since it is a natural process. Hmm, looks like I may be going for a young adult dog when the time is right.

You don't have to be a stay at home yorkie mom to be a good yorkie mom, in my honest opinion. Most of YTers are working parents, and some have skin kids. I think it's one of those situations where if you really want it bad enough, you will make it work. You'll make time for a pup.

I'm actually typing from work and my furbutt is at home. He's grown, so I don't worry about him as much as I would a 12 week old puppy. I'm not going to lie I do worry. So, to make worrying less I take precautions like:
-limit his space to an area where he can't get in trouble. (Bedroom door closed, kitchen gated off and he has access to living room and bathroom.)
-enough water to drink
-food to eat (measured portions since he can become a porkie yorkie easily)
-a place to potty (piddle pad in the bathroom)
-and a soft place to sleep.

Hi if your interested in a maltese you might want to visit our sister forum Maltese Talk.

I have a yorkie and a maltese who I love to death. Funny thing is my maltese is the wild and crazy one and my yorkie is the calm one. I first got my maltese never owning a dog before. And she did scare me at first (yeah a 1lb white furball). But she was just as scare as I was. I gave her space and waited for her to come to me. In a couple of day's all she wanted to do was to be in my lap.
As far as biting when their teething those sharp baby teeth will hurt. That's with yorkies and maltese. So you might want to consider adopting one in their teenage years if you want to avoid that. I would also recomend you do frequent visits with the breeder to see which pup is the calm one.
The only other advise I might have is to make sure you have money for training. Training a dog is very important especially when your involved.

Good post, and I just want to remind the reader that "teenage years" for a dog would be be around 1. This is when the dog has adult teeth, and can get pregnant, but shouldn't.

Hello and welcome to YT :) I too had a fear of dogs when I was younger~a HUGE fear so I can see where you are coming from . But I would bet that most people who know me from YT and even in my real world life don't have a clue~NOW. There are still some that I am slightly afraid of from childhood experiences (chi's and shepards how's that for a huge difference). :rolleyes: As I was sitting here reading over all of the suggestions and loving the idea that you want to really try to get over your fear of dog I had a thought. Shelters are not my favorite place to hang out either. They are a scary place to me as well. :( But what I find fun is going to Petsmart or Petco on dog adoption days. There are local rescues that would love to have a young girls help on a Saturday afternoon with an adoption even. It would be a great experience for you to get acquainted with different breeds of dogs. The rescues try to take the most social fosters to the store that do the best with crowds and other animals. The dogs need to be walked while at the event and if you where willing to spend a few hours it might be a great way to get more exposure to what it would be like to be a pet owner.

I'm not saying that you need to adopt a rescue but you just might find the love of your life~you just never know. :)

Here is a dog breed quiz to help direct you towards maybe a breed that may work for you. They site also has a lot of pictures and info on a bunch of different dog breeds as well as a lot of information on raising dogs and such.

My advice would be to not really focus so much on the breed as much as finding a dog that you can handle and live with. All breeds are going to have some dogs that are snippy, or yappy, or have behavioral problems and all breeds are going to have calm, laid back dogs. Yes, there are breeds that are more known for certain personality traits, but each individual dog is different. I hope I just made sense... lol

Breed Selector, Dog Search, Puppy Survey, Puppy Test, Test to find the right dog, Breed Quiz

The general theme that must be acknowledged is the fact that these "cute" small dogs (yorkie or maltese) all require CONSTANT ATTENTION. You will be surprised how much your little yorkie will quickly become your little baby.

Ask any of the members on here if they treat their yorkie more like a "dog" or a "baby"?


I realize that you have a phobia of a biting dog but I believe you will get over that fairly quickly with these kind of dogs. These dogs have the ability to steal your heart. Next thing you know you will be buying them clothes, researching their food/treats, bathing them with shampoos and conditioners that are more expensive than your own, and finally letting them sleep in your bed. You will totally forget that you are afraid that your yorkie might bite you.

Just remember getting a yorkie is a huge personal commitment that will change your life for the better.

Have you ever dog-sat your boss' yorkie? If no, I suggest you volunteer to do that. If possible, try to dog-sit the yorkie for over-nights, if possible (like a long weekend, or a week-long period). That experience will you give a good idea whether you want to become a yorkie owner.

Incidentally, that was how I fell in love with the yorkie breed. I used to dog-sit for a friend's yorkie. While it was a lot of work, I enjoyed every minute of it. I cried every time the yorkie returned home. I think caring for a yorkie is much like caring for a toddler. Some people love it, but some do not. JMHO.

Depends on what your schedule is. ;) I am in grad school full-time and Levi does not lack for any attention at all. He definitely has more time with me now than he will when I am working full-time. And there are plenty of Yorkie owners who work full-time and still have the time and resources to devote to their furbabies. I just think you need to examine your personal schedule and make sure that you have proper time to devote to a pup. Don't let being in school deter you. Just make sure you have the time, resources, and most importantly, the commitment to your new companion.

Definitely look into getting an older pup. Levi was almost 2 when I got him and it was so helpful to know his temperament before I brought him home. Good luck with your decision. :)

As a full-time grad student, I actually have very little homework. Mostly reading and research (e.g., reading articles), which are activities perfectly suited to snuggling with Levi. It's not the "busy work" type homework. I work full-time during the summers and spend a lot more time away from Levi while working than when we are on my school schedule since I am only in class a few hours a week. Grad school is demanding, but not to the extent that you can't devote yourself to a pup. I am at my internship 9-5 Mondays and Tuesdays and in class for 3 hours a day Wednesday-Friday. Less time away from home than a full-time job and no real homework. Works out perfectly for us. :)