Help for a potential Yorkie owner...
 

Hello, everyone!

I'm a newbie here, and I'd like to say that I think this is a wonderful forum!

I'm seriously considering buying a Yorkie. Last week, I went to see one for sale. He is 10 weeks old, and adorable! The only problem was that he was extremely hyper. So hyper, in fact, that I couldn't even hold him. He ran around me, and everytime I'd try to touch him, he's bite my hands (in a playful manner). He also barked an awful lot. Is this to be expected from most Yorkie puppies, or did I just meet one very hyper one? Also, if I do happen to get a very hyper puppy, what are the chances of him mellowing out?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Yorkies are hyper, that is just the way they are!! They do mellow with age, by you can expect them to always be a bit on the hyper side!! That is one of the reason why I love the breed so much!

I think that you just met a super hyper dog. Yes, yorkies are hyper to a certain point but there are calmer yorkies out there. My Rebel will literally run circles around me but Gracie even at the same age was a really laid back girl. Chester is the same way. He's never been rowdy like Rebel is. I don't know what you could do if you choose to buy him except for obedience training. Or, you can keep looking until you find one that better fits your needs.

Oh, and WELCOME to YT! :D

Thanks for such a fast response!

I will just keep looking, I suppose. I don't mind a dog that is full of energy, but that little guy was just out of control!

If you are at all still interested in him I would recommend going back another time. All yorkies are different and some are more active than others. My Hefner is active for only short spurts every day, but he LOVES to sleep and he would sleep in until 10 if I let him and take many naps during the day. He also likes to go to bed at about 9 pm.

He goes into the "wild willies" every night just before bedtime I think as a way to wear himself out and wind down for sleep.

Ava, on the other hand is up at 5:30 am and ready to play...she is spunky and ready to play all day long and she is a real character with barking and growling...very vocal. I wouldn't really call her "hyper" though because she can also be calm and listens closely to commands, is easily trainable and smart.

Princess Chai has a nigh metabolism...she eats more than all the rest and is very thin but is the fastest and the best athlete...very agile and able to jump very high..also very vocal and bossy. Some people might call her hyper but she is my lap baby and wants to be in my lap more than all the others. She will go take a nap with me whenever I have the time.

Then, there is Buddha, who is aptly named because he was wise and mellow as a puppy even. My daughter is in college so she couldn't have an overly "hyper" dog and he will play and she wears him out with lots of walks but he is perfect for her lifestyle because he doesn't mind "watching TV or laying in his bed.

Anyway, it could be that the little guy you saw had just awoke from a nap or was going though his daily wild willies and the next time you visit he might be less active. At ten weeks they are usually sleeping a lot still and sometimes it is hard to get them to play so maybe the breeder planned your visit at a time when she knew he would be playful.

Sorry this is so long but ...Welcome to YT!!!

On my Rowdy, a couple looked at him before me and passed b/c he was hyper, well I got him and he was a total lap baby........just depends on the day you visit at that age. I would go back and visit :>)

Angie

Yorkies can be hyper. I guess you can go back to see if this puppy still out of control. Good luck in your search.

What did the breeder say about the level of his activity when you were there? Did she suggest coming at a different time? Did you ask her the questions that you have asked here? I would suggest you find out a lot more about the parents and other relatives and his siblings. This might be the type of Yorkie that needs a lot more training and time spent working on him..

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It is okay to be hyper at 10 weeks..but a pup of any age needs to settle when you pick it up and sit with it. It shouldn't go crazy in a pen, barking and yelping until it is let out. I avoid parents with a hyper nature or one to produce it. It shold be alert and outgoing, but not bouncing off the walls and unable to settle when you hold.
I have had boarding clients Yorks who were adults and I could rarely hold them..not the best pet...I would visit a couple times and if the breeder is honest, they will tell you what it's temperment is really like on a day to day basis.

All my girls were very docile and layed back and Dennis was exactly as you described, “So hyper, in fact, that I couldn't even hold him. He ran around me, and everytime I'd try to touch him, he's bite my hands (in a playful manner). “ I would tell my friends that “I got my first Kiss when he was 12 weeks old however I was wearing butter sauce at the time, so I really can’t count it!

I am glad to report that Dennis is becoming quite the little love bunny. He is full of kisses and is always on my lap. I am beginning to think that how you socialize and interact with them has a lot to do with what they become. I am very fortunate that I can be here around the clock with them which I think makes a big difference. These little guys don’t like to be alone and Dennis seems to hate it more than any I have had. He learned how to get down the stairs at 12 weeks because he could not bear to be left for even a moment.

Hope this helps!

hi! ya some yorkies are more hyper than others. sometimes they are hyper at the breeder's house surrounded by his brothers and sisters, but then once they come home with you and they are by themselves, they aren't! really is hard to tell with one visit. I just got a little yorkie 2 weeks ago and his hyperness comes in spouts. he is hyper for 20 minutes, running around like crazy, and then he's fast asleep! typical puppy behavior.
good luck with your search!

let me know if you'd like to chat more - I also live in chicago and did a TON of research and met with many breeders before purchasing Coby!

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A good Yorkie pup should be outgoing, friendly, active..running around..BUT they should settle down in your arms/lap after a few minutes..if you can not hold them, have to chase them down to pick them up..I would seriously reconsider...I like a well adjusted puppy, full of ginger, BUT they can not be chronically hyper..they are miserable to live with...alot has to do with temperament of the bloodline...you don't want shy and bashful, but laid back, easy going is a big plus in a pet...

Pud is alot more hyper than the one I had before him but, he is so much fun, He is that way when I first see him then he wants to lay in my lap

Just wanted to point out that the original post is dated november 2005. ;)

I know this is an old thread but I totally agree with this! I have a hyper girl who has calmed down (very, very little) with training but she is still a little difficult at times due to her hyper nature.