Help!! Need to convince family for Yorkie..
 

Hi... I am a new member and so happy to have found this forum. I am researching yorkies and breeders, while trying to convince my family and fiance that yorkies are not just a purse dog, but a smart, fun, loving companion. My fiance does not have a pet and is OCD about everything. He has two sons, 7 & 9. I love the breed and have a very loving 5 yr. old son that needs a pet. My son is so gentle that I would not be concerned with him and a yorkie. I do want to find one that will be about 7 lbs. I will not bore you with with anymore details, just wanted ask a few questions...Thank you so much!!

Yorkies claws do you scratch leather furniture right?

I have been reading good and bad things about crate training.... I do not work and will be with the baby most of the time. But, I would rather have him trained to sleep in a crate and not the bed. Anyone have advice that does this or wishes they had?

Do most yorkies run when let off a leash? I would him to be able to follow the boys around the yard, without leaving... I understand that every dog is different and I will need to train him:)

Thank you so much for helping me! I want a puppy SO bad. I will continue to read from you posts to learn a lot more.:)

Neither one of my Yorkies clawed furniture or chewed shoes, etc. I have never put them in a crate. I have several crates, if they want to go in, they will. I have been fortunate to have a room in the house where they could stay while working on getting house trained. I don't let mine off leash unless they are in the fenced yard, dog park, etc. They have both been trained but there are too many dangers - cars, other dogs and I would be afraid someone would take them.

Do Your Homework and Be Sure All Agree
 

My first advice would be to make sure that everyone is onboard with your pet selection. Yorkies are real people dogs and require lots of human interaction. They give back so much but can't be ignored. They are a big time investment if you start with a puppy.
Our Bella is crate trained and sleeps in a crate at night. She NEVER goes in her crate during the day, her pink bed in the family room is her safe place is she is not able to be in a lap. I love her sleeping in a crate at night because we know she is always safe at night when we visit friends, stay in hotels, etc. After she wakes up early in the a.m. to potty she climbs back into bed with us. So we have that special snuggle time, too.
Research breeders carefully and ask lots of questions on this forum. The more you know before you bring a new furbaby into your life, the better owner you will be.
Potty training can be a BIG challenge with this breed. So be prepared. So many people don't realize this and are frustrated and want to give up their little ones when they don't train quickly.
Bella changed our world forever when we rehomed her as our very first dog. We spent alot of time educating ourselves after we got her. We didn't realize there was so much to learn. But we LOVE her to death and consider ourselves to be good puppy parents. I come on the forum every day and keep learning more and more.
Good luck and know that we are all here to help and support you.:)

Even without deliberately scratching at it, a yorkie's claws will scratch leather furniture from repeatedly jumping on & off it over time.

I would never let my yorkie off leash to run, unless in a fenced in area. Even a well-trained yorkie may be too prey-driven to resist a squirrel or rabbit it sees. It's not a chance I'm willing to take.

My current yorkie sleeps in my bed. My last yorkie slept in a dog bed right next to mine in the winter. In the summer she prefered to sleep on the above-referenced leather furniture in the family room. I've never had one sleep in a crate at night.

My child was 5 when we first got our yorkies. I have found the larger ones to be best for children. My Chachi is 11 lbs and he is sturdy and can take the rough play of children. Jewels my 6 1/2 lb yorkie is nervous around children and isnt as outgoing as Chachi.

Yorkies in my opinion are very smart. I would not get one though unless it is something everyone wants. You do however have to be extremely careful with them especially with children. I never recommend them for children. These little guys legs are fragile jumping off furniture should be a no no running kids a no no if they get stepped on they could get hurt really bad.

Although you love Yorkies I would suggest waiting until the children are older I did. I raised my kids then got the breed of my choice. It' s just how I feel. I cringe when I hear someone wanting to get a Yorkie for kids. I don't mean to be mean it's my opinion.

Welcome to YT

Thank you for your replies. I am really doing my research. I live in Northeast Ohio and am researching breeders. I took the kids to one, but want to visit some more. My son and I have our own home and I will be training the baby here for about 2 yrs, before mixing the families. So, hoping that they puppy will be trained by then. We do go to fiances house every weekend and spend one night getting the boys together . That way the puppy can slowly get used to both houses. I understand that a yorkie is not like a lab, as far as playing with kids goes. I just want the boys to be able to play with the puppy too! I have seen the outdoor play yards that the puppy can be in, that is big enough for the boys to get in too. I only have 10 acres, but my fiance has 100. But, the baby would definitely see wild life and he as swans. Best to just stay on a leash!

Do you think it would be best for us to get a 12 wk old puppy, or try to get an older one? 6 months or so? I think it would be best to get them used to us as soon as possible.

Thanks again:aimeeyork

My yorkies never have scratched up the couch...but they are all different. The only thing Bevo ever chewed on that he wasnt supposed to were my venetian blinds...I think though, he was just trying to get them out of the way so he could see out the window!!:) He learned really quickly though that those were mommys and not to do it again!!!

I have never put mine in a crate...We have a baby that does go into a room at night with his momma, but Im sure as soon as hes big enough, he will graduate to our bed with our other yorkie. I never thought my hubby would allow Bevo to sleep in our bed, but dont kid yourself, he is now just as in love with them as I am. It puts a smile on your face every morning waking up to such a happy little face. Bevo "wiggles" up against my neck (almost like a fish out of water) every morning...his version of puppy hugs!!

They are very much people pets. They need and crave human interaction. If you are truly thinking of getting a yorkie, research alot!! This is not a dog to just leave alone and toss in the backyard!! About running off...I dont know if Bevo would, but I will never unleash him and find out either!! Too risky if you arent in a fenced in area!

Good luck with your decision! :)

You've got some great breeders up your way.... Check out the YTCA.org breeder referral page. Most of these breeders will help you through the questions you've asked....

Seems the smaller yorkies are afraid of children. My 7 lber is terrified of children. He will growl to get kids to back off, but I know he would never hurt anyone. I am careful regardless. I wouldn't want to ever have an accident.

I think a properly trained yorkie will do everything you would like him/her to do. My little one cane to me potty trained at a year old, so I didn't deal with that. But, I did have to switch him to potty pads. It took him 2 weeks to get the concept, and 1 month to be a total pro. They are super smart little stinkers, meaning too smart for their own good and will get themselves into mischief.

I guess I'm the only one here who would allow their yorkie off leash. He has amazing recall, will sit and stay before continuing if I ask him to, and is typically very obedient. But It didn't happen overnight.

Yep, I would just look for a bigger Yorkie. I do think they are a better choice for children. Jackson is 16lbs and very sturdy and loves my young siblings, who are 3 and 7, and is very close with them and good with them. But sometimes kids are kids and accidents happen, and I prefer that he's larger and less inclined to get hurt. Obviously they are always supervised :) My Youtube has a few videos of him and my siblings.

How fun! 10 acres. We have 3 acres but it backs up to 90 acres of farmland. I used to let Jackson off leash all the time but as he reached an older age, he started darting more (luckily it was just in the woods, but still...) so he turned out not to be a 'natural' off leash dog so we started training. I honestly think he'd be fine off leash now, but the main reason I don't is because the farmers kids have four wheelers and come flying by without notice sometimes so I'd rather not risk it... but if you have all that land to yourself, it's definitely something to think about, just always supervise. :) I currently use a 50 foot leash so he has lots of freedom and work on recall every day.

I'm sure many will say older pup with kids, but my vote would be for the 12 week old puppy. Why have yourself & the kids miss out on that puppy experience? It's memories you'll all have forever.

I got my first yorkie, Chelsea, when my kids were 5 & 3 years old. They grew up with her & loved it. My kids are now both in college and they are the ones that bought me my current yorkie, ZoE. My kids still love lil dogs. My now 18yr old, 6'3" hockey playing son turns into a complete softie when he sees a lil dog...yup..even infront of his friends..lol

Yea I hear people on here say their smaller one is good with their kids but do they really interact with the kids and become a kids dog. Jewels seems afraid to get hurt. Dont get me wrong she would be perfect in an adult household or a household with teen children. Chachi doesnt have a fearful bone in his body and it shows in his ability to interact with children. Its just a 5 lb difference in size but it can make a lot of difference in the personality of a little dog

I got one yorkie at at very young age and the second one I got at 18 mo old. When I got the 18 mo old, I was afraid I would miss the baby experience. To my surprise, I did not miss it at all. The older one came house trained and socialized - much easier adjustment on everyone! Especially if you have young children, a fiance, going back and forth on weekends, perhaps an older one that a reputable breeder put in the time to socialize and house train would be the best bet for your household. The wee little babies are dependent on you for everything because of their size and are difficult to house train as a whole. My little one took a long time and a lot of patience to get her housetrained, and you will need everyone in the household to help you do this. A 6 month old would be lovely - still has a lot of puppy left in them.

As for the size, my yorkies have been on the small side (6.5 lb and 4.15 lb). They have a fear of small children and have never been able to completely overcome that. I would get one that runs a little bigger. They are not so delicate, enjoy children better, and are still a very small dog compared to most other breeds - not to mention darn cute!
Wishing you well!!:aimeeyork

If you can I would get one thats older. You will be able to tell more about it like size and personality if it is a kid friendly dog or not

1. My Yorkie has never destroyed any leather or cloth furniture. Keeping their nails trimmed and sanded down is a good way to avoid it. You can either learn to do it, or take him to a groomer/vet to have it done. Quick and easy. :)

2. Crate training is a great idea if you all will be gone for long portions of the day. I actually kept my yorkie in my tiled bathroom with her bed, toys, food/water, and a potty mat. Another thing you could do is get a pen rather than a crate and have all the puppy's stuff in there so he is safe and contained while you are gone, but has room to run around. If your husband is OCD though, he may not like the idea of a potty mat in the house. I sure know my OCD boyfriend will NOT allow potty mats in his apartment if we moved in together. =/

3. He will probably run away at first, but training will help with that. We have a whole training section on the forums and I reccommend PetSmart training if you have one by you. I took my lab through it and she did really well. Just stick with it and it will work.

4. I honestly love yorkies so much more than I thought I ever would. They're sweet little dogs with big hearts. They can be stubborn, but you just have to work with them. My yorkie is 3 and she is still incredibly playful and SO not a purse dog. She hates clothing, bows in her hair, carriers...all of it. :P Mine is also 7lbs and looooves kids. Just look into larger yorkies and maybe ones that are a little older. If they're a little older they're usually settled in with their personality and they are also somtimes already potty trained. Good luck!

Thank you so much for the response. I would like to train my puppy how you did. Crate at night to sleep...ONLY! We travel about once a month and I would need the puppy to feel comfortable in a crate. I would not want the puppy to run free at night in the houses. Do you use the puppy pads in the crate at night? I have read mixed feelings on this too! I would like just until the puppy is potty trained which I understand can be very trying. Did you limit your baby to only one room at first? say the kitchen? Thanks

Thank you for the response. I have looked on the YTCA site and the couple breeders within 3 hours of me did not work out. I am not researching others online and even in to PA. I will continue to look:)

I did the crate training thing at first for a bit. I knew I wanted him to sleep in my bed eventually though and he was terrible at night unless I put the crate ON my bed (or sometimes on my night stand next to my bed)... I did that for about 3-4 weeks and then I just let him sleep in my bed and from then on... that's where he slept, Lol. He slept through the night for the 1st time when I allowed him to do this.

I got an expen for a while so he stayed in there when I left the house. Then he graduated to being gated off in my bedroom when I left. He got free roam of house by 5 1/2 months but he was always trustworthy. He just sleeps when he's home alone anyways :) Now, don't get me wrong, he had accidents and chewed things WHILE I was home but he was always an angel when I was gone, haha.

Awww. If everyone agrees and is on board ~ sounds like that pupster could have a really fun life - 10 acres . . 100 acres ~ Whohoo!

As long as you realize this dog will be YOURS and all the work of him/her will be YOURS too. The kids will want to play with him (gently) but they will NOT want to walk him, feed him, clean up messes, etc. That probably will be all you.

He doesn' thave to be in a crate if you don't want - people use the crate to help them housetrain. BUT if you want him to sleep in a crate; better get him used to one early and fix it up with nice blankets; chew toys, etc so he will learn to love it.

I second the idea that a standard size (at least) would be best; and if you got an 18 month old dog; he/she will still act and play like a puppy, minus all the chewing on carpet, electrical cords; and possibly furniture.

My yorkies claws do not scratch my wood floors OR my leather furniture.

Good Luck!

Great suggestion!

Welcome to YT Here we have a library that contains lots of articles on Yorkies, I have copied a link here on one such article that may be of benefit to you: Guide to Finding a Reputable Breeder

It's refreshing to see someone asking questions first, and really thinking through this decision of caring for an animal for 15yrs or more.

Young children and Yorkies: you have already received some different opinions and will likely receive some more:)
Mine would be, not until your five year old is older.

Is this the only dog you and your fiance have? Does he as well have farm dogs?

Children need to be trained to safely and in a fun way play with their dog; particularly given the small size of a Yorkie. Having a Yorkie chase kids, or kids him, is not safe play for anyone; nor is it something you want your Yorkie to be trained to do. Throwing the ball for him, playing with a wiggly toy, are much better alternatives. I never allow children to pick up my Yorkie, yup never. They can sit on the ground or sit in a child size chair to pet or play. Yorkies can be wriggly beasties and squirm out of a young ones arms and fall and likely injure themselves.

Yorkies off leash? My preference is only in a fenced area. Now that I know you live in the country; you also need to be aware of predatory birds, coyotes, foxes, raccoons, etc. Never leave your young pup, or small full grown Yorkie alone outside; they are very easy prey.

Leather furniture is a bout the best choice for a doggie family. It is usually sturdy enough, can be easily cleaned and protected. Scratch marks from claws, keep the nails constantly trimmed, and I don't think it will be a bother.

Yorkies can be chewers! So safeguard electric cords, et al.

Yorkies and health issues: Please review all the data on health concerns Yorkies have and make sure you investigate and query a potential breeder on what breed specific pre breeding tests they had done; also any health concerns in their line.

Once again Welcome here. Read lots, ask questions. If you need help in evaluating a breeder, we have many experienced researchers here, and experienced breeders that help.

Dinky is just under 4 lbs. (ove a year old). He too avoids children. When we walk and he sees kids, he tries to go the other way. He just prefers calm energy.
I have a friend who likes Yorkies, but she got a Silky Terrier instead because they generally do better with kids. Maybe a Silky. A little bigger and absolutely adorable.