Empty Nest...before or after?
 

Hi,

Just a random question I have after reading lots of different posts by people and I kind of want to see where most people are at. I got my yorkie(s) because I want kids and love to take care of things, but I am not "ready" for kids aka in grad school, not married, etc. I feel like there are probably lots of reverse empty nesters like me as well as after your "skin" babies grow up and leave you (like my mom and her Maltese(s)).
So question being how many of you are pre-baby or post-baby yorkie baby lovers? Or have nothing to do with babies at all, so don't want babies or also have kids at home now and that has nothing to do with you also wanting a furbaby?

Hi I have a year old little boy, we have been talking off and on about having other child. So we got a puppy, I dont know if I can have anymore kids.

My oldest dd got our Moka when she was a senior in high school. I knew she would be leaving home for school but I was also at a place where I thought a dog would be a good fit. Boy was Moka a blessing in the adjustment and I love the love between dd and Moka when she is home. Ha she still "thinks" Moka is her baby. Two years later when the youngest dd left home we got Mylee :)

Before and after here.

Well Corky is NOT really my dog, he is really my daughters, who is 13 (I just pay for everything). Before my husband died he wanted her to have someone to look after her and something to take care of. I am not having anymore kids. I told her to find a college that will allow her to take Corky with her. She said she will go to school local, and live at home. I do not think I will get another dog after this one. I will not want to take care of anything else.

Well, we don't have kids and don't really plan on them. We have two yorkies and wonder why people even need children? lol :p

Mine after too.

Mine after empty nest before losing another family pet. The best decision I ever made. She fills the emptiness that is created when kids leave and you lose a furkid.

We had, in general, 'bigger' dogs when my 2 children were at home (labradors etc).

It happened that our Rosie lab got arthritis in her back legs/hips at 12 years old, just when I was diagnosed with degenerative disc disease in my back. I couldn't lift her in and out of the car etc....:(

It was then that I realised - when we had lost our Rosie, both my kids had left home, and after holding out a couple of years - that I really didn't enjoy our home so much without a dog in it, but I knew I couldn't physically cope with large dogs any more...

We researched (yes, including on YT!! :)) - and that's how Harry came into our lives. Thank goodness! Sally + Harry x

Both our daughter & son have been out of the house for quite a few years, with families of their own.

My dh and I have always had pets. Lost both our outside cats, one was 18 yrs and the other was 17yrs. That left us with our chi and our mini pen both a month apart in age 14 yrs. Out vet had bee telling us...they were both getting bad and to prepare. Dh said, you have got to pick a pup and get it in our home before anything happens.

Well...needless to say, I picked a yorkie :) We had Zhoie 3 mos to the day before we lost our mini pen-Molly and the following Monday our Chi-Nicky.

Now...we have only one and will stay that way. But Pat always...why in all these years did we not have a yorkie before..LOL. :D

I do know....I could never ever be without a dog....I need it, hehehe

I have 4 grown children ages 27 to 38. I got Piper 4 years ago when I realized how much I needed something to mother. Piper is my baby now and I always refer to her as "The Baby". I now have 3 baby grandsons but they live far away and I only see them a few times a year. I love taking care of and mothering Piper.

My husband and I don't have children, and don't plan to have any. We made this decision well before I discovered my love for yorkies. Thus, in my opinion, us not having children and having a yorkie have nothing to do with each other.

Well, maybe they do relate to each other a little bit. Oftentimes, we refer to our yorkie Tatiana as our only child. :)

I have been on both ends of the spectrum. Before I got married I guess I had a motherly instinct or something. I had like 30 house plants and an outside garden. I also had a beautiful little Maltese that was my "baby."

Now I have been married and my kids are grown. I have almost always had a small dog and a big dog through the years. I have just always loved the little dogs. I had a Shih Tzu for 15 years before I got Gracie.

I am not an empty nester, a pre-nester, or a non-nester...just have a fondness for fur babies. :p I grew up with animals and had my own animals growing up and took my Yorkie-Poo with me, my children grew up with animals, my children have animals now, as do I, and only one of my kids has a child so far, but my grandaughter is growing up with animals as well. It is a very interesting question, however! :D

During nesting & empty-nest :)

I got my first yorkie, Chelsea when my kids were 3 & 5, and she grew up with them. Chelsea passed away just before my daughter's senior year in high school. I then went 3 years without a dog...convinced I could never care about any other pup the way I did Chelsea.

Once both my kids were away at college, they felt bad that I was home alone & wanted to get me a puppy as a Christmas gift. They looked at breeders & found one they liked, but she wouldn't sell her a puppy as a "gift" and required that they talk to me about it first to make sure I wanted the responsibility and commitment again. I thought long & hard (so long, I almost missed out on a pup at all, as they all had deposits on them by then) and finally decided yes! I ended up with the female yorkie the breeder was going to keep for herself....that's my ZoE :)

Never again will I be without a yorkie...I don't know what the heck I was thinking those 3 years I went without.

Retired, Crazy Yorkie Lady.
Most YTers know in the 70s and 80s when my children were young, my husband (RIP) and I raised, trained and showed Labs.
After the kids got older, they bought me a Yorkie, so I would have a baby to spoil. I have had Yorkies since the 80s.

Before!! I got Jax when I was 18. I am so excited to have him be a part of my life through so many major moments. He's already been there for me through so much (he's almost 3 1/2 and I'm 21) and I so look forward to sharing so much more of my life with him. While I don't think it's a good age for most people to get puppies, for me it worked out for the best and I don't think I'll ever have as much of a connection with another dog or be able to spend as much time as I have with him.

Pre-baby. My pup is my baby for now :) And we both like it that way, lol.

My daughter is 14 now & we got Princess 2 years ago. I never wanted a dog & wasn't originally attracted to yorkies:eek:, but once researched I fell in love. I want a playmate for her but dd doesn't (Princess gets too spoiled already apparently), so I'm already planning on getting another yorkie when dd graduates.:p She's debating local school & may stay home, but either way, I'm getting another!;) I know it will ease the empty nest I'll be having since she's my one & only child.

We are empty nesters, but we do not have grandchildren yet.
Dinky is in some ways a "granddog" for us. I think we are at a good age to have a Yorkie. We are retired so we don't have to leave the dog to go to work, and with no kids or grandkids anywhere in sight, we can pay way too much attention to him.

We are empty nesters and our furbabies are our babies. We love them as if they were our very own children. Our children live out of town and we don't see them real often and my furbabies fill that void. I would have them even if we had never had children. I love animals period. I have 2 sons from a previous marriage and my husband has 2 daughters from a previous marriage, so these are our babies together. lol!!!

Well, my son was getting older (just 15 went we brought our first home) and my biological clock was definitely ticking... Having another baby wasn't an option at the time, so I guess getting my Yorkies did provide me with new babies to spoil. :D

I have always had a dog - even when I was little. When our youngest daughter was about one year old, we went out and bought our dog, Max. He was a Shetland sheepdog and an absolute joy to have - very smart, family oriented, loving, etc. and also very hairy. We believe Max suffered a stroke at the age of 13 and we made the tough call to put him to sleep. We had three cats and hubby really didn't want another dog (hubby was more of a cat person than I was). So about two weeks after Max had been put to sleep, I just couldn't stand not having a dog in the house. I went to a pet store (would never do that again after educating myself about pet stores) and was actually looking to buy another Shetland sheepdog. Unfortunately or (in reality) fortunately, both that were there had been sold. I looked at a really cute little Pomeranian (but noted that her fur was flying around - she was starting to shed) and then saw Jack and his sister. We took them into the "play room" and I fell in love with the little guy. Oh, I forgot to mention, my oldest had moved out the summer that Max passed over the rainbow bridge. So yes, empty nest syndrome but not just because the skin child left, also because my other fur baby was gone. And as a follow up to hubby being a cat person - he is totally head over heels in love with Jack - that's "daddy's boy." LOL

I am single and no where looking for kids. I have just Ralph and wonder why people bother having kids! I don't have to deal with talking back or college tuition heheh. (;

Nothing quite like a Yorkie! :D

(Love this!)

Oh forgot to add but I was the only child for my mom and she is so alone without me so ive been looking into getting her either a yorkie or chi! Like surprise her one day with a pooch!

I grew up with a yorkie and a Chow/Golden retriever mix. They were the homies hehe. Loved those two fellas soo much. But then my yorkie, Speedy, passed away, I moved out of home (apartment wouldn't allow Chow), got married, and had 3 handsome boys (2,5,8), but I was still missing something. So I finally convinced the hubby to let me get a yorkie and that was when Darla came into our lives. I was worried at first because everyone says yorkies aren't for families with young children, but she has been great. I like to say she's my daughter =) And the boys LOVE her.
My hubby likes her but he is not a pet person (doesn't like dogs on the couch/bed, doesn't like them licking, that kind of person), but I like to think he if finally coming around. I've caught her a couple of time on the couch with him, I've noticed him petting her at the door when he gets home from work, and he is interested in the dresses I get her. hehe

I have two Grand daughters I am raising but all of my children are grown and gone. I just kinda fell into the dogs lol and I am so happy I did

I guess I have a full nest. 4 kids, the oldest is 20, youngest is 13. The first one is leaving the nest in July. My older son who is 19 will be going to boot camp.
My husband surprised me with Kiko as a present for our 20th anniversary.

To RalphthedogOwner
 

Ralph,

I get the sense you are a good and responsbile dog owner, but I was a bit concerned to see you post about surprsing your mom with a dog. I hope you didn't literally mean surprise since that's a bad idea with a pet. Good intentions could lead to a heavy unwanted burden if your mom doesn't actually want a dog.

*sorry, Ralphthepoodle*