Question about my new yorkie
 

Hello,
I am new to this site and new to being the owner of a yorkie. I just adopted a 9mo old male Yorkie. He comes from a home that previously had no children within the home other than a granddaughter that visited along with her friends. Before choosing this dog, I asked if it was great with children, energetic, and playful and was told "yes" to all. I brought the pup home and he was a bit nervous which is understandable. However, what has kind of bothered me is that even after a few hours, he is still not playful. It breaks my heart to see my kids trying to play with the dog, but he does not want to. I was under the impression after researching the breed that they are full of life and playful. The previous owner did agree to let me return him if after a couple of days, we conclude it won't work out. He is a good little dog that loves to cuddle, but so far has shown no interest in playing. Is this normal after going to a new home and could he possibly just be sad? Should I expect him to become more playful? Any advise would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Yorkies aren't the best dogs for children. Yorkies tend to be skittish and are more for people who want a child instead of a playmate for their child. I'm not saying some Yorkies aren't great with children, but it's not a dog I would select if I had young kids. Joey like to play but on his own terms. If you've only had your dog a couple of days, I don't think you've seen his personality yet, it takes them a while to feel at home, but he may never like to play the way you want him to. How old are your children?

Mine are great with my grandkids but it takes them time to adjust to kids and even strangers give him time and let him come to them.

I adopted mine at 12 months old and he was terrified of everyone. I cannot vouch for his upbringing since I never met his previous owners (breeders) in person, I can't begin to guess how much or how little interaction he had with people. The only thin I know, is he was scared and not playful. It took him 3 months to be comfortable with me. I doubt that's the case with your pup, but you can't expect an instant bond either. My pup is extremely playful, and walks around with his little tennis balls in his mouth, always ready for a game of fetch. :)

My children are ages 2-11. I am saddened that when they went to bed, they were in tears because the dog wouldn't play with them. This is their first dog so it was very disappointing. I definitely want and need a dog that loves kids. He has taken to us in that he wants to lick everyone an is not shaky, but just doesn't have any playfulness to him. I just don't know whether to give it more time or take him back to the previous owner for a refund :(

How long has it been? It sounds like its only been a few days? Even a few weeks, at that age, might take some time. Yorkies are like people, you cannot put a human (child or adult) in a place with new people & expect them to fully be comfortable right away. I mean some could, but they are all different.

I suggest you give your new baby some time to adjust, i understand the children are disappointment, but how do you think the dog feels? They are a loving breed and he will come around. If you need INSTANT gratification i would suggest returning the dog now and getting the kids a new toy!

I agree. While Yorkies are playful, they need a lot of assurance that their environment is safe. Kids, especially multiple kids, can intimidate a Yorkie. Or worse, hurt the dog because Yorkies are more fragile than most dogs. A fall out of an adult's arms or the top of a couch can break a leg.

Kids need coaching and supervision around Yorkies.

Corky plays with him mom, my nephews, and nieces. Just yesterday, he and my 9 year old niece played tag. (He chased her, then she chased him). The boys run laps around the yard with him almost every day.

But Corky weighs 11 pounds, loves to rough house and is a very active dog. Now when he is ready to stop playing, He stops and goes lay down. I tell the kids when he does that they should leave him alone. (IMHO this a rule every dog owner should follow)

I would give him some time, The dog will have to get use to kids and will adapt to his surroundings.

The "breeder" you got the pup from should have made it very clear that it is going to take time for that baby to adjust to a new home, more than a "couple of days", ESPECIALLY if there are children involved and he has not been around children! It has also been my experience males bond more deeply and the age you adopted your little boy, has enabled him to bond with his previous owner....the fact that he "likes to cuddle" indicates he was not isolated or ignored in his previous home. I think you are expecting too much from a baby that in his little mind, has lost his momma, is in a completely new home and routine and strangers that, oh by the way! includes some small, loud, energetic, fast moving, "wanting to play", "things" he has never seen in his life! WHERE IS MY MOMMA, WHERE AM I, WHAT DO I DO NOW????? Please, it may take a month for him to get used to the kids....how large is he? I "save" my larger babies when I have them, to pair with families with older children....I do not sell my babies to families with children under 6 years of age.....I just personally do not think Yorkies are the best breed for young children. If your new pup is 4-7 lbs, he is still rather small for active children, but he can adjust, given time and love and PATIENCE!!!....poor little baby, give him a chance....the children have to calm down around him and for a maybe couple of weeks, this is just an introductory phase....everybody getting used to everybody else....no loud yelling, no running around, just some calmness around a frightened, little guy. Give him time, move slowly, BE PATIENT, tell the kids to lay on the floor and let him come over to them and investigate them, get used to them, and he will come around.....if the breeder told you he was playful and she was honest, he will adjust and your kids will have a wonderful playmate.

I forgot to say, be sure the younger children are NOT carrying the baby around....if the little 2 year old falls on him or drops him, it is all over but the hole digging.

Yorkiemom1 thank you for the advice! He is 7lbs and seems to have warmed up to me. He seems very well mannered and did great during the night. This morning he is pretty nervous now that everyone is awake. He is watching everyone from afar. The kids are not being allowed to carry him around. I agree that would be a bad choice. I did do some breed research before adopting and not one breeder I spoke with said they were great with kids. I guess I am asking on this forum for suggestions and advice as you have given and needing reassurance because I want to provide a forever home to a dog that best fits my family just as we be a good fit for it. Thanks!

I would give him time and tell the kids he needs time to adjust (a good way to help them learn patience I know I have a 4 year old;)) I am sure once he adjusts and get's used to the environment he will play and they will all end up being best buds. I will tell you he might be buds with your older children more than younger. I know my Georgie is still nervous around my 4 year which he has every right to be our son is 60lbs and Georgie is 4lbs. Georgie was also the baby for 2 1/2 years before I had my son.

Georgie still watches from afar and really we are ok with that it's better for all involved given his size. However, he does play with his little big skin brother more now then he ever has so we are seeing progress;) Isaiah will ask to hold Georgie and sometimes we oblige and let him when he is sitting down right next to us. It's to dangerous for him to hold him while standing up or walking.

Best of luck I am sure it will all work out.

Imagine being taken out of the only home you have ever known with OUT children and being placed in a strange home WITH children...must be scary for the poor little guy....I would say give him time...My children are all grown up and I have a 3 1/2 yr old grand daughter who just LOVES our furbabies....and they love her too! She loves to hold and hug (with supervision,..sometimes she wants to hug a little too tight!) and they will play with her...If I had small children...a yorkie wouldn't have been the dog of choice for me...they are more delicate and could get hurt, like Mike had said...broken bones, dropped or stepped on...I hope this works out for you.

my cedric has no idea what to do around children....he actually freaks and prefers to be held rather than play with or around children.

What would YOUR kids do if you dropped them at a stranger's house one day and left them? Would they want to play and be happy right away???? Give him some time. There are many posts of new puppy owners asking why their baby won't eat or play. Don't rush him or you may spook him permanently. He will come around eventually.

Same with mine. He sees a kid and runs for the hills. Sometimes they're too loud and he'll growl at them from my lap or arms because he's scared. It's fine for our personal situation. I don't have kids, in fact he is my one and only kid. :)

I do agree with the above poster that said I your kids need gratification now buy them a toy. It can be their reward for being patient with ______ while he adjusts to his new home. (you haven't mentioned the do's name yet)

yorkies are normally energetic playful dogs, but like all breeds they do vary dog to dog. I just had a meetup at my house and some dogs just wanted to sit on their owners lap while others romped around like crazy and some were in between. Others may disagree but I feel 2 years old is to young to be around a small dog, I even know a few breeders that will not sell a yorkie into a home with a toddler. I realize your intentions are to be supervising them but in the long run that is not practical since no one can be expected to see everything in all corners of their home at all times. Also if you go out and leave the kids with your husband or a sitter they will most likely not be as careful as you. Kids leave small toys around, drop things, drop food and some foods are deadly for a small dog. A small piece of chocolate or a grape or two while not good for a larger lab or golden retriever type dog could be deadly for a small dog. Little kids stomp there feet, grab the dog without understanding that they should not, they will even put things in the dog mouth. When I had my first yorkie puppy, I lived next to a family with two young girls around 2 and 4, my dog was afraid of them and would nip them as a form of self defense because they would grab him by the neck, or get so excited they would start stomping their feet, or chase him. Once when my dog was outside one the girls grabbed a fist full of sand from her sand box and ran over and dumped it on the dogs head. It happened so fast I could not get out the door in time. These were not bad kids, just kids being kids and not fully understanding how easily a small dog can get hurt. Yorkies are not like Golden Retrievers many are not gentle when they feel threatened and unfortunately a lot of them feel threatened by young kids. That being said there are always exceptions, and I hope you are one of them. As mentioned you must give them time and explain to your kids that if they were sent to a home without you they might not be playful at first so they need to take extra special care about how they act around the puppy. Also most yorkies bond to one family member a lot more strongly, I have a feeling you will be that person, this will make it harder on the kids to get that playmate they are hoping for. I remember we had a small poodle when I was a young kid, I was probably around 5, the poodle would not play with me very much and kept it's distance from me, all it wanted was my mother, I wound up not liking the dog very much and was sort of happy when he died at a young age. My mom said the poodle didn't like me because he was afraid of me, and that even though she watched me sometimes i would grab him to hard or play to rough. I think it wasn't until my teens that I started liking dogs again.

Not all yorkies are good with kids and alot of them arent. In time he will most likely play things like fetch or tug of war however I dont ever think he will e a childrens dog. My two arent and they have grown up with my daughter

Was that statement I just copied in red a typo?

I personally do not think a yorkie is a good idea for a family pet with a 2 year old. In fact, a lot of breeders will not sell to a home with children under 5 or 6 years of age.

He most likely is waiting to go home as he has no concept that this is his new home. Your children would act much the same if they were suddenly placed in another family. He will adjust give him some time.

I agree what others are telling you seems pretty accurate to me.

I am not certain why you chose to get a breed that all the breeders you talked to were basically advising against or why a breeder after advising against (if this is indeed the case) would sell you one, but perhaps I do not need to understand since it is your choice and I would reserve the same rights for myself. :)

Having said that...lol, if you intend to keep the Yorkie and are just looking for ways to bring dog and kids together, with Yorkies being 'human toddler-like' in my experience, maybe you could try some way simpler stuff...like having the children treat the dog like another child...not like a dog. Skip the dog games for now, and do stuff like allow the dog to sit wherever he wants...his bed or crate, even, and have the older one's read books to the other children including the dog, even include the dog in 'tea' parties, etc., maybe even dress-up parties if/when the dog wants to dress up...and he may need time to become comfortable before this happens, have them TALK to the dog as if he is a PERSON rather than a dog...stuff like that. Understand you may have to supervise for the safety of all.

Also, give your children, including your Yorkie, safe dog snacks like carrot sticks at the same time...include him into your family as a child, since Yorkies seem to think of themselves as 'humans with benefits'...like human servants, etc...at least mine do. lol If you are giving your children something toxic for the dog...like chocolate or grapes/raisins, put the dog in a safe place until all 'crumbs' are cleaned away. It is not an accident any other way if something bad happens but it will likely be expensive...or sad...maybe both...and the guilt will be enormous. Please do not take offense...it is merely fair that you know in advance of the possibility of such dangers. :)

You will have to be careful what foods the children eat around the dog...this cannot be over-emphasized. Once the dog is socialized to your family, gently train him not to snatch/grab/swallow whatever hits the floor...I would wait to start this training until he bonds and knows you...knows you are not being mean with commands, and treat...treat...treat when he 'leave(s) it' but nothing negative when he doesn't! A cue for when he is being given food (I used "all yours" when training my dogs while my children were young) would be good as well...reserve the cue word for yourself and spouse and do not train for this in front of the children or they could end up giving him something toxic...like chocolate...with the cue word.

I would hope that you have child-proofed so that poisons, cleansers, etc. are inaccessible to them and to the dog...right...and electric cords, etc., but little dogs are like cats and infants...they go down real FAST ! :eek: and so must be treated the same way.

All things take time, and this will be no exception.

Congratulations, good luck, be patient, be persistent, be gentle and kind, have fun, love, hold and cuddle, and your Yorkie baby may surprise you beyond your wildest dreams.

Yes, I meant to say that not one breeder said that they weren't great with kids. In fact, all said the dogs were just like kids at heart and very playful. They even recommended them for families. Was I mislead???

I think you were mislead. They can do fine with kids, but it takes a lot of vigilance. They are definitely one person dogs. They love their families amd will spend time with other members, but it's so obvious who they are truly devoted to. Yorkies have a person and they gravitate to that one person. I'm not a mom, so I can't give my dog that kind of training he needs to adapt to kids. But, while he might growl at children, there is 1 little boy he does like. This boy is well behaved, and listened so well when his mom or I would tell him to slow down, let my dog approach him, give my pup a chance to sniff, and on and on. They play chase now. Not for very long, as my furry one would much rather play fetch with me.

You have all given me a lot to think about. Yes, I definitely meant to say that after researching breeds was told the yorkies were great with kids. I did not mean to say that the breeder advised me against them. Everyone is saying to give it time, but at the same time questioning having a yorkie with children present. I understand that the breed is small. However, I am home at all times and my husband is disabled an unable to work so one of us is home at all times. We wanted a dog to bring life back into our home and NO I am not saying my children do not give our home life for those that may want to pick or be rude and take it out of context. I wanted a playmate, companion, and forever pet for us all. I have noticed he is a bit more social this afternoon which is great. He has taken well to my husband too. He has even spent time sitting with my 2 and 3 year old while reading today and let them both pet him. I guess my fears are that he or the breed was more of a lap dog and FOR MY OWN HOUSEHOLD wanted a pet that was not only a great companion, but also playful. Being that this is my children's first pet other than a cat that passed away last year, they are still very excited about having the dog, whose name is Toby, but just want him to play more with him. I am hoping I have not been mislead about yorkies being family dogs and despite what everyone says, we felt a small dog best for our home. Are there not any owners out there that have had success with yorkies and toddlers?? I guess I am a bit overwhelmed by all of the responses of not being meant for young children and fact of the matter is, my children will not be going anywhere so I either must make this work or return him back to the breeder that sold him to us which I don't want to have to do. Being a first time dog owner since I was a child myself, this is a lot to consider..

I'm not sure you were deliberatly misled. But at nine months old, this Yorkie is more in line with a "rehome". That means what all the other posters have said you need weeks not days to determine if he will adjust into your home with children.

My Yorkie was not raised around children, has very few opportunities to meet young children, but he came from a loving breeder home well socialized, came into a multi dog and adult home, where he got to know huge dogs and ppl in his own time and way. His personality is super confident and friendly and inquisitive. Yet when we do on occassion meet children, I get the children to sit on the bench, or a floor, and then he is allowed if he wants to go up and say hi. I never force the issue. What I have done if we are at the beach or a play area, and this works for my big dogs as well as small ones; is to allow a child that is old enough 8ish or so, to throw the toy for the dogs. Child and dogs love this game; but know that each dog has been already trained to retreive and drop/give toy to the "thrower:.

What is quite "normal" for a small dog is to feel threatened by young childrens quick, fast, noisy movements. I do like the idea to allow the dog to sit while kids read to one another.

Your older children can come on walks with you and the dog, and be part of the obedience training for the dog. This way the kids become part of your dog's pack.

I wish you and your dog the best of luck together.

My guess would be the poor soul has been removed from his surroundings. He doesn't know you yet and doesn't know his new home. It's easy to feel at home with a new pet, but you should consider their feelings. They have now been displaced and don't know why. I feel pretty certain if you'll give it a couple of weeks, things will fall in to place.

Bailey took at least a week before he began to get the hang of his new surroundings. I was very patient with him knowing he had to acclimate himself to his new home. Now he loves everyone and everything and is happy and jumps up and down when we have company. For that matter, if I go outside to empty the trash, when I return he acts like I've been gone for hours.

I'm gonna have to agree that a yorkie isn't the best choice for kids. It's an adult companion. While they can be playful, you have to understand the basic terrier instinct. Your 11 y/o doesn't concern me. Your 2 y/o terrifies me. At 2, your child won't understand the boundaries regarding the dog (ie: hitting, hair pulling, grabbing legs, etc). 7 lbs is still kinda small. With such a young child in the home, be prepared for vets bills for injuries and illnesses. Toddlers are a constant source of food and Yorkies are very sensitive to human food (research fatty foods and pancreatitis).

Aside from that, Yorkies are protective of themselves and their environment and do not have any reservations about biting. Those tiny, sharp teeth can and will do some damage.

If you decide this dog is right for you, you're going to have to give him a great deal of time. Set up an area where he'll feel safe and can observe your family for a while. He'll eventually come out of his shell and begin to interact.

When kids come over Sonic gets excited he loves to play with kids, I do keep an eye on him make sure they don't pick him up or hurt him..

My Sugar is a rescue. She was purchased at a young age and probably weighed no more than a pound. She was purchased to belong to a 4 year old little boy.

By the time I adopted Sugar at 2 years old, she already had received a concussion from being dropped on her head at least once and was bounced off from a full sized trampoline onto the ground repeatedly :(. (granted this was allowed by sucky parenting :mad: :sfunslap:)

She is still "good" with children but they make her very very nervous :eek:. I am able to let her socialize with them but she is only on the ground with them (never held unless sitting) and the children know if Sugar runs to her bed, that is her "safe zone" and they are not to bother her!

Sugar is very timid and scared of loud sounds or quick movements to this day. I do not think Yorkies and children under 8-10 years of age in a permanent household setting is the best choice.

PS forget about giving your children raisins or grapes ~ ever. Too dangerous :eek: