Need Oppinion .... Please
 

I have always wanted to have a Yorkie and have tried to research and speak to people that have them but one person has really made me wonder if I should get one and I wanted to check with the experts PRIOR to be getting a Yorkie. She advised me that I would not be able to work a full time job and have a Yorkie that the dog would require me to attend to it most of the day and that I “might” be able to go out and do a few errands if they were quick but no more then a couple of hours away from the dog. I asked her if she ment for the first few months of the puppies life but she said NOOOO for the life of the dog. Granted I have never had a dog just myself my mother had them when I was young and I helped train take care of etc. I know she worked 40 + hours a week granted I did come home and walk etc but when I went to college she had a very small poodle (5 lbs.) and that dog was by itself for at least 8 hours a day until she retired but we never gave a thought to that and I can’t think of anyone that I have known that had a dog that didn’t work typical hours not extensive but just typical hours. So is this something I should take into consideration and possibly wait another 20 years until I can retire to take care of a Yorkie? Sorry I don’t want to start a huge debate on this issue but wanted an opinion a general consensus of people who have Yorkies about this issue. Just a side note I have been told that my office is closing down so will be out of a job for a few months depending on job market and thought that this moment in time would be a good time to get the puppy. Thanks again ….:confused:

no thats too extreme! When they Are pups there is alot of extra work but alot of people work and have them. Some people ever leave there yorkies by choice but ours are adults and we leave to run errand or exercise class or what have you

Well I live alone and I work full-time. My furbaby stays at home all day alone with no problems. I go out with my friends and do all kinds of things with and without my baby. However I am mindful of how long I stay out. The most Brandi is ever alone is about 8 hours. For example, I normally go home straight from work to feed her but there are times when I do have stuff to do after work. I would never leave her alone to go away for a weekend. I either make arrangements to have someone watch her or I take her with me. If yorkies had to be watched every minute of the day, they would not be one of the most popular dogs.

Brandi uses potty pads so for me I don't have to worry getting home to walk her but I do try to keep her on a feeding schedule. If you do decided to get a yorkie, setup a webcam that you can access from the internet to monitor her. That's what I did with Brandi for the first few months I had her and guess what? She mostly just slept all day.

Yorkies can bring so much joy to your life that you will want to spend every waking moment with them but for those times that you can't, they will be okay home alone.

Also if you think you might be out of a job, you might want to wait to get a yorkie. Vet bills are expensive and the last thing you want is for your furbaby to be sick and not be able to take her to the vets. It is so heatbreaking to see them in any kind of pain or discomfort.

No...that's silly. You can have a yorkie. I work a full time job. My dog is fine. What I DO do is get up an hour before I even have to start getting ready for work and play with her and take her for her morning walk (20 min). When I get home, I do the same thing. She's always. been fine. I just make sure that everyday of her life she gets to do the things that she loves doing....playing, going for walks, being loved and petted, hanging around with me watching the TV, and sleeping with me. Her life has been a happy one.

I agree with the ladies above! One thing though you said you were going to be out of a job for a few months not that it's any of my business about your finances but I know some people think they are buying a healthy yorkie/pup and then costly vet bills come right after!! If you do get one try to get papers, shot records, vet checked, a phone number to the vet so you can call yourself if you feel the need. It cost a lot to get the pup/dog & get them all set up but after that it's just restocking food, puppy pads, ect! So just think about the expense of a pup/dog & if he/she got sick or was already sick. Just a thought! :) Good luck!!

Many people work and have yorkies. I think when its a younger pup would worry me being gone for 8 hours though because of the possibility of hypoglycemia especially if you get a pup before 12 weeks. You might want to get two so when you are at work they have each other instead of being all alone. Before getting a yorkie I would also make sure your finances are good because puppy wellness visits, items they need, and shots can be expensive. Yorkies can also need more vet care then say a bigger dog because there is not a lot to play with they are so small if she stop eating and lose even a pound it can be bad as well as things can effect them more then bigger dogs. Small dogs can go down hill very fast if they don't get the proper vet care. My experience with yorkies is they are very smart but do require more human interaction then any other dogs I have had.

That's really silly. My niece has 2 Yorkies and works full time. She works about an hour from her house so she has a dog walker come and walk them and we go visit or bring them to our house once a week. That's only because she is gone for 10 hours a day. Life does change don't get me wrong but I think plenty of people work full time and have Yorkies and the Yorkies get the love they need.

Hi,

Yes I agree you wouldn't want to have the dog wait an longer then necessary especially if they have been alone all day long by themselves. The person I talked to made me think that I couldn't leave the dog to work at all so that was why I was questioning the situation. As for being layed off well here in the UK (I'm American but live in England so I understand where your coming from) the job has to pay a redundancy package (by law wooo hoo love that!) so I will have a lump sum and it depends on the amount of years I worked for the company which was 9 years so it is a nice lump, as my husband works and most of the house is paid off (small mortgage).
I thought this would be a great time to take my time to find another job and in so doing could spend the quality time training the puppy. It is actually a great time to get the puppy except for me traveling to the U.S. in November for a couple of weeks (hubby will be at home while I am gone) so will step in at that time to take care of the puppy, I think the timing is great but I will have to get a job eventually. Which was my concern when a few people (my in-laws) kept saying well ... you wont be able to work then. And I just thought hummmm maybe Yorkies can't stay home while people work??? I just wanted to find out. Ideally I hope to find something I can do from home work wise ... we shall see ...
Thanks for your comments and concerns ... I do appreciate it!:D

Definitely can do both!! I work full time as does my hubby. Granted we live in a small town and get home in 30 secs!! :) My babies stay home during the day. I spend my lunch hour with them everyday. Now, when I just had one, I did feel super guilty for leaving him alone...but now they have each other to play with.

Thank you all for those comments! I thought they were being a bit over the top. As for finances well I'm in the United Kingdom (born American move here 10 years ago) and here the company is required by law to give you a redundancy package (nice lump sum). Plus we have Pet insurance, don't remember that being in the United States so if there is such a thing there sorry for being silly! My husband is working and as we have a very small mortgage it wont be an issue vet wise (money). I already have a vet who I think is great he helped my chickens and it is an office open 24/7 which in England is a big deal (smile).
Since reading so much on this site I thought that I had better be home for the first months of the puppy coming to me (yes I would insist that I wouldn't bring her home until she was 12 weeks or more) due to possible medical issues. I am going to purchase from a reputable breeder so hopefully I will safe guard as much as possible. Thanks to this website and lovely people I feel that I am a bit more prepared and will know most of the pitfalls of getting the puppy. I just am trying to research and make sure that I will be a great fur mommy :)

Thanks

Corky stays home by himself if I have to leave, sometimes it is for an hour, Other times it is all day. He does just fine.

I don't know who you talked to but it does sound a bit extreme. Personally, I am home with Gracie most of the time and cannot imagine wanting to spend much time away from her but life is what it is and people have to work. I don't believe in crating dogs for long periods of time. But there are plenty of people that work out ways to train their dogs and also leave them for the day when they are at work.
My Shih Tzu was home alone for 6 hours out of the day. When the kids got out of school they spent time with him until I got home. I won't tell you that training any puppy is easy when you are gone for several hours a day. Every hour you are gone is training time that is missed but it can be done with time and patience.
I think many Yorkie owners get accustomed to taking their dogs with them many places so perhaps they spend more time with their dogs than many owners do. I do think that this person was a bit off in her estimation of how much time a Yorkie can be left alone.

Hi,

I plan to put her in the kitchen (pretty big room) with a doggy door so she is shut off of the living room and stair case.



I will be fine financially due to living in England the government requires that the company gives you a redundancy package (born in the United States I know what your concern was) and it is dependent on the amount of weeks you worked in my case it is 9 years so a pretty nice lump. Since hubby is working and we have a very small mortgage financially it isn’t an issue.



We will be purchasing Pet insurance (don’t recall if that was available in the United States) so that should take care of any major medical issues. We also have a great Vet that is opened 24/7.



I also plan to purchase from a reputable breeder and insist that we don’t pick her up until after 12 weeks. I feel like I have really read as much on this website and thanks to all of you feel that I just might be ready to become a furbaby mummy :D


Thanks again for everyone's oppinion!

I work full time and have a Yorkie, I admit now I work from home but there was a two year span when I was working from our corporate office.

I had no problems with Sophie Kate but I did hire dogwalker to come to the hose daily and take her out of a walk and bathroom break.

I we do lead a very normal life and do leave Sophie Kate at home when we go out at times. Admittedly we also try to plan trips and errands around place we can take Sophie Kate but that is because we like her around.

Training is one of the reasons why I would like to get the puppy soon so that once I am layed off then I will have that time to "rest" workwise and train the new puppy then once it is 6-8 months old I will then be able to start to look for work and have it mostly trained.

As for the finance portion I will be getting a lump sum due to the lay off so that isn't the worry and as my husband works we should be fine. We are going to get pet insurance so if any major issue comes up. We also have a very good Vet so that helps as well.

I really appreciate everyone's thoughts and I am so glad that you concur with my thought about leaving the Yorkie to be able to work. Thanks again for everyone's help! :D

I just got a5 month old yorkie. My kids are helping with potty training while I'm at work. In September, Lucy will be alone from 9 am until about 5 pm. We'll keep her in our kitchen with water and the tv.

My kids are home for the summer. I'm already having them leave her alone for bits of time so that she adjusts to it. A puppy just needs to be secure that her human will return and she'll be fine.

When we leave her, she barks a little bit - but stops quickly. When we return, she's happy as ever. I think a puppy can adjust to a normal work schedule.

ALSO some breeders have suggested to me that females tend to be more independent and males get very attached to their humans. Maybe you should consider a female pup????

Good luck. Tracey

While we are lucky enough to work from home, we have been gone long extended periods of time during the day. Bailey has no trouble just sleeping in his bed. He would pretty much be asleep if we were here, but most likely in a chair in one of our upstairs offices.

Actually I was definately wanting a little girl puppy for lots of reasons but mostly cause I'm a girl fan ;)

:congrats:on getting a yorkie puppy. Sounds like you have a good plan worked out. She will be the Apple of your eyes in no time. I found my girl is much calmer then her brother, that my Daughter has. They are very smart little ones. And alway's want to please you. Almost child like at times.By the way:welcome4: to YT. you will learn lot's of good things on here.:p
Anne/Luci.

So have you found any breeders that you have contacted? It can take some time to find the right breeder.

I wanted to jump in and tell you a little about my situation. There has been nothing ideal about it and I have a loving yorkie who sometimes drives me crazy, but loves me all the same.

I got Harley in second year university, I was taking a full course load and worked 45 hours a week, my bf and I had rotating schedules and took care of him as a puppy, the only me time I had every week were the two classes a week that Harley and I attended. I loved it. He got incredibly sick last year, and that caused some issues, but we juggled things and learned how to take care of him without spending hours and hours at the vet, and he turned out fine. Ok had to skip a few classes, and call in sick a few times, but luckily my boss is an animal lover and she covered for me.

I am starting law school in september and will be living alone with Harley, no bf. I have confidence that with daily walks, and letting him cuddle and sleep with me at night he will be fine, despite long hours of studying, classes and work.

So yes it's doable. My only advice is if your future yorkie is hyper, don't skimp on the exercise, that'll frustrate you more when you are tired. Harley is an energizer bunny! If he doesn't get some form of exercise he licks out of boredom which means I have to clean all the bed linens anyways, and do extra work. So we are starting to get more regular with our walks and activities.

Best of luck, it sounds like a good time for a yorkie to join your life and your family.

I will just say this: A Yorkie is a high-maintenance pet. A Yorkie will not be ignored.

If once you begin working again and are young and spend more than the occasional night out, your Yorkie can become a problem, developing one to several behavioral issues. A Yorkie takes everything so personally and thinks life should revolve around him! They can become quite the yappy, neurotic terror in some instances, leaving friendly little "presents" on your bed or other furniture and even become ill if unhappy or left out. Just remember that normally they are not a big old hound type dog who will lie around the back yard or house a lot & accept life on its own terms. They want YOU and you to be totally involved with them so consider that if you are younger and not planning to spend a lot of time with your dog.

They accept owners who work and get home late occasionally but they are not the typical family dog who takes a backseat to family life. If toddlers & young children are in your life, I wouldn't recommend getting a Yorkie as they are usually quite fragile. The Yorkie typically needs a very close relationship and high level of involvement in your daily life in order to live its best life. But they return your devotion with so many positives I can't even begin to list them all here! If you do get one, enjoy!!!

Hi,

Well I'm not even close to young (45+) and have no kids just me and the hubby. Living in England (a pretty smallish town) there is NOTHING to do in the evening AT ALL except the pub and I don't drink (rolls eyes). So that isn't going to happen.
My hubby is a confirmed computer games addict so couldn't drag him out of the house during the week if your life depended on it! He might occasionally go during the weekend but it happens maybe 4-5 times a year (laughs). Other then work we would be home cause there really isn't much to do around here. Thank god I got that all out in my younger life, growing up in Miami will do that :D
I have started to talk to breeders in the area and also outside the area being American I have no issue with driving the length and breadth of the country unlike my English hubby who says its 2 hours away drive time ... are you kidding me???? (lmao) But as yet haven't found the exact breeder but keeping my eye out. :)

BTW I so appreciate everyones opinion about the work hours!

best of luck with your search

We have worked and had puppies. We try to take them out as much as possible. We also have kids so they would come home from school and let the dogs out before we got home from work. As for getting a puppy and being unemployed, we got our maltese puppy (Lilly) while I was unemployed. I had plenty of time to train her and spend time with her and our other dogs. Of course I was looking for a job in the meantime, but they had someone home with them a lot for those 5 months. It is actually a perfect time to train a puppy. As far as yorkies being different than other dogs, yeah they are dogs with attitude. But I have 2 and they are wonderful loving pets. Our maltese is actually more affectionate than my yorkies though. Yorkies can sometimes pick a person that is their "special person". Our little Maggie follows her daddy everywhere! She's definitely daddy's little girl! Good luck with your choice.

Welcome to YT! You are the perfect age and lifestyle for a Yorkie - that is if you want a constant companion that most takes every step you do. They go to the bathroom with you, want to watch TV from your lap or touching up against you somehow, want to sleep with you and eat when you eat usually. Going out in the back - they want to come out with you. Going to run an errand? Your Yorkie won't usually expect to go every time but would really love it if he could! Of course, you don't have to live like that if you don't want to and the dog will mostly accept it but that is how most people I know who have Yorkies live their lives around them. Total immersion lifestyle for many of us!

That is insane. I have 3 girls that are my kids and I a picky mommie. I will leave them at home alone for sever hours the most is 9. but they have food water and their toys. If I go out of town on vacation they stay with their grandparents

I have owned Yorkies since 1997. They are the best bread. They are only neurotic if their parents are. They are tough little babies. My advidice is you love the dog visit a local breaded and spend sometime with the pups


My new addition is a handful. She is terrible at stealing things and being part goat so if I have to go out she is in her crate. She is the most rotten because I have been home with her since she came home. My middle girl Liz is so sweet and wants to love on you then my oldest Mollie is just laid back she only goes nuts over food