Children vs Yorkies
 

Okay reading a lot of discouraging posts here regarding having Yorkies and having small children. What is you guys thoughts on this? Is it really impossible to own or even breed Yorkies if you have children?? I mean, can children not be watched, and taught? I would think any responsible parent would be able to handle this scenario, and furthermore teach their children as they grow older to handle with care etc. Dying to know everyones thoughts on this. I am so overly obsessed with these little babies and do have babies (skins) of my own!

I know many breeders won't sell to families with small children, and I think this is a good rule of thumb, but there are always exceptions. I know many members here have small children, and it seems to be working out fine. Looking back when I was raising my boys, I really believe they would have been pretty good with a Yorkie in the house, but some of their friends, who played at our house, would not have been good with Yorkies. It was hard to teach some of them, not to run in the house, some had ADD and just didn't seem to be able to control their actions. The opening and closing of the front door would have been another concern of mine. I personally think there are breeds that are better with children. It just depends on the family, but if I were choosing one for a family, I think I’d want one that’s a little bigger, so that jumping off the couch wouldn’t be a major concern. Yorkies are perfect for an empty nester though! :D

My children (all girls) are ages 3, 5, and 7 now. We have two dogs- Buddy, a German Shorthair Pointer, almost 8 years who is just under 60 pounds and Blazer, my Yorkie who is almost 7 months now and 6 pounds. My girls are FINE with him! My girls came with me when I delivered Blazer and his litter mates and so have been around the new puppies since the very beginning. I think you have to know your kids to know whether or not a small dog of any breed is going to safely fit in your family. Kids can be taught how to behave around animals, they'll push boundaries but that's their job, right? Lol! Same goes for the animal- they can be taught how to act around kids.

I know a lot of people feel that small dogs shouldn't be around babies because of their size. It's a personal belief though. As you said, as a responsible parent you should be able to teach your kids the correct way to act, behave and handle a small dog. Unfortunately, I think there are more irresponsible parents out there these days, which is probably one of the main reasons why breeders have that rule of thumb. And rightly so.

Zeus did not like children when I first got him. He tolerates them, lets them pet him when we go out under my watchful eye but he has snipped at them before. It's mostly the running up to him part that freaks him out. My folks run a daycare out of their home and often Zeus has been dropped off during the day if I had meetings or something and Chad wasn't going to be home. He has definitely come around to them and will just walk away if he doesn't like the situation he's in. :)

I think it just all depends - on the dog, on the kids, on the parents. I think it's a bit more maintenance with small dogs, just because of their size... it's easier for them to get hurt, even by a well meaning child. But then again I think that too often people are way too lax when it comes to big dogs and kids. They have a Golden and just think "oh he puts up with everything and doesn't care!" and then allow children to climb on, pull ears, etc. Every dog has a breaking point and I think ALL dogs and children should be watched together very closely. So if you are doing so, there is not much difference between a small dog and a bigger dog, because IMO they both need to be watched just as much. But of course there is going to be breeds that ARE more tolerant than others. Jackson is fantastic with kids, but will get nervous with really loud, obnoxious kids, and I NEVER allow him anyone to pick him up. He's big anyway though so most kids can't. However if a child were to hurt him accidentally even, he most likely would snap. And he's very sweet and trained and well mannered, but his threshold isn't as big as, say, most Goldens.

I think it just takes common sense, teaching children right from wrong, and socializing dogs to children.

I agree it is all in the training of young children and the puppies. As long as the parent is with them and has taught them I see no problem. I do see a problem with giving one to a small child as a gift because then the child feels it is theirs and doesn't really want to listen to good advise about them like they would if it is YOUR dog and your rules.

I have never had issues with my 5 year old son Isaiah and Georgie. Georgie was here first (he is 7) so we did everything we could to get him used to the idea of having a little (very much bigger) skin brother. Children need boundaries....Isaiah doesn't hold Georgie unless he is sitting down and only with one of us there. Georgie doesn't LOVE Isaiah like he does my husband and I but they get along fine. I also think people have this false hope of having a Yorkie run around with their kids and being a playmate. IMO most Yorkies are just too small so for us Isaiah runs and Georgie hangs out with Mom and Dad and watches.

Even the best-taught children, brought up with small dogs and having very watchful parents, injure them. They don't have good judgment or evaluation skills as those of adults, older children and they just can't always control sudden impulses when the parent steps momentarily from the room or is busy on the computer. I'd be overly cautious in having a very small dog around any young child because those tiny bodies do break so easily and the bills are so high to repair them. Sometimes the dog has to be euthanized as the family cannot afford the bills! There are so many sturdier, larger dogs that can better survive the unexpected actions of little children, why even take the chance a tiny dog could suffer and even die? Surely any adult can wait a few years to have their Yorkie when they have little kids.

I agree that if you have young kids, and then seek out a yorkie... it's probably not the best choice. But what about those who have yorkies first and then babies? My moms friend is obsessed with her yorkie, like all of us, and just had her first real baby and things are great! She still treats her pup like a princess, and includes her in their life, and the baby is now almost a year. And the dog loves the baby! I think that's how most people end up with yorkies & kids. I don't know a ton of ppl who seek out one when they already have very young children.

I agree Brit and that's how it was with us. I think our expectation was that Georgie would learn to accept Isaiah and everything would be fine and it has been. Georgie has never been given less attention even when Isaiah was a baby because both my husband and I made the effort to make sure he didn't. They are both our boys:D

I am going to be another poster that will say it depends.

It depends on a whole lot. First I look at the realistic time a person would have to spend with the dog. In caring, training, grooming etc. Of course most ppl work, that means the dog needs to be exercised before/after work, and as a puppy need someone to come in mid-day.
Add in hobbies, some folks love to golf on the wkends, or snowboard/ski, travel a whole lot for business and leisure.

And if they have children. There will be all the child related activities, and necessary time a parent needs to spend with their children.

So is there really space in your life for a dog? Not just when you feel like it and have a spare hour or two. Dogs need atttention 365 days a year.

The temperament of the breed and the specific temp of the pup is very important when matching a prospective owner to a dog.

As I breed a large guard breed - this is very key. The owners must commit to a CD level obedience title secured either through AKC or CKC in Canada.
Realistically that would take 200 hours of training over 18mths or so. No child would be allowed to walk the dog alone. These beasties can go to 130 lbs.

While for Yorkies that level of training is not necessary, but they need more than just puppy obedience classes. They need to have a reliable Come, Stay, and STOP and LEAVE IT and DROP IT command. And it would be more than nice if they walked easily on lead.

This is for your dogs safety in and around the house and outside on lead.

Running children, screaming, yelling, hitting each other or smashing dolls or toys into ppl or things, is something that no dog is truly comfortable with.

So ask yourself do you truly have the spare time every day to care for another life?

Are you willing to also train, groom, provide good vet care, and emergency treatment as needed?

Have you thought about how to keep a puppy safe from young children, and the children safe from the puppy?

Financially are you in a position to afford a Yorkie that has been bred for health, temperament and structure; at the minimum this means the parents have been bred for same and have the health testing to prove it.

I wish you luck with your decision. And I am so happy you are researching first.

Very interesting views so far. Hoping more people put their input. Personally myself, I would never considered -any- animal (or child) until financially stable enough to do so. Having a family has always been important to me, so I have my children, having an animal has also been important to me, so I have waited for the right time to start bugging hubby. I use to know a lady who bred "toy" poodles and she also had children and all of her children were involved in the aspects of her business. Such as helping feed, water, bathe, brush, even cleaning up accidents. Not doing it themselves, but she would have them by her side helping out. I always admired that and thought it was an excellent way to instill responsibility in a young one as well as love for animals. :) Anyways keep posting your "IMO" 's I am loving them. lol


--also forgot to add I am a stay at home mom, and have tons of time on my hands :)

When you have an existing small dog in the home and find a child in on the way, the couple has no choice but to realize what impact that could have on that little dog's well-being and take every possible precaution to keep the little animal safe. That's the extra responsibility the small-dog-owning woman of childbearing age and ability takes on and shares with her spouse when she marries and becomes pregnant. It certainly brings a whole added level of concern to having a baby when a little dog is there expecting to be kept safe and sound from that little one when it's old enough to grab or hold one!

To me, Yorkies are usually so small and fragile, I cannot imagine one around a very small toddler or young child after my sister's new Yorkie puppy was dropped on its head by one of our little nieces. She was about 4 or 5 and, as my sister was saying "Nooooo" and reaching for him, her mommie handed her little daughter the puppy suddenly and the little child just let go when he jerked his body trying to get out of her hold, I guess. He fell right on his little head, had seizures and was in the hospital for a brain bleed, on medication for a long, long time. He had a number of seizures afterward. He couldn't have taken another brain injury his vet said.

Later, her mommie asked her why she just dropped him and she said "I don't know", so innocently. She never intended on hurting that puppy - wouldn't have ever knowingly hurt him. She adored dogs, still does! She cried & cried when he seized, foamed, got stiff & they rushed him out to the vet. It all scared her badly and she was upset during the whole weekend visit, had nightmares. It was a bad thing for both the Yorkie and the child.

After that, my sister just put him in his crate anytime a small child visited and kept them there. In this instance, our SIL had asked to see Magnum, said she loved Yorkies and wanted to just hold him so my sister took him out of the crate, let her hold him and was standing right there when it all happened but she just wasn't fast enough to prevent it.

But for those who have a choice and don't have a Yorkie but do have a small child, I would sure recommend waiting until the little child is older before getting one. You never know what a little child might accidentally do.

As a child, I was raised with yorkies. Then, as an adult, I got my own yorkie when my kids were 3 & 5, so they were raised with a yorkie. The experience definately made my kids more caring & considerate of animals, especially small animals.

Its not that people with kids cant have a small breed dog its just if they do they are taking a risk. If something happens and say a small breed dog breaks its leg its a surgery that can cost thousands. I think bigger yorkies are better suited for familys with children since they are less fragile but even with bigger yorkies you are still taking a risk

I've had dogs as long or longer than I've been a parent. We got our first Yorkie when my kids were 10 and 2 yrs old. You need to teach your children what is the proper way to handle a puppy and what is not acceptable behavior in the same way you would need to teach the puppy on what is acceptable and what is not. I've done in home child care for all age groups for the past 28 yrs and with all of the children who have come and gone throughout the past 28 yrs the process of teaching them how to treat my animals starts all over again with each one from the moment that they enter my home. It is a must that the child be taught what is acceptable and what is not with any thing including the dogs regardless of their size, large breed or small. I dont feel that any family should be discriminated or looked over as being a suitable family for a Yorkie if their only fault is having small children. I've had to teach dozens of kids throughout my yrs as a child care provider how to handle my animals with no issues.

I have had litters of pups and day care children at the same time with no issues. When it comes to raising pups, I always included my own children at a young age into the raising of our pups in order to prepare them for their new homes. I make sure that my kids handle them and play with them each and every day after the age of 2 weeks in order socialize our pups.

I feel that small children and puppies small or large go hand in hand with the proper training and extra attention given to both child and pup they should get along great !!

Wonderful posts! Love reading the pros and cons here and everyones personal experience or stories they have to share whether good or bad!

Dawn how wonderful to read about your in home daycare while having litters and raising pups!

I have a 2 yr old boy and a 5 yr old girl. When I first got Joey they were not allowed to pick him up or hold him. I would let them hold him close if they were sitting and we just went from there. Joey is a sturdy little guy and runs and jumps and plays with the kids and if things start getting too crazy I tell them to calm down or I put Joey in his crate until things are safer for him. Thats only happened twice that I can recall.
I also have a lab-mix. I got her before my son was born and my daughter was about his age. We adopted from the shelter and from day one I made sure they respected each others space. Carley has never barked or growled at any of us, and warmed up to Joey very fast. I think the whole situation has to be looked at when getting any kid of pets with your family. Not saying that it cant be done regardless, but it really depends on how much work you want to put into it.
Would I do it all over again? OF COURSE! Would I change anything...only that Joey snuggled more and Carley slept at the foot of the bed when she decides to sleep with us, instead of sharing our pillows! haha!!

You can not teach a child how to be stable and coordinated when they move about. They simply do not have the developmental skills fine tuned enough to not fall or trip even if they are doing nothing but turning around and changing direction. This can not be taught,,,,that is like putting a toddler on a 6 lane freeway and expect him to be able to dodge cars....he has been taught to walk, he kows how to walk, he can see he needs to get to the side of the freeway, why cant he do it??? Because he is not developed enough to move with the stability and forethought required to make it safely across the freeway! Toddlers flop down on their butts when they sit...if a puppy is behind them, I dont care how well you have "taught them" to stop and look behind themselves before they collapse to the floor...and if they sit on a puppy....or they fall over a puppy.....or they drop a puppy.....or they set one down too hard on the floor, because they do NOT have the motor skills developed at that age to NOT set the puppy down hard....these are not TEACHABLE skills....these are developmental skills.....If you have small toddlers and you have Yorkies or any small dog and there have been no accidents, you have lucked out....I am just explaining why a breeder may not sell to families with small children. I dont sell to families with small children....6 years old is my cut off age, and I save the "teapot" Yorkies that I have, for families with children. I have placed about 5 of these larger yorkies in homes with 6-8 year olds, and they have done fabulously!

Having had large dogs all my life and no less than 3-5 at a time, I can honestly say there is no way in hell raise yorkies and small children at the same time! High maintenance for sure. Some Yorkies are more fragile than others and they require a lot of attention, and they deserve a lot of attention....Accidents happen, and when you have dogs and kids things will happen, I could tell a hundred stories of the kids and dogs...not to mention the horror stories I've read here...on the other hand, accidents happen regardless, adults and pups as well...theres the sit on the pup, step on the pup, slam the pup in the door etc., I've seen it all here....IMHO as a whole, I would say that raising Yorkies and Small children at the same time really isn't the ideal situation...and theres no way, armed with the knowledge I now possess that I would ever do it....

Couldn't agree more. You never can tell what a small child will do with or around a small, fragile dog.

I got Joel with the daycare, but left no chance of a kid to hurt him. When he was a puppy he was in the playpen and when the kids left he was aloud to run around and he's never once been close to being hurt by a kid, thats why he likes them so much:)
Now that he's older he's used to the kids so he doesn't care to be by them unless there sitting down then he likes to cuddle by them.
But now he either follows me or is sleeping. If anything it's only us adaults that have hurt him lol

I do have a semi horror story about Kyra and my daughters daycare. On the day we brought Kyra home at 11 weeks old we stopped by my Daughters to show her off. Thinking the kids would be down for nap. Well all but 2 were whos mom had arrived early. They wanted to pet Kyra so like I do with my grands I made them sit on the sofa and set her in their laps. One of the girls decided she was going to stand with her and when I told her no she actually drew back her hand and threw Kyra towards me. Luckily for Kyra I was able to catch her before she hit the floor but I have never been so angry at a child. My point is there are children who have been socialized with these babies like my grands have, then there are those who have not. So I would want to be extra careful the first year or more I had them around these kids. It is doable but it does take lots of vigilance.

Also yorkies can be very hard to and sometimes they dont potty train and that can be a problem if you have young kids too

Touchy subject.

I got my yorkie(s) when my daughter was 10 and my son was 4 almost 5...their first dogs-we got our schnorkie first a rescue then later our yorkie and mini schnauzer.

I'll make the perverbial claim many do, but I mean it, Maisy and Milo were and are extremely gentle calm well behaved children. They went to the theater-the real theather, could and did go to the glass anworks store they knew look with your eyes not your hands abd I had chinchillas before and while they were very young-our oldest and last chinchilla (all rescues) died 2 years before we got Scoobers.

Well baby Marek is almost 2, I didn't plan on having more kids, we're expecting another baby now too-big surprise (I'm getting Derik neutered lol!).

I will NOT add another dog for a long time,

I purposely sought out a Yorkie OVER standard Elvis is 12.2 pounds-Scoobers our schorkie about 18, both are leggy tall.

If I had known I was going to have more kids...well bite my tongue I might have rethough adding Elvis &a Princess.

I'm so blessed they are tollerant.

Baby Marek-horrible to say but other moms will get what I mean-if I had had him first gee I might mot have had more kids! Don't touch meand grab and throw it-fast!

He loves to stomp by the dogs and put his fingers in their mouths...not their favorite, I don't trust him alone with the dogs.

Raised the same as my other two kids-totally different personality.

Can kids and yorkies work-yes, should someone purposefully start getting any small breed (especially yorkies) with young kid(s) or kids who are not extremely well behaved-no, I'll be the first to admit it.

Breeding with young kids doesn't seem a good idea to me, until a child is school aged they require so much, so does breeding-why spread yourself so thin?

Even then breeding or rescue fostering etc takes so much effort in many ways more than ownership, personally I'd wait until kids were out of grade school so they can help and not be slighted by the huge endevor's level of required commitment.

Do people do it and say its all wonderful etc-yes...either very rare, or I honestly think they are either falsifying the reality or not performing at an acceptable level.

If nothing else let's be honest kids are carriers of everything just the health risk to pups with kids in the home is so great.

I'd love to get into breeding, I might still after my last child graduates high school.

I'd love to get back into rescue volunteering and fostering, I can't until my youngest child is at least 12.
Well the rescue I helped with previous will make an acception because they know me but their minimum is kids in grade school ONLY after evaluating the children's personality and having kid friendly dogs in need of fostering.

I think you can absolutely help your mom as a breeder and your sister but to do so with the age of your children wouldn't be the best choice IMHO.

Sorry for the novel!

I wanted to add my big rule here with dogs:

Noone, absolutely no one touches approaches or bothers my dogs ever if they are on a dog bed.

Dog beds are the dog's safety zone, period.

If the dogs want attention they are more than welcome and mostly do come to us jump on the chairs couch, laps etc, but the dogs are well aware when they don't want to be bothered they go to a dog be-at least one in every room here.

Edit:
Of course Princess has figured out it's good fun to snatch something (mostly my shoes) and race for a dog bed..BASE/SANCTUARY!

More great reads from you all! Everyone here is so wonderful at stating their experiences and opinions I love it!
ilovejoel, aww if you adults did it I am sure you felt horrible afterwards. Every parent makes mistakes/accidents whether with a child or a pup!!

Concretegurl, no apologies for novel, enjoyed reading every word. Also find your pup snatching a shoe and running to base very humorous!!! How funny.

Lynzy420, you are very opinionated, stern, and a little sassy, I like you.

Anymore stories/opinions from people are welcome. My next question would be, if someone were to own/breed even Yorkies and did so with their small children. Do you think baby gates/places for only pups and places for only kids could work out in a large home? What would be advice on if someone were to do it, advice on this from the ones saying hell no and don't do it would be great since you guys are the ones with the most fear about it! :)

Also I wanted to say I very much understand why breeders would perhaps not sell to families with children. Out of the care for their animals and putting them in a new home it is the fear of the unknown and what ifs! It would be horrible to live with ones self knowing they unknowingly placed a pup somewhere that it would not be safe or to hear back from the person that their pup had passed or gotten severely injured due to a child in the home and negligence!

That's what I've heard the most about too. Even here on YT, we've had adults drop dogs/puppies & break legs...even multiple times

:rolleyes:
I also wonder how these few that are so against people with children having yorkies, feel about seniors having toy breed dogs. Maybe there should be an age cut off where you can no longer own toy breed? All these shaking old people holding tiny animals...how scary!!! Add the vision problems, cataracts, etc.,...can they even see the animal on the floor so as not to injure it? And speaking of floors, how many old people fall each year??? Gosh, they could easily trap a yorkie under them on their way to the ground. A broken hip is one thing...a broken yorkie...totally unacceptable!

You speak volumes!!!