Breeders/Rescues not selling to parents of small children
 

Hi. In my quest of a yorkie, and even before I was a mother I noticed that some rescues, and breeders won't sell or adopt out to homes with small children. One breeder asked me if I had plans on having children in the future. I told her yes, and in short she didn't want to sell to me.

I do understand because the dog is small, however some won't adopt out to families with children under seven. That's a long time for me since my son is almost three. I know everyone has their right to their beliefs and I'm not mad at them, however some just assume all children are wild. Oh well, this really isn't a rant. I'm just really trying to find a breeder/rescue that will adopt out or sell to a house with a child, and if anyone knows of one, I will be appreciative.

They dont think all children are wild rhey just think there is a greater chance of accident w7th small children. I was able to adopt 2 yorkies when my daughter was 5 so there are some breeders that will let you adopt with children

Yep, some are like that. I don't necessarily agree with the umbrella policy- I think each family situation should be considered. I absolutely love having my Yorkie and so do my girls. I can't imagine not having him as part of our family. Granted, they have been with him since the day he was born and the breeder and I were constantly supervising and teaching them how to be with the pups so I'm sure that is helpful. My girls were 2, 4, & 6 when we got him a year ago. Accidents can happen anywhere with any people of any age- children do not hold the trophy in that! This is a topic that has caused drama on here before, just so you know. :)

As far as drama, I can only imagine lol.. This post was mainly just to see if anyone has dealt with this before, and if it this was very common. I'm really a relaxed type of person so for those breeders/rescues that don't or do, I'm cool either way, to each their own, you know?

I just have been having a hard time finding local rescues that might have a yorkie, so when I do find one I get excited, then let down. It is what it is I guess. :) I think all good things happen with patience and time.

There are people out there :) Yorkies just aren't known for being the best breed to have with children. I can understand both sides.

I totally understand where a breeder is coming from.....but in turn understand a family wanting a yorkie. I would suggest a sturdy yorkie on the bigger side for a family with small children! Unless you are able to constantly watch small children around a small yorkie, don't get one.

I am a grandma with grandchildren ages 2 - 10 years. When they are here, I have to watch that they do not pick them up. I have even gone so far as to take them with me when I do the laundry, which is in the basement. I can't trust that they will follow the rules that they never pick them up!

But, I do understand the need of having one of these awesome yorkies as part of the family, because I would never be without one.

With rescues, I understand their policies because the pups have already been through so much. The rescue wants to be extra cautious.

For breeders, I also understand their reluctance. Some have a "no kids" policy, others will evaluate families individually.

I agree that kids aren't the only ones who drop small dogs (Kathy Lee Gifford dropped a puppy live on national television :eek:), but kids tend to move faster than adults and have less motor control, tend to be more grabby, and rougher (although adults can be inappropriate too). Protecting a dog that has legs the size of pencils and a tiny neck can be tough and requires close supervision.

Most Yorkies don't have the structure or personality suited for bear hugs from toddlers. Kids are more apt to inadvertently taunt dogs, and I think this is risky for the kids and dogs.

I do understand both sides. A couple of ideas if you have not thought of them yet.

Have you trained your children to be around dogs of any size? One good way to do this, is to volunteer at the shelter to walk the doggies, to visit etc.

This will also serve the function to provide a reference somewhat un-biased as how your kids are around dogs.

Is there a local breeder near to you, that you could visit, get to know, take your kids with you, as you visit the breeder? So the breeder could see how they inter-act with the dogs.

I have a dog as well as other pets at home. I pretty much have a game plan mapped out. Find a local rescue, which I've found via the yorkie breeder list and tell them my situation. Also going to ask some people in my dog group.

Good luck in your search. When I started looking last summer, my first inclination was always a rescue pup. I was turned down by 6 different groups because my daughter was 2 at the time. I was lucky enough to find a breeder who was understanding.

But honestly, in hindsight, I probably would not have gotten Sam yet. I grew up with Yorkies from the time I was barely walking, so they were just a fact of life growing up. It seems like I just always knew. But dealing with it in my own household, I see what a challenge it must have been for my mom with 3 small children and pups in the house.

Sarah torments Sam at times, not out of meanness, but just because she is too young to understand why she can't take his toys, or pull on him, or wave her hands in his face. Not to even mention the jealousy between the two. If one is in my lap or snuggling on the couch, the other wants to be there. It's a 24/7 battle keeping them both safe and happy.

So I'm a little late commenting on this thread but I feel your pain, HKFandora.

My fiance and I have been talking about getting a dog for about a year now and I finally convinced him we should rescue a Yorkie. The only problem is we haven't been able to find a rescue that is comfortable adopting a Yorkie to us because we're a young couple with children possibly in the future. We don't have any children at the moment and due to some health issues I have, I may never be able to have children. :(

I can definitely understand the concerns of the people at the rescues. Yorkies are small, fragile dogs and I realize that they need to be handled with care (which can be difficult at times for some smaller children). I am definitely not mad at anyone from the rescues as I know they just want what is best for their dogs. If someone better able to care for the Yorkies I've applied for also applied then of course I understand the dog going to the person who is a better fit. However, I would really love to be able to rescue a Yorkie.

If anyone knows of a rescue around the Virginia/NC/Maryland/Eastern TN area that will adopt to a young couple I would love to know about it!

I understand your feelings, of being excluded... just because you have small children. I hear all of the time; I've raised my children to be gentle. I'm sure you have. However I try to explain it this way, just to help people to understand the risks.
How many times has your child put something into their own mouth they shouldn't? How many times has your youngster tripped? Now, how often was it over nothing, and they still hurt themselves?
Or accidentally dropped kicked a toy reaching down for it? Or even just dropped a toy period?
Even the smallest toy car falling on a puppy's head, from a foot above, could kill your puppy instantly.
Do your children listen well, and mind your every word or rule? Probably not. So if you aren't able to monitor 100% of the time, as a parent... we have no idea what the cheeky little monkey's are up to. Especially when it gets quiet!! "lol"
These are just a few of the ways young kids could hurt a very fragile puppy. That's not to say adults are a lot better, but we definitely have better motor skills, and more control over our bodies in certain situations. An adult running through the room, will be cautious of their steps.... thinking about the puppy. A young excited child probably won't. They B line it, straight for what ever they are excited about.
As for the adult rescue's, most probably weren't raised with children. As you can see, it's hard to find a breeder that will allow it. There for it's just easier to wait for another family vs taking the chance.
Tiny dogs in general don't like small children, due to their high energy levels, and quick movements. It scares them, and rightly so in some cases.
I agree, looking for a larger Yorkie would be your best bet.
In most cases, if you explain to the breeder... that you want the biggest in the litter, they'll give in.
Otherwise, I would just wait to get your pup, until the kids are older.
Best wishes, and I hope you find your dream puppy!! :)

Your best bet is to find a breeder then a rescue since the odds are higher. In NYC there are two rescues that I have found compared to amount of local breeders. Some will sell you a bigger yorkie. I've had one rescue suggest a bigger dog (ten pounds.) All hope is not lost.

yes... I think in this case, bigger is better.
Besides, what child wants a pet, that they can not play with? :thumbdown

I didn't want a rescue because I had small kids and wanted my pup used to the craziness in the house so we wanted a puppy that would grow with us. I just don't think most toy breed rescues are good with little kids. My large dogs are rescues but I got my little ones from a breeder.

I totally understand. I personally like the idea of watching a young dog grow with the family. The rescues I found put on their site that they rarely get puppies so I've decided to go the breeder route.

:thumbup:
I "save" my teapots for families with young children! They cant pick these heavier Yorkies up, and the larger dogs make absolutely fantastic pets for children, running and playing ball and frisbee around the back yard!

I had an issue adopting because I was under the age of 25. :rolleyes: It just takes lots and lots of time to find the right pup. Good luck on your search!

I disagree with this policy. I think that instead of banning families with small children why not monitor the children during several home visit which most rescues do any how. To totally disregard a family as a suitable placement for a Yorkie just for having small children is ridiculous. I've had Yorkies for 11 yrs now and we now have four. My son in 12, daughter is 20 so they were raised to be respectful of any living animal large and small. The number one thing in any child life should be to teach the child how to handle the puppy properly, any puppy not just Yorkies and about teaching them how to be a responsible and loving pet owner . It never to early or too late !!

How a parent raises their children has absolutely NO bearing on the reason I personally do not sell to families with children under 6 years of age. Young children do not have the physical coordination skills developed to the point where they can run across a room without tripping and falling! You can wish it on them, you can wave your majic wand, you can be the absolute best parent God ever blew breath into, and have the very best behaved children that have ever existed, BUT they have NOT developed the motor skills necessary to manuever safely around a small Yorkie puppy. That is in Gods hands, not yours! By the age of 5, it is getting much better, and by age 6, they can usually run across a room without their feet getting tangled up or them falling over because their bodies are ahead of their feet or the other way around. By age 6, if the parent has done their job teaching the child to act properly around a small dog, the child has the physical development and maturity and coordination to control their movements, and they can be trusted not to fall over the puppy in their sheer excitement to see and play with the dog. Now, after age 6, I do monitor the behavior of the child during the visit....but that is really not accurate, as they are usually on their best behavior....although I have had two occasions where I have had to corrall the child and ask the parent to keep them close. I guess a better solution would be for ME to go to their house and see how the child acts on his own turf.

Can't blame you for taking this stand. No matter how wonderfully behaved little children are, they are still uncoordinated little children and prone to far more accidents of all kinds than adults and don't have the mental skills to employ sufficient focus or good judgment 100% of the time. And it only takes one moment of child-like activity, behavior, distraction or forgetfulness to seriously injure or kill a very small dog. My sister's small Yorkie puppy was unceremoniously dropped on its fragile head causing a brain injury, emergency hospitalization for a week and months of seizures by our very well-raised and normally well-behaved, highly intelligent young niece.

I couldn't agree more. I am a Mother myself, and have wanted a Yorkie ever since I can remember. However I waited until my kids were old enough to handle a Yorkie, without my 24/7 supervision. They were 10 & 12 yrs old by that time.
What I don't understand, is why any Mother would want such a fragile breed for their kids? When searching for a puppy when my kids were young, I looked for breeds that were specifically great with kids. We wound up with a Shih-Tzu. The kids could play with her almost immediately, and they loved her to bits. My guess is it's Mom that wants the Yorkie in most cases, since the kids could really care less.
Pretty much any breed of puppy is exciting to a child. I feel choosing a Yorkie specifically for children.... when most reputable breeders are warning against it? :confused: Well... you get the point. "lol"
To each his own I suppose. :rolleyes:

Agreed. Also, small children get overly excited around a small dog, and scream and squeal. A few times, when I walk Tatiana in our neighborhood, she is frightened by small children who squeal at the sight of her ("Puppy!!")

My husband and I don't have children, and don't plan on any. That was one of the reasons Tatiana's breeder chose us over other buyers that were interested in her. Tatiana is a small dog - about 3 lbs.

I volunteered to foster with a Yorkie rescue near me and I even got rejected from fostering!

Maybe I should just give in and start looking for a breeder.

I think either way don't stop looking. You will persevere. Just be upfront an honest about you possibly having a child in the future. Gluck.