First Post! Getting a Yorkie for my birthday... but which one do I pick?

[Bellabean]

I have all female dogs, but something about that little male just draws my heart and speaks to me.

[cummins]

I think female are easier to potty train. Keep us updated as to which you get

[Doodlebug]

Originally Posted by MissAlex

May I ask why? I want to make sure I'm not missing anything that you are seeing, lol.

Sure. I started writing a lengthy reply but then deleted it because I didn't want to be unfair to all the wonderful little boy pups.

It sounds like the little girl has a sweet personality. That little boy might be a feisty one. The feisty personality is cute and adorable but at times I have had a battle of the wits with my feisty little girl. When she was a puppy and I would put her in her crate to go to work she would poop all over her crate and roll in it. She would poop as soon as i walked out the door because sometimes I came back in and checked. I came home every day at lunch to let her out to potty and clean up her and her crate. It took about 14 months for to be potty trained. She was so stubborn. But once she got it she really got it. She is 10 yrs old now. I love her to death and wouldn't change anything. But we did have our moments. She was nippy with my husband but grew out of it with me. I think he teased her though. That little boy might have that feisty personality. Just my thoughts. I would like to have an "easier" puppy next time.

Just want to add thought...all of the boy pups I have ever had have had much more laid back personalities and were sweeter than the girls. Girls are so fun to dress up though.

[mimimomo]

They're all so cute, makes it hard to choose! I would pick the little guy...he seems to have the best personality. The boys are snuggle bugs, they don't pick 1 person to bond to, they love everyone in the family...but not all girls are aloof. My Princess is a tomboy, so she acts like one of the guys loll! She's my shadow but when my parents come over, she's stuck like glue to them.

Is there a way to visit the breeder @ her home? They might act different & their personality might be more present in their comfortable environment. Did you meet the parents?

[elainfavourite]

My boy is totally a mommy's boy, he follows me around the house and snuggles with me all the time. My boy is VERY alert too, but he never barks for no reason.

When I was picking the puppies, there was three boys and one girl. We knew we wants a boy and we picked the one that is #2 in everything (size, active level, needs for human, "aggression" level when they play).

About potty training, I didn't believe he could be trained until about 20 weeks... but after that, he had huge improvement and by 6 month, I can say he's potty trained. Not sure about females, but I'm happy with my boy's "performance" :P

Congrats on your coming fur baby, you will love him/her!

[Doodlebug]

I have one more thought to add. My little boy (a yorkie mix) is a sweet little doll. I have never had a problem with him. He is the ideal little guy. But he is really shy and afraid of everything. You can't move quickly around him or you will startle him. If you rattle a paper near him, he will jump. If you raise your voice even a little or your voice sounds even a little harsh but not loud, he will shake and cower and look scared to death. He is afraid of everything. He has always been this way.

He loves meeting other dogs but is not so trusting of meeting new people. He was not from a puppy mill but he was from a backyard breeder. He will be 10 yrs old in Feb and I have had him since he was a puppy. He is as sweet as can be but just afraid. I don't know what ever made him this way but I don't think he will ever change. He is terrified to go in Petsmart, which breaks my heart.

I would recommend that you not pick one that is showing shyness and fear or you might end up with one like him. I'm glad I have him because I try to make his life happy and enjoyable. He loves snuggling and talking to him and belly rubs. He loves to go to the park and he leads us on our expeditions. He is in his element there.

If he is sleeping on the bed and Daisy jumps up on the bed he will usually be startled and bolt off the bed. Sometimes I think he is afraid of her.

I would try to visit the puppies as often as you can or ask the breeder for updates or video. Maybe one of them will stand out as the one special one for you.

I don't mean to worry you about choosing. I hope I haven't done that. I love both of mine just the way they are and wouldn't change a thing. It just seems to me that you will be ahead of the game if you don't have problems like this to start out with.

[misskate]

You can't generalise about gender. My boy pup is so attached to me he howls when I leave home. The girls are calmer but that may be because they have always had each other. They are cuddly and lovable and easier to train than my boy. Just looking at the picture of the puppies makes me want to take all three. Such a dilemma! Uff! I'm no help at all when it comes to puppies...

[OwnedByJezebel]

I would choose the one that seems the most confident and friendly.

[MissAlex]

Originally Posted by Doodlebug

I have one more thought to add. My little boy (a yorkie mix) is a sweet little doll. I have never had a problem with him. He is the ideal little guy. But he is really shy and afraid of everything. You can't move quickly around him or you will startle him. If you rattle a paper near him, he will jump. If you raise your voice even a little or your voice sounds even a little harsh but not loud, he will shake and cower and look scared to death. He is afraid of everything. He has always been this way.

He loves meeting other dogs but is not so trusting of meeting new people. He was not from a puppy mill but he was from a backyard breeder. He will be 10 yrs old in Feb and I have had him since he was a puppy. He is as sweet as can be but just afraid. I don't know what ever made him this way but I don't think he will ever change. He is terrified to go in Petsmart, which breaks my heart.

I would recommend that you not pick one that is showing shyness and fear or you might end up with one like him. I'm glad I have him because I try to make his life happy and enjoyable. He loves snuggling and talking to him and belly rubs. He loves to go to the park and he leads us on our expeditions. He is in his element there.

If he is sleeping on the bed and Daisy jumps up on the bed he will usually be startled and bolt off the bed. Sometimes I think he is afraid of her.

I would try to visit the puppies as often as you can or ask the breeder for updates or video. Maybe one of them will stand out as the one special one for you.

I don't mean to worry you about choosing. I hope I haven't done that. I love both of mine just the way they are and wouldn't change a thing. It just seems to me that you will be ahead of the game if you don't have problems like this to start out with.

Thanks for telling me that. My mom had an extremely shy Basset Hound when she was little, but I didn't know if the shyness traits were universal among dogs or not. This tells me that a shy dog is a shy dog and there's not much you can do to change their shyness. I really want this puppy to be social so I can take it wherever I go without worrying about it being frightened all the time.

As for watching the babies grow up, I am probably going to decide between the little male or female today so I can get my deposit put down. I might change my mind down the road, but at least I'll be guaranteed a puppy. I don't want to end up losing all of them! D:

[hearttx]

I vote for the small boy. He is so sensitive. I love my small boy and we do have a bond.

[Doodlebug]

Originally Posted by MissAlex

Thanks for telling me that. My mom had an extremely shy Basset Hound when she was little, but I didn't know if the shyness traits were universal among dogs or not. This tells me that a shy dog is a shy dog and there's not much you can do to change their shyness. I really want this puppy to be social so I can take it wherever I go without worrying about it being frightened all the time.

As for watching the babies grow up, I am probably going to decide between the little male or female today so I can get my deposit put down. I might change my mind down the road, but at least I'll be guaranteed a puppy. I don't want to end up losing all of them! D:

I have heard of puppy mill dogs who were afraid of humans because of abuse, who did come out of their fear of humans with a lot of time and patience. So I don't know if you can really say that all shy dog will always be shy. But I just thought I would tell you about my Teddy Bear so you can maybe avoid a situation like I have with him. I said I wouldn't change anything about him but I do wish I could change his fear of everything. His sweet personality and cute mannerisms I would not change.

Good luck and I can't wait to hear which one you choose and see those pictures.

[SWHouston]

Originally Posted by yorkiefan_

My yorkie Minnie did that too, as does Cookie, and they're both females. I think that's more a yorkie thing than just a boy yorkie thing.

You are SO right about that, and I didn't mean to cut our Girls down any. My Adult Female Becca is extremely alert an territorial as well. But given what I've seen, I do think Males have a slight edge there.

[buffy512]

All of them. Hehe

I would choose the male that is most active. Just being that it may seem he will have a better chance of becoming more social and adapt to his environment more easily. I have a boy and they are very much attatched to you. Females seem from what I have heard. Are more independent. Up to you though. Its truly what you feel in your heart is the best move!

[gracielove]

I am just wondering why the breeder drove them to a place for you to see them? Have you ever been to the breeders facilities and seen them at home under their normal conditions?

It's pretty hard to determine a true personality type when you can't play with and hold the babies. Personalities also change as they grow. I would advise you to make a few visits to the breeders home or kennel to interact with the pups at different stages of their development. You should always see both the male and female parents. They are great indicators of what you can expect as far as size, temperament, and health.

[MissAlex]

Originally Posted by gracielove

I am just wondering why the breeder drove them to a place for you to see them? Have you ever been to the breeders facilities and seen them at home under their normal conditions?

It's pretty hard to determine a true personality type when you can't play with and hold the babies. Personalities also change as they grow. I would advise you to make a few visits to the breeders home or kennel to interact with the pups at different stages of their development. You should always see both the male and female parents. They are great indicators of what you can expect as far as size, temperament, and health.

The breeder we have chosen has a policy against home visits and prefers to drive puppies out to us for us to see them. I know that's kind of a big no-no among most dog communities, but we got our Boomer from this same breeder and he has truly been the greatest dog we have ever had. He's healthy, up to breed standards, and has a wonderful temperament. It is because of this that I trust the breeder we have chosen. The puppies we saw looked just as healthy as our Boomer did when we picked him up nine years ago.

The breeder has a picture of the parents on her website, and she said that they both have calm temperaments when I last talked with her. According to her, this litter is the dam's first and the pups are still nursing- which is why I was not allowed to touch the pups on our last visit.

As much as I would like to make tons of visits to see the puppies before I make my choice, my parents say that it would be best for me to chose now rather than later so that the pups don't get sold before I make my decision. I hope I'll be able to see the pups again before my baby comes home, but things are really busy around here and theres no way if I'll have the time to make the drive out again...