Is a Yorkie right for me?
 

Hi everyone

First of all, I'd like to thank you guys for the wonderful advice posted on the forums. Secondly, I just want to say hi since I'm one of the newbies. I was wondering if anyone can give advice on deciding whether a Yorkie is the right breed for me. I've been reading a lot about separation anxiety and, as a prospective dog owner who is seriously considering getting a Yorkie, I must admit that I've become somewhat scared of leaving a Yorkie or any dog home alone. Both my fiance and I work long hours -- sometimes 12 or 13 hours at a time. Would it be just plain cruel (or stupid?) to leave a young Yorkie alone for that long. We've been interested in the breed for a very long time, but on the other hand, we don't want to be careless dog owners. Please give us some advice!! :confused:

IMHO I think 12 or 13 hours alone is too much. 4 or 5 hours is the longest I will leave Lexy, and not to often do I leave her that long. I don't think you can train one being gone that much either.

If you can afford to, you might want to get 2 Yorkies so they have each other to play with while you are at work. You might also consider getting adult Yorkies as well.

Either way, I still think 12 or 13 hours is a very long time for a Yorkie to be alone.

I hope this helps some! :)

Thanks for the advice... but what about a puppy who's 8 months old and already housetrained? That's the predicament we're in right now. The breeder has told us that he has a great personality and is basically potty-trained already. I just don't want to turn an already good dog into one who's "bad" by leaving him home alone.

If he is accustomed to someone being home a lot and suddenly goes to a home where he is left alone he will surely get separation anxiety.. My advice is that a yorkie is not for you since you are gone so much.. again there are day care providers for dogs if you are willing to go this route.

i think 12 hours alone is a long time for a young puppy......... you are better off getting an older dog
I leave toby alone for about 6-8 hours at a time, but during the first month and a half of his life i was not going to school and working only 3 hours a day
(and my fiance stayed home with him)....

I agree with everyone else that 12-13 hours alone is not fair to the dog. You do have options:

All of these options would really only work if you and your fiance make a deal where you don't BOTH work late on the same day so that one is home after 8 hours every day. You could hopefully alternate.

1. A second dog for company
2. An older dog who sleeps during the day
3. A kitten to keep the dog company
4. A pet sitter who will walk, play and care for the dog during the day

I really appreciate the fact that you are considering all of these things before getting a yorkie!

You need to take into consideration the amount of care Yorkie's require also. They do require bathing and grooming alot more so than other dogs. Their sorta like having a child. Did you say the one you are wanting is potty trained? That is another thing I have heard that they are very hard to house break and I totally agree with that one. It took me almost a year to get my Yorkie to understand and I'm home with her most all the time and she still will use my rug as a toilet once in a while. You metioned the hours you and your fiance work and I would hate for you to get fed up with this dog every time you come home and find little presents all over the floor. I felt that way about mine and like I said, I'm home with her most of the time. But I do have to say they are very sweet and lovable dogs, just alot of up keep. Let us all know what you decide. :animal-sm ;)

Thanks again... the advice is very helpful! But what to do you mean by an older dog? I realize a puppy who's just a couple of weeks old is way too young to leave alone.... but what about a dog whose 9 months or older? Would that be okay? Perhaps I'm just being selfish for wanting a dog so badly :sad:

When peoples who are working 12 - 13 hours , very busy schedules etc etc ,
my breeder always answer " A plush puppy " .

Older dogs like over three years or so usually sleep all day whether you are home or not so it wouldn't be as bad leaving them for longer periods if you absolutely had too as it would to leave a dog under 2 years who really needs companionship and lots of active play time with you or another animal like a kitten or dog.

First off, GOOD FOR YOU for doing research on different breeds before making a purchase. You are already one step ahead of the game. That said, I find that Yorkies are kind of "needy" - now for me, that is great as I am home almost all the time. For people who need to leave their dogs for that long of a time (10-12 hours) I really wouldn't recommend this breed to them.

Older dogs do sometimes do better with being left alone DEPENDING on their circumstances before you get them. My older girl, Sandy, is very dependant though and does not like to be alone for long periods of time. She regresses with potty training and I'm told this is because of her former life. Our solution is to take her with us whenever possible and if we must leave for a day, a petsitter or friend stays with her. She's not as small as Tia so it is not always feasable to take her with us everywhere.

I would continue to research Yorkies. Are there any other breeds you are interested in? Again, I commend you for being realistic enough to ask these questions before bringing a dog into your home.

I have had mocha for about 1 month... She is 16 weeks old (i think).. I leave her alone during the day when I work but I make sure to give her all the attention at night and on the weekeds.. She is totally spoiled on Saturday's and Sundays... I do have my mom come to my place during the day and take her out to play for a little while.. I agree with Aimee when she gave you props for doing the research.. I think its a sign you will be a great mommy!! Good luck and keep us posted

No matter how old the dog is, whether a Yorkie or another breed, leaving them alone for so long is unfair to them. IMO Dogs are pack animals and therefore are social animals. More so than, say, cats. I have retired and placed adults in homes but absolutely will not consider placing them where they will be alone for so long. Puppies are even more social and needy.
I wonder if another species might work better for you. As has been said, Yorkies require so much more maintainence than some others. But, that could be arranged if all other conditions were optimum. Maybe, you can wait for a while til you and your fiance can alternate being home more and giving the baby the time and socialization the need..

Yorkie or not..it's cruel to leave any pet alone for that much time. I agree with others on this..get a sitter, doggy day care, go home on your lunch break, etc. I was in this predicament when i got my dog a couple months ago...and i've had to adjust. I didn't do research ahead of time, and i was stressed b/c i didn't want to leave her alone at home for a long time. So I had to change a lot for my dog.

I completely agree. Even an adult yorkie probably couldn't hold it's bladder for 12 or 13 hours at a time.

My husband and I work full time. Stomper is left alone Mon-Fri for about 10 hours. I have a dog walker twice a week for him. He does just fine. I have tons of toys and music on for him to enjoy. I have heard that this breed does not do good left alone - I think he just sleeps all day like most dogs do even when you are home! I really think a lot of it depends on how the dog is raised in your home. For example, if someone is usually home all day long, of course the dog is going to be sad when you leave him. My Stomper has always been left alone for that amount of time since we got him at 8 weeks old. He is used to it and now knows we will return home to see him! Plus, he is so excited when he sees me (then again, if I leave for 5 minutes and come back home I get that same response!).

Just a week ago, someone on Yorkie Talk sent an email from a professional stating that dogs have no concept of time so they don't know if you were gone for 5 minutes or 5 hours. I would have to agree with my experience thus far.

Most married couples in the Bay Area CA are both forced to work. Does that mean we shouldn't get a dog? I think not...we spend all of our other time with him and he seems very happy (no signs of depression).

I will say, that it is more work than I thought having a needy puppy and working full-time. It is a lot of work. Really! They needs lots of attention, lots of time to train how to go potty, etc. Just realize that you are going to get up 3 times a night with a puppy to go potty and you will still need to to to work the next day! I was so tired and cried the first 2 weeks I had Stomper because of my lack of sleep. By no means is it easy. Thinking back now...I wouldn't have gotten a puppy. I would have gotten a dog over 1 years of age. Trust me...I wouldn't trade my Stomper for the world, I'm just honest to say if I knew how much work it would be working full time and having a puppy - I would have gotten a mature dog instead. Just realize that. If you have kids, you'll already be used to it. I don't so this whole experience is new to me!

My suggestion, if you are not set on a puppy, is to get a dog at least 1 years of age. Less needy, probably already trained to sleep in a crate, goes potty outside, knows commands (sit, don't touch, etc.) which will make your working life easier!

Good luck. I hope I have helped you with your decision!!!!

Hi Kimberly,

Thank you so much for your thoughtful and honest response... you don't know how much I've been pining for a Yorkshire terrier -- I can honestly say I've wanted one for almost 10 years now! There's always been reasons why I shouldn't get a dog, and finally over the past month or so, I finally took the plunge into more serious research on the breed, searching for breeders, reading books, etc. My fiance's been the same way (though perhaps not as fanatical as I am on the subject). We are both medical residents -- he's a medicine intern, and I'm an Ob/Gyn intern... so our hours are pretty long. After reading many of the responses, I have become very discouraged from adopting a Yorkie, at least the one who I was interested in. I emailed the breeder yesterday and told her that I would no longer be able to buy him. I was really upset, but I guess I have to be realistic about the responsibilities that go along with raising him into a happy adult. Thanks again for your words of encouragement... you've made me a little more hopeful about finding a Yorkie who might be able to fit into our lifestyle :smile:

I know how hard it must have been to write that letter saying you could not take him, but you did a caring and loving thing. Your jobs are stressful(to say the least) and a problem child when you get home could be a bit over the top for both of you. Especially, if you have had a bad day at the hospital(loss of mother or baby, comes to mind) you need what I call "self" time. Most of my friends in medicine at all levels have chosen larger dogs. Because of my area, Labs are first choice. But, large dogs are not for every one, including me! And, shedding dogs are not for me. If you have not done so, make a list of every chsracteristic that you feel important in your dog and then search for a baby who has the most of those qualities. Good Luck in your search. AND, thank you for going into OB-GYN med. We are losing them by the hour due to many things, especially the cost of malpractice insurance..

I agree with everything that whispersmom said. I'm so sorry that you are feeling so let down, I think we just were all trying to give you our honest opinion. Bless you for all that you do, I agree that we don't have enough good obgyn people (after two pregnancies, I don't even want to get into that ;)) Take care and keep us updated on your quest for a doggie :)

Pups are always a challenge for full time working people. Its very hard to potty train a pup when no one is there to take them out.
Most of the time pad training is what has to be used then.

Have you considered adopting an adult? There are many adults out there that would love to have a home where they could sleep all day, greet you when you come in and sleep some more with you at night.

Petfinder.org would be a good place to look in your area.

Go here and read and see if you would feel comfortable with this information.
http://yorkieviews.com/yorkieforme.htm