Should I get a Yorkie?
 

Hello:wavey:

I am trying to see if a Yorkie is the breed for me. :) I have spent several hours browsing the forum over the last week and have found it very useful and its so nice to hear/see how much you guys love your little babies.:D

I have a couple of questions, so please forgive the long post.:rolleyes:

I am 22 and am (on a good day) wheelchair bound, most of the time I have to stay in bed, for anyone who has been confined to bed for any length of time will know how frustrating and boring and lonely it can be. :( I would just love a pet to keep me company and entertain during these times. Would a Yorkie be a good breed or would it get too restless? :animal36

My mum has said she would be able to walk, socialize and take it to puppy school for me,:dogwalk: but I am wondering as I have so much time, I want to train it to be a kind of service dog so that it can help me as well as keep me company, would it confuse a puppy to be trained by me at home and mum out of home? Would it be fair on the puppy or would I be being irresponsible to get one being unable to train it out of bed/house.

Are there any special requirements of a Yorkie breed that I should take into consideration?:aimeeyork My dad had a friend that had a Yorki as a kid and rembers it as a really bitey and yappy dog, So is saying it not a good idea, but from what I have read that sounds unfair and with love and training I could have a really friendly little baby?

Thanks everyone sorry for the ridiculously long first post lol.

:love-hug1 Thanks for reading:D

:wavey: :wavey: :wavey: :wavey: :wavey:
Welcome to YT!!!!!!

I'd say a Yorkie would be perfect for you. With help from your Mom,There's no reason not to get a furbaby. I would get some stairs by your bed so he/she can get up and down. Yorkies have hearts of gold, I'm sure a furbaby will be great company for you. Get ready for lots of Yorkie Kisses, they love to kiss!!!!
Please keep us posted!:2hearts2: :2hearts2: :2hearts2:

I agree with mustangbee...with help, a yorkie would be a perfect fit. They are very loving and social creatures and will stick right by your side. Bed stairs are a great idea!!

Thanks for the welcome and opinions very appreciated:)
yup little stairs would be a must:D

I think it would be a great breed for you! You can also train it to go on we we pads to make it easier on you. Once they get through the puppystages they love nothing more than to lay by your side. You may want to find one that is 4 or 5 months old and a more laid back personality. You could enjoy hours traning a puppy to do tricks. Good luck with your decision.

Here at YT, we're a wee bit biased - but that doesn't make our comments any less true. I have only had a Yorkie for a month, but I have had multiple dogs of varying breeds over my lifetime (I'm coming up on 63 years old) and I cannot imagine a breed of dog that would be better in your circumstances.

They are bright and you'll never be able to figure out how so much heart is squeezed into their little bodies.

As mustangbee said, get stairs so your Yorkie can get up and down from your bed on her own. They're so tiny that even a bed can be a good sized playground for them. If, when you're in your wheelchair it would not be possible to bend over and pick up your baby, just get a set of the light-weight plastic stairs that you can have next to your chair for her to get up within reach for you. With your mum's help, you'll be able to take care of your furbaby's needs and she will return so much love you'll be hard pressed to absorb it all!

Go For It!
 

Yorkie's are the best dogs! Yes, I am very partial to the breed! I love my two and I am sure you will be very satisfied!

Welcome to YT!! Yorkies are the best little cuddlebugs, so you wouldn't have to be worried about being bored or lonely with them around! :p Good luck with your decision and please keep us updated!

Hi and welcome. I think a yorkie would be great. I have a daughter who is handicapped and we have two yorkies and they are so good to her. Something to think about is. Sophie is 8 lbs and is heavy to pick up. She is trained to go outside. Winston is 3 1/2 lbs and is very easy to pick up. We brought him when he was 5 months old(the breeder wanted to keep him longer becasue he was small). But he was paper trained when we got him. He will go outside but it is nice having him paper trained. My point is that Winston was very easy to adjust to our household because he was older and maybe it would help you if you found a puppy or dog that is a little older for training purposes. Another thing to think of is even though Sophie likes to snuggle, my winston is a true lover. I have read that male dogs are more than a female. Good luck. And it is so much fun looking.

Here is a thought:

Why not look for a "rescue" yorkie? I have two dogs that came from homes where they were not given a lot of time or attention, and I know that they seem especially loving and appreciative of our affection and company.

Most rescues will really give you a good/honest idea of what the dog's temperament and drawbacks are, b/c they want to avoid putting the animal into ANOTHER home that is not a good match for them.

A smaller dog would be best for you for a number of reasons, but you can't always go by a breeder's questimate for adult age (even if they are trying to be honest). So another good thing about acquiring an older dog is that you would KNOW what their grown weight would be.

ALSO, you would avoid those puppy years, when they really can be hyper, get into things, and need a lot of exercise.

I know that everyone wants to start out with a "cute little puppy", that they can train themselves from day one. But there are also "pluses" to getting a dog that is already grown, with a known personality, etc, cuz when we get our puppies, it's like having a baby....we have no idea whether they will grow up and be snippy, hyper, un-pottytrainable, unhealthy...or whether they'll be laidback, like to snuggle, "smart", etc etc.

There are many people here with EXTREMELY positive "rescue yorkie" experiences, and I do encourage you to consider the option!

i would deff say get an older one 6 months or older it would make things alot easier other wise i dont see why not as along as your mother is open to doing ALot of work

I agree. A Yorkie would be GREAT for you...but you might want one that's older than a puppy. My (almost) 9 month old is very cuddly, but she also wants to run around and play a lot. It would be great to have a furbaby lie on you all day, and an older one would want just that. :D

:welcome4: A Yorkie would be great for you! They give so much love and they are soooooo smart. They sometimes outsmart you ;)

Did you see this video?

I also think a rescue would be a good idea for the before mentioned reasons. An older dog can still learn new things and loves it. Mitzi came in my life when she was already 4 yo. She was always a little love muffin but now with 9 yo she can truely comunicate with us. My husband had her before we met and he took very good care of her but he did not have the time to teach her tricks and unfortunately to go potty outside. Now she is fully housebroken and lets me know what she has in mind. Let's say, I am very well trained now.;)

Go for it! You'll not regret! :aimeeyork

Yorkies are a very lovable breed. They will stay by your side and give lots of yorkie kisses....I agree with some of the posts that maybe an adult dog would be a good choice then you wouldn't have to go through all the training.
You had mentioned a service dog. In my opinion, a yorkie wouldn't make a very good service dog. Yorkies are a very high energy dog. Just my opinion!

Good luck with your decision

Hello and welcome to yt!!:welcome4: :wavey:
A few years ago I saw two yorkies that were in fact service dogs. They do great because they are so loveable and in tune with you and your feelings. If you really want one as a service dog I would pick out a puppy and have someone train it for a year. If you could I would look into programs that train service dogs for you. Usually a family will get a puppy and train it for you and give it to you fully trained in about a year. If you wanted to train it all on your own I would say you would be better off getting a older yorkie. This would be alot less stress on you and you woulden't have to deal with all the puppy stages. One of the most important things is that you need to look closely at the temperment and disposition, you want one that is mellow and laid back rather than hyper and bouncing off walls. All in all, it is a great idea and yorkie would be perfect. Good luck to whatever you decide!!!:thumbup:

wow what a lot of lovely replies, thanks soo much:D

I wrote long reply earlier pressed submit without realising I wasnt signed it so lost it :rolleyes: oops..

All your post have been so encouraging, I would love to get a rescue dog or puppy, that would be are first choice:)

would an older dog be harder to train though especially with things like toilet training? and had bad habits?

Mitzis Mom wot a great little dog, so smart:D

BLowry said "In my opinion, a yorkie wouldn't make a very good service dog. Yorkies are a very high energy dog. Just my opinion!" That was part of the reason I thought service dog training would be a good idea as it would give the dog more to do with little things to do while keeping me company?:confused:

Thanks tsehasd I will keep that in mind when making a choice

oow its so exciting just thinking about it all lol

Most of the older rescue Yorkies are potty trained already and if not the rescue group will tell you. I think those Yorkies are very well monitored and the info about them is detailed and correct. There are no "marketing" phrases since the rescue people want you to know what you get yourself into rather than getting a dog back. All Yorkies need is love, love, love, attention, love, tummy rubs, love and ... did I mention LOVE? ;) Since you are going to have tons of time to spend with your furbaby you will have one happy little camper. As of the training, you are right! Yorkies love to being kept busy and I think letting him/her do stuff for you will make it even better.

Yorkie are not nesessarily hyper. Mitzi is more of the layed back type and sleeps a lot. The best of luck for you! :aimeeyork

Hello Jellylegs and welcome

I was drawn to Yorkshire Terriers when a UK Yorkie "hearing dog" won an award earlier this year. He was also mentioned on this forum recently

At Crufts 2006 a Yorkie was short-listed in the Companion Dogs Award when he helped save the life of a hospital patient who had stopped breathing and nobody (human) noticed. His Mum, who uses a wheelchair, was fast asleep in the adjacent bed. He alerted his owner to the other patient's situation and she called the hospital staff. I can't find the story but here is a link to the KC's Companion Dog page.

There you will also find links to other UK organisations that can help you to train/find a suitable new best friend. PAT dogs could be an interest for you, later on, if you can get out and about occasionally. Then you can share your Yorkie with and allow him/her to work his/her magic on elderly people who are very unlikely to be able to own or look after a pet again.

I reckon a Yorkie would be eminently suitable for you and I fully intend to get into PAT as soon as I get my Yorkie and train her to be a beautifully behaved young lady... well at least not a complete hooligan. :p

Doh! I've just realised how appropriate your forum name is :thumbup:

Oops: Ignore that Companion Dog link. It's all wrong but this should work

Hi Lorrie
I had read that story before isnt it wonderful!

i'm sure you will find a perfect little angel for PAT, look forward to hearing all about it when you get your dog:D

thanks for the links:D

I agree that some yorkies might be very UNsuited to be trained to help you in practical ways, and some might be great at it!

My nine month old is the most endearing little lovebug, but not terribly bright, and I can't see her being very helpful! :p My puppy...hard to tell with her...she is still in that wiiiiiiild puppy stage! :D

But I think that it is VERY likely that you could find an older yorkie that would suit your needs brilliantly! As stated, you'd have to be careful where/who you got it from, as some people will tell you ANYthing to sell a dog :p, but yeah, rescues, shelters, or trustworthy breeders would have a good peg on the dog's strength's/weaknesses.

GOOD LUCK, and keep us updated!!! :)

They arent the best dogs to train but it would be the perfect dog for you as long as your mom can help out! Also welcome to yorkie talk!:D

I'm so happy you joined us! Welcome!

I think a Rescue would be perfect for you too. You will skip all the puppy training and chewing stages, plus the rescues I've seen all have a special soul. Like they know they were rescued and are grateful and loyal to their new family. There is just this look in their eyes that seems just a bit wiser. When you are ready, try contacting the United Yorkie Rescue and talk to them about your situation, I'm sure they will keep an eye out for the perfect match for you.

Smart Decision on gettting a Yorkie
 

Hi, I just want to say what a wonderful decision you have made in getting a yorkie. I am not going to say which is best in getting either older or a puppy, but with your parents there to help with it, like you mentioned your Mother would be helping to train it. No problem there,my husband Jack and I both work with training ours. She will be nine months the 27th of this month, we got her when she was just 10 weeks of age, wish she would have been at least 12 weeks but it all worked out. I personally preferred a puppy, but remember the vet visits are a must to be sure to get started on its shots early and to get all of them promptly and whatever else is required. The steps is important, we have Baby Blessing trained not to jump onto furniture or off the bed when she is there with us, she is a small and to us it is for her benefit :) I will say she is not yappy, and is very well behaved. We trained her our way:) We had a yorkie for almost ten and half years and last November we had to let her go to her forever eternal home, the hardest part in having one is when the time comes that we must give them back to the Lord for his keeping, but then we adjust and knowing that they are in his keeping we go on and fall in love with another although part of our heart goes with the one we lost. Cassie was only three and half pounds, so fortunate that she lived all those years so healthy and happy, we truely never ever had one complaint about her :) :) I feel a yorkie is a great breed for companionship, the best, but when you say to have as a service dog I would think maybe a larger breed would be better for that. Jack (my husband) has very progressive Parkinsons Disease, the time is coming for me to get a large service dog so I am looking in the future to get a Lab. The reason I am choosing a Lab is knowing about the breed, they have a wonderful disposition and that is the breed we have chosen for his need when the time comes. The comfort that Baby Blessing brings to Jack (and myself) is worth more than any money could ever begin to buy, just as Cassie was to us. I know we will share the same feelings to the Lab when the time comes for us to get one. Pray about your decision and the Lord will lead you to the right one, one of my favorite sayings is, "a day hemmed in prayer seldom unravels" God Bless you and I know there is just the perfect one out there waiting for you someplace.
Patti and Jack ~~Baby Blessing~~

Just reread your post, you sound like a very responsable young lady and any pet you get will be very fortunate, please keep us updated when you get one. Patti

I've been training Loki for over a year now. It's been necessary because he is very active and he has a difficult temperament (like most terriers!). You are absolutely right that training will make all the difference. An additional suggestion would be to have a trainer accompany you to pick out a Yorkie. A good behaviorist will be able to give you a good indication of the temperament of the puppy. In your special situation I think this is very important. You don't want a pup with a difficult personality.

As far as potty training, Loki was about a year old before he was totally housetrained. Is your mom home with you all day? This is easiest if you are home all day and is difficult at first, but once they "get it" it makes things so much easier! Also, are you able to let the dog out when he needs to go, or can you install some kind of doggie door? Yorkies are smart, with help and instruction they will figure it out. Getting an adult would at least get you past that housetraining stage - but be careful. Sometimes people give up their dogs because they are not housetrained. So if you get an adult just be sure it is already housetrained. Also, while you can train an older dog you might not want to get one with a lot of bad habits. At least with a puppy you can start training right away so they don't develop those bad habits. It's a trade off, I guess. I'm all for rescues! But in your situation I think you need to be as careful as possible. You deserve to be picky about this. I don't think you want to take on the re-habilitation of a rescue dog - right? It would be different if you could find one that came from a great home and simply can't be cared for any more. But in my experience those are not only rare but last about 2 hours in our shelters here before someone snatches them up. The ones that linger usually need some extra help.

Loki is about 9-10 pounds. He is perfectly capable of jumping on the couch and he has a step to get on the bed and he uses it 50% of the time. Mostly he just jumps. He knows commands like "on the bed" and "off" so if you get a larger one you may not need to lift them. Loki prefers to sit beside me and not on my lap, although I don't feel he is too big to sit on my lap at all. He curls up in a tiny ball. SO I suppose that is the advantage to a bigger one, unless you plan on lifting the dog and need a smaller one.

At night he snuggles in bed with me. He gets up in the morning to go outside and eat and then naps all day (with or without me) If I am sick, he hangs out with me either in bed or on the couch. On an average day he needs a good 30 mins of "fetch" or tug or some other activity and a decent walk around the neighborhood. He gets active in the evening, so I usually walk him when I get home from work and wear him out a little. He will also play quietly or chew on a bone. If I don't feel well or it's rainy he can do without a walk, although I try to go every other day. An alternative here is "doggy daycare" If I feel that I haven't exercised him enough I send him to the trainer's for the day to play and run around with the big dogs. He then comes home and sleeps for days.

Again, as someone to actively trains her dog, I know you can train a Yorkie to do practically anything. Loki knows a ton of commands including simple stuff like "out" for "get out of that room" and down and stay and all of those things. I taught him to "fetch" and then drop the ball/toy in my hand or lap. He knows the names of his toys. I'm sure this could translate to having your Yorkie pick up something for you, like a sock or keys. If your mom is going to go to classes, just make sure she takes notes and she can show you what to do when she gets home. The dog doesn't really learn at class - they learn at home anyway. If you like to read, there are a ton of good books out there for positive training! One of my favorites is "Positive Perspectives" by Pat Miller.

Plus, the #1 most important thing. Yorkies are there to make you happy. They bond with you. Loki knows when I don't feel good. Last night I went to bed early and he kept coming to check on me. Then he would bark at my husband to come check on me. Then he just curled up in a ball and snuggled in. :D They are so smart!

I hope this helps a little. :)

Hi Jellylegs

Hi and welcome to YT I have not been on for a few days so missed this thread, I think you would do very well with a yorkie as the are loyal and very loving hope you find your baby soon.
Hope you enjoy getting to know everyone here.

:D Wow, what a lot of wonderful posts. Thank you.:D

I'm using a new dictation program so I hope this doesn't make too many mistakes.

This site really is so great:D

BabyBlessing Im sure you will absolutly love a lab, the rest of my family all have labs and I grew up with them most of my life, before I got sick my family moved around alot, when we lived in Africa. We bought a house(which because it is pretty dangerouse there was completly walled in by huge brick walls) when my dad moved in he found that the last owners had left a dog behind :mad: :mad: and the only reason it had survived was because the neibours had thrown food over the wall. the poor thing was practicaly starved when we moved in. It was a (i think) a big mix or lab, alsation (sp?) ridge back. we were able to train it really easily and it had such a personality.
When we had to leave Africa we found him a wonderful new home but it was soo sad having to leave him!!

Erin yes my mum is here all day with me so will be here to help with toilet training, I am not too bothered by the size of dog. Though i think a smaller breed is better for me at the moment (hence the choice of Yorkie) but any size withing the breed would be fine:D .. yup I am reading all the clicker traing and positive training books I can find. So know I will know what Im doing when I eventualy get my little dog:D

I have just been told we are going to be moving house so the Yorkie search wont be happing for several months or more... but Im making sire Im prepared

One thing it seems is that there arnt many (if any Yorkie breeders in Scotland):( or that many in UK full stop!

TophersmomThanks for the PM:D I hope you are having a good day! I want one that can sit on my lap too, without squashing me lol!!

Juliealfies mum, yes its great here and everyone has been so nice and helpful!!

Thank you :hug: all!!

One more thing about Yorkies: They don\'t shed! What\'s great if you don\'t like to have your bed covered in dog hairs.

The very best to you for your health and your move!:aimeeyork