Questions About Other Breeds or Mixes-NOT Yorkies
 

I've read all the controversy here lately about mixing breeds, etc. but I'm curious about those of you that have other breeds besides yorkies.

Maltese, Poodles, or Mixes. What is their temperament like compared to yorkies? Simon and Hallie are the only dogs I've ever had so I don't have a lot of experience with other small breeds and was wondering if you could share your experiences.

Thanks~

Kim, I know of a VERY reputable Maltese/Poodle breeder here in Michigan close to me. She is very educated on both breeds and takes a lot of pride in the lil ones. A lady at my work just got one she has had dogs all her life and says this puppy is the most well behaved puppy she has ever had. She is 100% in love and actually thinking about going and getting another one as the breeder has 2 left. Not sure that this is gonna help ya much but its one good experiance to add to the list of many i am sure will follow. I think they are just so cute. Ill see if she has pictures that she doesnt mind me sharing. Ill post if she does! Good luck! ;)

me too.. i've had large breed dogs before (Labs and a Dalmation) but Layla is my first small breed dogs and I would also like to know if other small breeds have the same gereral temperment as Yorkies (i know personalities differ)

My sister had a morkie that she bred, twice to a maltese and the other two times to a yorkie, so each time, they were 3/4 of either yorkie or maltese..6 of them are still in my family, and they are great..The youngest ones now are 5, and out of the 16 or so pups she had in 4 litters, none of them have ever had any LS,LP or anything else..They are all very healthy..I honestly think their personalities are better than the purebreds. I bred my shih tzu one time years ago to a poodle, my Mom had one of the boys, he just passed away last Feb. and she said he was the best little dog she ever had..trained very easily, always happy to see everyone..

We had a lhasa apso when My Son was young. He was a sturdy loving dog that was great with kids

I have a Maltese and she is the sweetest thing she minds better than my yorkies,and has alot more patience than my yorkies.My hubby likes her the best out of the 7 that I have.
My grandson also prefers her and will not leave her alone,she tolerates him more than the yorkies will.
I have also raised rat terriers and they are very good breed also ,can be a litlte hyper at times but very good with kids and will not tolerate mice in the house.
They are very good rabbitt and pheasent hunters also.
My mom used to own a small poodle and he had a very good temperment also,very quiet and good with kids.

I have a Skye Terrier and have shown them also. They are a totally different dog!! They are also a close relative of the Yorkie and were used to develope them as well. I think this is where the Yorkie got that beautiful coat. They are more stand-off-ish and dont particularly like other dogs, even other Skyes. They will kill small or larger vermin, including Yorkies, kittens, etc. Of course, that is what they were bred to do, same as the Yorkie. They are loyal to the extreme to their owners, but are leary of strangers. They play with squeaky toys, go for walks and are the ultimate couch potatoe!! They are the only breed that is a true dwarf and have short legs and a big head. They originated on the Isle of Skye.

I also have had Labrador Retrievers. Wonderful personalities and just a great all-around dog. They love to play, play, play, swim and hike. I just dont have the energy anymore that they require. I always told people: If you dont give a Lab a job or something to do, he will find his own things to do like tear up the carpet, curtains, baseboards, garden, chairs, etc!!!

I also had a huskey mix years ago. She was true to the husky breed. She loved to hike and run. She was never much for playing frisby or with toys, but could run all day. She was a friendly dog with strangers but I wouldnt trust her with toy sized dogs. She loved the snow.

I had a doxie when I was young. I loved him. He was very intelligent and loving, but didn't seem to have the personality that Gizmo has. It may just be a personal preference, but I think that yorkies have more charisma or something.

Besides yorkies i think a welltrained & lOved CHihuahua is the Best breed
they are the sweetest Calm But still love to play , cuddle they truely love you
i will ALWAYS own at least 1 chihuahua
& they go VERY well with yorkies

I dont have any mixed breeds, but my sister has a maltese and he is adorable. he loves to chase things, so cute:)

We had a lhasa poo. He was very sweet but very much a barker. He was way easier to train than my yorkies though. We got him when my daughter was only 3 and he was wonderful with her. He passed way too young at 7 though.:(

It seems like there has always been a special dog in my life. Growing up we had mixes or mutts, or heinz 57 -- usually ones that had been dumped or we adopted at the pound. There was Rags, and HayBoy, who were generic shepherd/lab type mises. Fantastic, healthy, smart dogs they were so full of love. Then there was the odd weenie dog mix named Chico -- we lost him early on to parvo. After that Mom got a little poodle/manchester mix named Trixie -- she was so ugly she was cute.... smart smart dog, but entirely devoted to ball playing. And how can I forget Charlie-dog the fox terrier. We lost Trixie and Charlie-dog at ages 14 and 17 respectively.

I have also had Irish Setters (smart dogs, loved them, but high energy), a sheltie, and a chow-chow. With the exception of the Yorkies, Boo the Boxer rounds out the breeds that have been in my life.

I have a maltese, and she is super sweet!! She is definitely a lap dog, but when she wants your attention, she WILL get it. :) She will jump up and lick your face to pieces until you pet her.
My mom has a maltese/shih tzu mix that we sort of rescued, and he is such a well behaved dog. He listens to his commands, never begs, and is just a sweetheart.

I have always loved the look of Irish Setters :) They are so beautiful, but like you said, I heard that they are very high energy dogs...

I had a Golden Retriever when I was a little girl, and he was such a wonderful dog. He was very loyal and super sweet.

I used to have a Jack Russell Terrier. I got him from Santa when I was two. He lived to be about 15, I believe.

He was so great and so protective (not really in a bad way) but really bad at the same time. He used to kill our chickens (god forbid one got loose), rabbits, opossums, etc. He was very hyper. He loved to run outside. I loved him to death and can't imagine not growing up with him but I never get another JRT.

My mom has another one now (that she basically inherited) and he isn't as bad. He loves playing with Britney and Brooklyn and does OK with understanding that they are tiny. He does love to chase rabbits, squirrels, etc. He listens pretty well- not stubborn at all.

ETA: I noticed you mentioned Maltese, Poodles, or Mixes but I didn't noticed that until after I typed/sent this.. oops. :)

Right now, I also have a german shepherd, a golden retriever, a shih tzu, and a supposed biewer..The retrievers are great, they're puppies until the day they die, the shepherd is the most loving, intelligent dog I've ever had, the biewer is very sweet, loveable lap dog(not the brightest star in the sky) and the shih tzu is very intelligent. Has always learned new things with in about 10-15 minutes..

I have had labs all my life and when well trained they are not as hyper as you think. I currently have Luke who is over 100lbs and is a HUGE baby...loves to be loved on and loves the little ones.
We have Sophie who is a rescued German Shepard and she was so abused, it was horrible. We have had her for 3 years or so (I can't really remember) and we have worked w/ her...and she has become a wonderful dog...she is like the "mother" to them all. So, I really think German Shepards are good too.
We have Rusty (yellow lab) that we "rescued" from our neighbors...he was mistreated as well...and he isn't fixed like the other ones......and he is the hardest one of them all to train and "reteach". BUT, with time and love, he will get there (and getting fixed...that seems to help).

Growing up, we had a cocker spaniel and she was one of the best dogs we had growing up...I think she was the only dog we didn't rescue from the pound.

For a brief time, I had rescued a sickly Shih-tzu (my big heart thinking I could make him all better)....and he was the braviest and most loving little guy....even thru all of his suffering...I think they are a great breed.

I haven't personally known anyone w/ a Maltese...but I have known several w/ poodles....they are great dogs too........but I honestly think it is all in how they are raised and treated...I think that is one big factor as to how they will act.

Are you thinking of getting a new dog???

i have a rottweiler also and shes fine with my yorkies. i would not intentionally mix breed dogs it's senseless way to many unwanted mixed breeds in the world put down daily .

I had a Maltese when I was a bit younger and I had to say he was pretty wild. I had a very, very hard time training him. I also had a Shih tzu and she was so stubborn, so I had a hard time training them. They were both sweet loyal dogs, just harder on the training. I miss them a lot, but I know someone could provide them a better home them me. My friend has a Maltese/poodle mix and he is super smart! I'm still not a fan of mixes, but I have to say there are a lot of cute mixes out there. Since I got my Yorkies, I would never go back, though I have considered getting another breed. I love all dogs all the same.

I have Oliver, a shih tzu-poodle mix. He's very sweet and loving. He stays near me, always comes when called and loves to play. He has some dominance issue's, but I believe that may be my fault. He is a sweet boy and I'm lucky to have him.

Ollie is perfect and that all there is to it :p :p :p :p

I have a cocker spaniel. Even tho she is the best dog...literally...I don't know if I would ever get another one. I love her dearly, but she about drove me off the edge for the first couple of years :) now she is 6 years old and extremely well trained...but she still has her tendencies to push my buttons :D

she is VERY affectionate, very loving...eager to please...very smart. doesn't bark, loves to play with her toys, and lives to cuddle. she really is a wonderful dog.

I wouldn't take a million bucks for her. she taught me a LOT about training dogs :D Even tho she was very difficult to tolerate for the first 2 years, she has really turned out to be a gem. I really can't imagine not having her. :) oh..and she is great with Maggie. In fact, maggie has her "whipped" LOL

mixed breeds
 

I've had many mixed breeds, german shephards, a poodle mixed with peke (the smartest and most easily trained of any dog I've had) and now yorkies for 20 years. The yorkies are definately the hardest to housebreak and train. Luckliy mine have been healthy so far but mutts are usually very healthy too. Even with all their problems though Yorkies are the best.

morkie personality
 

Hi. I have a three year old maltese and a 7month old morkie. My parents have had three maltese dogas also. I really love my maltese but my morkie has a much better personality. He is so sweet and loving!!! Just a thought....

I have 2 purebred Yorkies, a Yorkie/Poo and a mini-dachshund. I have always had small dogs. The Yorkie/poo has a higher pitched bark. And he hears everything! But he is also my youngest. Very much still a puppy. He is almost 9 months old. He plays very well with my female yorkie who is almost 16 months old. Rocky(my other Yorkie, pictured) is 5 years old. He is much quieter. Then I have Candy, who is a mini-dachshund. She is 9 years old. I think the others keep her young. Years ago I rescued a long haired Chuauhua, she was abused. She was a purebred, and was one of the best dogs I have ever had. She was not only a beautiful dog, but very good natured, quiet, and very loving, to me. Now I am into my Yorkies, and my mini-dachshund. Hope this helps. Darlene :animal-pa :animal-pa :animal-pa

Our newest little rescue is a shih tzu/yorkie.."shorkie" and her personality is AWESOME!!! She acts like my yorkies but has a calmer nature...maybe its the shih tzu side of her..she doesnt get the zoomies..and she is completely housebroken which is WONDERFUL..and her bark is different too...its a roooo roooooooo sound and its really quiet..I love it and affectionately have nicknamed her "Roo" because of it...so mixes can bring out some nice qualities of each breed!! :D

Dawn

I have Skye Terriers & Cairns along with the Yorkies. I've shown & bred the Skyes & Cairns for over 30 years.

The Skyes are very reserved, extremely faithful to us but wary of strangers.If we get visitors, the yorkies & Cairns are all over them for a fuss, but the Skyes will sit at a distance weighing up whether they'll deign to say hello or not. :)
I don't agree entirely with Yorkiekist though, all mine have lived very amicably with the Yorkies, the cats that we have & even the geese, ducks & poultry.

i belong to the Skye Terrier Club & we sometimes have weekend meet ups, to which I take my yorkies as well, & they've never been bothered by any of the other Skyes there either.

But I can't keep them in squeaky toys! I have to hide the Yorkies toys from them as they chew up everything apart from the strongest black Kongs!
I can't really say mine are couch potatoes, they're always on the go. They get a really long walk every day & will still run like idiots, playing chase with one another round the garden & fields we have. :D

I' ve had 2 shih-tzu's. One for 12 yrs. I still miss him today. And 1 from a kill shelter for 6 months. We tried everything we could with him, but we couldn't even get him to trust us. He attacked my niece and my grandson very bad. They both will have scars for life. So he had to go. But my friends brother is the head of animal control so he took him. He did find a nice couple to take him with no kids. Now I have a yorkie. And I love him to pieces. And my grandson is his best friend.

Lenora, I feel the exact same way about my Cali!! :p