I could NOT have been more *shocked*

[MaddiesMommie]

Originally Posted by Wabbit

I don't know much about that dog breed.....but we have a LARGE mixed breed dog named Dakota she weighs 90 lbs + and she is wonderful with our babies....However when we aren't home or around to watch...we ALWAYS separate them....just to err on the side of caution...she loves to play with them...but we've seen behavior where she would slap her big paws down near them....so it's always best to keep them separated just for safety's sake! She would never hurt them intentionally....but not going to take any chances...And since your big guy is only a puppy...you'll have to be extra vigilant...puppies don't realize their own strength! But we have had our girls around a golden pup....and he was ALWAYS gentle with them...so I guess it depends on the dog.
Good luck!

she's even heavier now than she was in this pic taken last year.
pic of Loredo with daizy..he was still a pup...

You are so right, it does depend on the dog. He sorta does the paw slap near them or will lung down by them. We have been feeding them all together and Maddie is the only one who shows any sort of "Don't even look at my bowl" aggression. I am reading all I can find about how to ensure they all get along.
The internet is so overloaded with information, it may take me a while.

Then again, I have been given some great advice here too.

[gypsyqueen]

I have had small dogs and at least one big dog always a pit bull or a shar pei My small daogs always around five pounds and I have never hadi not even a tiny problem usually my small one is the big kahuna.

[MaddiesMommie]

Originally Posted by Ladymom

From what I have read, they are closely related to pit bulls. The American Staffordshire Terrier is one of the breeds commonly banned. They have a high prey drive. I personally would not have one if I had cats or small dogs.

While frequently good family dogs, their high prey-drive makes them largely unsuitable for homes with cats and other small critters. They are frequently dog aggressive.



Dog Breed Basics

Thank you M for this. I had actually bookmarked it already, lol. I am in information overload. For everysite that says they are not good with small animals or cats, we find 2 that have just the opposite information.

One lady swears that her Staffy tries to mother her hamster! Another says this is the only dog she has owed to help her small breed resuces adapt to their new lives. I appreciate any and all advice and stories to share.
This is SO not my dh. He usually reads and reasearches months before bringing anything home, even the Tassimo!

[marcie]

So cute look at that face.

[littlewhip]

My hub has been asking for a bigger breed now for a long time, he wants
a german sheppard, I love all dogs but i have to admit, iam affraid to add
a bigger dog to our small ones, I agree though if the proper training is done any thing can work, He is a beautiful dog

[Ladymom]

Originally Posted by MaddiesMommie

Thank you M for this. I had actually bookmarked it already, lol. I am in information overload. For everysite that says they are not good with small animals or cats, we find 2 that have just the opposite information.

One lady swears that her Staffy tries to mother her hamster! Another says this is the only dog she has owed to help her small breed resuces adapt to their new lives. I appreciate any and all advice and stories to share.
This is SO not my dh. He usually reads and reasearches months before bringing anything home, even the Tassimo!

Have you checked with your insurance company? American Staffordshire Terriers are one of breeds on the "banned" list. Some insurance companies will cancel your home owner's insurance if you own a banned breed or require you to carry extra insurance/a rider.

75 dog breeds banned or restricted - Dog Laws & Legislation Forum

Tennessee seems to have quite a few counties with breed bans:

Rott-n-Chatter (breed bans) - Home

[yorkieusa]

There is a county-wide ordinance here against owning them.

[kalina82]

It is such a shame that people do not understand the breed and have banned it, or want it banned. They are wonderful dogs.

[MaddiesMommie]

Originally Posted by Ladymom

Have you checked with your insurance company? American Staffordshire Terriers are one of breeds on the "banned" list. Some insurance companies will cancel your home owner's insurance if you own a banned breed or require you to carry extra insurance/a rider.

75 dog breeds banned or restricted - Dog Laws & Legislation Forum

Tennessee seems to have quite a few counties with breed bans:

Rott-n-Chatter (breed bans) - Home

Thanks. We have no breed bans here. Good suggestion to check though

[MaddiesMommie]

Originally Posted by kalina82

It is such a shame that people do not understand the breed and have banned it, or want it banned. They are wonderful dogs.

It really is.
I showed my mom a generic picure of one today while at her house and she said, "Amanda, that's one of those mean pit bulls!" I then had to explain how they are not pitt bulls and are not the same as Stafforshire Bull Terriers, which was what she had read up on to prepare for me

[PandaGirl]

I see no problem with these dogs as long as they are raised in the right environment . One thing I WILL SAY IS DOMINANCE NEEDS to be established right away , these dogs must be shown who is the master , if not they will become the dominant one. They are beautiful and deserve a chance with great owners.
Good Luck

[Deuce]

I love this breed and with proper training at an early age I don't see why it won't work for you guys. It's good to hear you don't have a breed ban in your area, I hate breed specific bans...
Just remember, this is a yorkie in a big body, lol. They definetly have the terrier spirit and need lots of training, and human interaction, and need to know they are not the "alpha" in the family.

[JesStang]

We have 2 yorkies and 2 boxers and they get along fine (well, mostly). When Lily (8lbs.) plays w/ the boxers, the boxers don't use their full body to play; it's like they know they would hurt her. Now, if they're playing w/ eachother or w/ my boyfriend, they jump around and could easily hurt Lily so I try to keep her away.

So, your big boy should learn how to play w/ the little ones but I would keep them separated when the big one is otherwise playing or running.

[MaddiesMommie]

Originally Posted by Deuce

I love this breed and with proper training at an early age I don't see why it won't work for you guys. It's good to hear you don't have a breed ban in your area, I hate breed specific bans...
Just remember, this is a yorkie in a big body, lol. They definetly have the terrier spirit and need lots of training, and human interaction, and need to know they are not the "alpha" in the family.

Me too. Now, banning specific people from owning pets, I would go for.

We are beginning obedience classes in a few weeks with him. We live in an extremely rural area with no pet-friendly places so I am afraid we are at a disadvantage there. So, hopefully the 28 weeks of classes with him will help in his socialization and interaction with other dogs.

Ernie and Cooper have reached the butt sniffing stage then go right into the run and jump game Cooper is worse than he is though. I am thinking I could take the two on the road. She does this jumping over his back thing that he hasn't quite figured out yet. LOL Maddie is cussing him out each time she passes him I am almost certain.

[MaddiesMommie]

Originally Posted by JesStang

We have 2 yorkies and 2 boxers and they get along fine (well, mostly). When Lily (8lbs.) plays w/ the boxers, the boxers don't use their full body to play; it's like they know they would hurt her. Now, if they're playing w/ eachother or w/ my boyfriend, they jump around and could easily hurt Lily so I try to keep her away.

So, your big boy should learn how to play w/ the little ones but I would keep them separated when the big one is otherwise playing or running.

Thanks for input.
I love the boxer breed and they are unfortunately another breed people often misunderstand.

We keep them seperated when we are not home. My dh has a home office and while he worked at home today, he kept Ernie with him.

I *really* appreciate all the people sharing their experiences with Yorkies and larger dogs. Makes me definitely feel better about making this work.
sigh...