Does anyone have a Yorkie?

[bamamom]

I think I want a Yorkie. Can anyone give me all the info on actually owning one. I've read about them and want to do more research before actually getting one. But I think sometimes the best info you can get is from someone that actually owns one. I know a house dog is a very big responsibility so I want to make sure before. Anything I need to look for when looking at the litters, etc... All info greatly appreciated.

 

[luv2shop]

I don't have a Yorkie, I have a silky, which are extremely similiar! She is about 5.5 lbs. and the BEST thing I ever purchased! She is SO good and such a mush.......always has to sit on my lap and snuggle. I would DEFINATELY do it again!

 

[DisneyMomJen]

I had a Yorkie for 15 years which I lost last February. Originally my parents had one which everyone loved. After seeing her in action, my dad's 2 sisters each got one and also the photographer from my wedding. My parents are on their second Yorkie. After getting married, DH and I purchased a Golden and a Yorkie. They are both great breeds, but in different ways. We are on our second Golden and I REALLY want to get another Yorkie. DH refuses to get another dog at this point. Every holiday I am hopeful that will be my present, but no such luck yet. Yorkies are great lap dogs. They are always sitting or laying down with you keeping you company. Ours was full of fun. We always said she must think she is a big dog since she seemed to have not fear of any other dog and protedted our Goldens. They do seem harder to train, but I would definitely crate train any dog I was to get. I think that works the best. I am not really sure what to look for other than I would try to go to a reputable breeder, look at the parents to see their looks and sizes. Supposedly a 'True Yorkie' is not over 10 pounds. I would also look at the disposition of the dog and not get anything that seemed fearful. You do not want a nasty dog. I would look on the internet at pictures of Yorkies and Yorkie puppies to see the look that you like the best. I would not got go to a pet store. They really are wonderful dogs. Good Luck!

 

[ShellyShell]

I have a Yorkie. She's two. They are very needy dogs. They like a lot of attention and are high maintenance with their hair that does not shed. She barely barks only when we come thru the door. My Yorkie is super hyper. I know some people's aren't but mine is. She constantly wants to play. Some people will say they are not good to be around children. I differ. My yorkie loves children and my daughter and her are the best of friends. She is very friendly and will go to just about anybody. She's a good dog. If I had to buy another one I wouldn't though. She's too much of an attention seeker for me and sometimes I just don't have the time and she's also too freakin hyper for me. O also she's a biter. She chews the heck outta my daughters toys. Usually the hands and feets of her dolls. It drives me insane. I'm sure she can be trained not to do it but I just haven't had the time to train her. Overall I think yorkies are great dogs for just about anybody if you like the hyperness.

 

[TheBigBadWolf]

I thought I wanted a Yorkie too, until I researched them for several months. They have too many health problems for my needs (luxating patellas (bad kneecaps), they need a lot of dental care or need their teeth brushed a lot, there are problems with liver shunts in the breed, they have problems with hypoglycemia. Of course, all Yorkies don't have all these problems, but they are common to the breed. But the biggest reason I decided not to get one is because they are hard to house break, often times taking a year to totally house break. I am a very good dog trainer, but I couldn't put up with a dog peeing in my house for a year. I would love to have a Yorkie. I think they are the cutest little dogs ever, plus I would love the lap dog aspect of owning one. But after reading about and researching them for months, I decided they are not the breed for me.

This Yorkie forum is very informative. YorkieTalk.com You might want to join it, and learn about the breed before buying one.

 

[GoofyBaby]

My mom and dad have a 9 year old male Yorkie. . .we love him to death, but he is very hyper and has an attitude sometimes! He barks and barks until he gets what he wants and of course, my mom spoils him! He also will back away very quickly if he doesn't want to be touched. He likes to destroy plush toys that my mom buys him. . .he'll sit right on the living room floor and pull the stuffing outta them! He also loves to shake his chew toys to death and if we get him a toy that squeaks, he will rip it apart until he gets the squeaker out of the toy! He has done this with over 10 chew toys. He is still a great dog though. Loves to lay in our laps and loves the attention! Sadly, he has developed cataracts in both eyes, so he can barely see, but he still gets around very well and he is still playful, but just a bit more cautious.

 

[kim929]

I have a 6 mo old male yorkie... Winston. When I first told my dh I wanted one, he laughted. He only wanted a manly dog. Well, me being me, got the yorkie I wanted. He is the best little dog. He is at times very very hyper, but I pick him up and say no. he's fine. He loves to chew. He has so many toys, and bones he carries them in and out of his crate all day long. Most of the time he just piles them in the middle of the floor. He's quick. He can pull your sock off your foot and be under the bed before you even know what happened. He has been harder to house train then any other dog we've had. He does need to be groomed daily but it's not that big of a deal. (he'll be on your lap anyways). He gets bathed every other week. You do need to brush his teeth daily or at least every other day to help maintain their teeth. My friend who breeds yorkies follows this routine and has never had a problem. I know some breeders won't sell to anyone with young children since some are so small, mine is 3.5 lbs. he loves all the children. My youngest is 6 luckily he isn't into having to carry the dog or try to keep picking him up. When a friend comes over we watch them with winston, if we feel they are too rough, then winston will be either put in the crate or behind a closed door. Winston hardly barks. he will whimper to get on the bed with you, where he stays all night. HE's a mooch when it comes to food. which he knows he's not getting but he still tries. My dsil has his brother, and reports the same type of behaivor. There is a big diffrence in size between the two brothers, as I said mine is 3.5 lbs. hers is 11 lbs. and they are from the same litter. I didn't felt any of the "bad" behaivors in the dog, you would find in other breeds. He's a good dog. And my husband, is absolutly in love with him. Good luck with your decision. I hope this helped
Kim

 

[minnie1928]

I've had 4 yorkies. 3 while growing up and 1 as an adult (Caesar is currently 11 yrs old). I'll never get another breed. They are great dogs. I keep Caesar's hair in a puppy cut, so his hair doesn't get real long and therefor he's very easy to maintain. His only health issue has been Irritable Bowel Syndrome the past few years. He's on a daily pill that keeps it under control for a total cost of $25/year. He's super friendly, but he does get nervous around little kids...I think it's because he's so small and he can't predict their movements. He knows when I'm not feeling well and snuggles up with me, he doesn't act needy...he just takes care of me. But on days that I feel ok, well then we play with his toys and I chase him around the house.

 

[powellrj]

you can see what my yorkie looks like in my signature, he needs a trim in that picture. Odie is 6, he was 4 when we got him. He had been a pound puppy that my DSs girlfriend had gotten, but gave to us when she found she wasn't home enough. We laugh that we never knew how much love 9 pounds of dog could bring.

He is a wonderful dog and he is a perfect fit for us. We have allergies, but because he has hair and not fur, that hasn't been an issue.

This describes our dog to a tee!!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yorkshire_Terrier

 

[CarolinaBlue]

Here's my baby, Harry:

He's a little big for a Yorkshire Terrier (he weighs 12 lbs.). We got him when he was 2 1/2 yrs. old. He's almost 8 yrs. old now. We love our Harry-Dog (or Hairy-Dog)!

 

[allie_to_you]

We have a Yorkie and he's a cutie. He weighs maybe 5 or 6 pounds and is a great indoor dog. The only bad thing is that he requires frequent grooming but otherwise a great dog!

 

[MissyDVC]

We have a 4 year old Yorkie named Mickey Mouse! He is our little baby. He is about 7 lbs and we have 2 kids who love him so much and he is great with them. He is silly and funny and definitely thinks he is a big dog. He does get groomed but that is because I like the way he looks when he does. He doesn't shed and is totally housebroken and it was easy to do. He chews only two things that he isn't supposed to--stuffed animal noses and the buttons on the top of baseball caps! He is sweet and loves to be near us. He will growl if he feels threatened but I think that is because he is so little but we just tell him no and he is over it. He is a great dog and my DH, who got the doggie for me, loves him even more than I do sometimes!

 

[Favorite Auntie]

Try to find out if there is a dog show in your area and go talk to the breeders/show people. They will love to talk to you and they will be completely honest with you about the breed. I agree that a discussion forum on Yorkies is a great idea too. If you do decide on a Yorkie, PLEASE don't buy one from a pet store or backyard breeder. Seek out a show breeder, they always have pet quality pups available. You will get a more genetically sound dog, and they will meet the breed standard for what a Yorkie should look and act like. You can find show breeders and local shows by going to the local breed club website (google search will find it) and they will have a breeder referral person to contact. Good Luck!

 

[micki7337]

Our family has 2 Lil ones actually Silky terriers which are beautiful little dogs that are a mix of a yorkie and and Australian terrier.
They are barkers but they are loyal, sweet friendly. They think they are big dogs and well try to act like big dogs. They are our plus 2 children as we call them One is Han solo and the other is Chewbacca(Chewie) We all love them very much.
I must say I would never trade our Lil ones for anything in the world and I mean anything. They are our best friends they know when we are down and know just what to do to make us smile. although at time they do things that drive us crazy but they are part of our family.

Also we found that they will live for up to 15 years on average according to some site we have visited which means they will be around for a long time while God willing.

So if you have any more questions you can message us with them.

Good luck and Remember I am the next CMO of Disney.

DH :stitch

 

[bamamom]

Thank you all so much for your input. The only thing that is worrying me is that it seems most has had trouble house training them.

Precious pics of your yorkies!!

Does anyone know how to tell when they are puppies if they will be black or silver when grown? My neighbor has one and he was black when he was little now he's 2 and almost competely silver!

 

[BubblPopElectrc]

I have two! They are great dogs and I wouldn't have any other type. I wouldn't describe them as "needy" at all. My two have completely different personalities. Britney would rather lay with you while Brooklyn loves to explore and play with toys.

If you PM me, I can recommend a great Yorkie forum that I belong to.

ETA: Yorkies are known to be hard to house train. Britney took forever while Brooklyn seemed to "learn" from Britney.

 

[Mickey Fliers]

My MIL has a yorkie. The thing is cute as can be, but doesn't ever want to be touched by anyone but her. It is extremely needy. Freaks out when she leaves him. He also has some health problems. I think a form of asthma.

He has also bitten my middle son twice. Other than that, she adores this dog. Perfect for her!

 

[k_null81]

I applaud that you did so much research before you committed to a puppy. I had previously worked with 2 different chihuahua rescue's so I'm very passionate about educating people on researching the breed they are interested in before they adopt or buy from a breeder. You have some valid points regarding the Yorkie but almost all the things you mentioned below are common in all toy breed dogs in general. I don't have Yorkies but I have 3 chihuahua's and they have some of these problems listed below & yes house breaking can take awhile in these small breeds and a lot of time they are never 100%. Toy breed dogs are great companions but can be a lot of work!

I thought I wanted a Yorkie too, until I researched them for several months. They have too many health problems for my needs (luxating patellas (bad kneecaps), they need a lot of dental care or need their teeth brushed a lot, there are problems with liver shunts in the breed, they have problems with hypoglycemia. Of course, all Yorkies don't have all these problems, but they are common to the breed. But the biggest reason I decided not to get one is because they are hard to house break, often times taking a year to totally house break. I am a very good dog trainer, but I couldn't put up with a dog peeing in my house for a year. I would love to have a Yorkie. I think they are the cutest little dogs ever, plus I would love the lap dog aspect of owning one. But after reading about and researching them for months, I decided they are not the breed for me.

This Yorkie forum is very informative. YorkieTalk.com You might want to join it, and learn about the breed before buying one.

 

[k_null81]

I agree with your comment on your Yorkies. I have 4 dogs myself 3 being Chihuahua's and all 3 chihuahua's personalities are different. I also agree on the house breaking. My 1st one was easy but it went downhill from there. The one thing all 3 have in common is they don't ever come when you call them. Even if you are 5 feet in front of them. They just stare at me as to say "no you come here". That drives me crazy! Thank god for my mutt Panda! He's my shadow & I can always depend on him when I call him

I have two! They are great dogs and I wouldn't have any other type. I wouldn't describe them as "needy" at all. My two have completely different personalities. Britney would rather lay with you while Brooklyn loves to explore and play with toys.

If you PM me, I can recommend a great Yorkie forum that I belong to.

ETA: Yorkies are known to be hard to house train. Britney took forever while Brooklyn seemed to "learn" from Britney.

 

[micki7337]

Thank you all so much for your input. The only thing that is worrying me is that it seems most has had trouble house training them.

Precious pics of your yorkies!!

Does anyone know how to tell when they are puppies if they will be black or silver when grown? My neighbor has one and he was black when he was little now he's 2 and almost competely silver!

One the color change subject as i said we have 2 of the silky terriers and well one of ours went completely silver in a little over 6 months and the other is still the same color that he was when we got him a year ago.

also they have such a great capacity for love it is amazing. they always make me happy even when i am down