I am thinking of getting a Yorkshire Terrier and have a few questions...

[chanel_diva]

Hi Marie,

Two years ago, I bought a Toy Yorkshire Terrier. He's fully grown now & only weighs 7 lbs. I give you fair warning...they are a TON of work. Never be fooled with their small size, cute face & funny personalities. Mine is more carpet trained if anything. So when you get one, be sure to take it to obedience & don't make the same mistake I did, because you will SURELY regret it.

Kind regards,
Breanne

 

[shelbell77]

I have a 12 week old yorkipoo (see my avatar!) and 2 cats.

Elphaba ( the puppy) is 2lbs 5 oz right now. The cats are 11 and 17 lbs as of last vet visit.

Elphaba wanted to take off after the cats from the minute I put her on the floor in the house. She's been home about 3 weeks now...and she really wants the cats to play and they are not having it. The 11 lb cat will let the puppy get close if she's calm and they'll sniff each other. The 17 lb cat is pretty mean...though I've noticed he's the same with with his sister and they've been together since birth. Elphaba runs up to the cats stops short barks and runs away trying to get them to chase her. The one cat just lays there and the other kinda growls (yes...didn't know cats growled before this) at her. The big cat has also taken a few swipes at the puppy since I got her....usually there's a little yelp but no injuries. I am thinking it might be time to declaw the kitties though just in case....Elphaba will only be 4-5 lbs max...and the cats could really hurt her if they wanted to. for now I'm just keeping a REALLY close eye on them whenever the puppy is out of her crate.

Which leads to training. I've never had a small dog before, always 40 lbs or more, so she's my first little baby. Crate training I think is a necessity for ALL dogs. She wasn't crazy about it the first day or two, but now she doesn't make a sound when I put her in. I'm working on teaching her its her bed by saying "bed" when I put her in it. If she's like an old dog of mine, eventually I'll tell her to go in her bed and she'll go.

If you do crate training the way its meant to be done its the best way to housebreak a dog. Problem is many people don't do it right. They feel bad giving the puppy no extra room in the crate and having the puppy in the crate most of the time. But this will teach the puppy to hold it and since she goes from the crate straight outside EVERY time it will teach her to go outside. Also, a schedule is good. After eating we wait 10 minutes and then go for a WALK so she can do her business. And when she does her business I always say "good potty" lots so she learns what potty is.

Personally, I've never used puppy pads and am against them. I know lots of people start with the pad near the door and then move it outside the door eventually, but everyone I know personally who used pads continues to have trouble getting the dog to go outside. Some people will say, but what if you aren't home and the puppy has to go, shouldn't they know WHERE is okay? My answer is no. No where inside is okay, and the puppy pad teaches it is. The only think OK is for the puppy to learn to hold it until they can go outside.

Also, watch for the signs. Elphaba has a distinct poopoo dance. So as long as I'm watching her when she's out there is no poopoo in the house. I'm having a harder time recognizing when she needs to pee...so whenver she's sniffing a lot outside we go.

She's been home three weeks and so far its going well. She sleeps through the night with no mess in the crate. Occasionally she wets the crate during the day, but its infrequent. And its been 2 days since we've had an accident in the house. I think thats pretty good for 12 weeks old and only 3 weeks with me. But I know we're far from done!

 

[*Lo]

I have a almost 5 yr old 5 lb yorkie who is honestly the love of my life, he has the best temperment. HE is quiet and cuddly and soo sooo sooo sweet he has never growled in his life or gone to nip or bite. He NEVER barks and he is playful at times and other times he just likes to lounge around in the sun and cuddle up next to people. BUT like most yorkies he is TERRIBLE at house training. HE still goes on the carpet!! i mean we have him paper trained or pad trained but sometimes he just goes wherever

I remember when i first got him this woman i worked with who has had 5 yorkies said to get rid of ALL area rugs bc they will just pee on them ACK!!

But honestly yorkies are wonderful family members, they are playful and loving. MY parents didnt want another dog after our family dog Fluffy died (mini poodle) he died at 17 and I was 21, and we were devestated, and my mother said she never wanted another dog bc she couldnt take the heartache. So when I got bundles and then moved back in the house when he was just a puppy they were less than pleased but now they are obsessed with him, they say I can go and move but he has to stay, haha

 

[elizat]

I have a 7 month old yorkie-poo, a male, and a cat that is about 6 years old. The cat was not thrilled about Charlie at first and I supervised really heavily, b/c he was only 3 pounds when I brought him home, but once they got used to one another, they became the best of friends. I let the cat sniff him and check him out thoroughly, as well as limited Charlie's roam of the house initially. Charlie is the dominant one now and I don't know if it is because he is a male and the cat is female or what. But, they get along great and seek out each other to play. Also, most cats we've had have gotten along well with dogs, as long as the dog is introduced when it is young and given time to accept the dog. Similar to your cat, my cat hates other cats, but does not mind dogs though.

As to training- I agree with Yorkies being hard to housebreak. But I think that is a small dog issue overall. But, they are smart and pick up commands quickly.

 

[Ladybug09]

I have a 7 yr old 7 lb yorkie. He's great, only makes noise when necessary and knows how to go on the paper, if I don't get to him in time. we live in an apartment, but if I'm home, he will come to me to let him out.

Like everyone says, they are very stubborn dogs and have a mind of their own...but I don't know what I would do without my pookie! He's the love of my life!

I suggest getting a Yorkie book, or doing a lot of research on the internet. I researched ALOT before I got mine.

Wish you the best!

 

[yarbs83]

I have a yorkie and she's a sweetie.

She's full grown at 4 lbs, but she is a handful.

Some things to think about -- they are really fragile and need special care. Many have hypoglycemia episodes and can get sick and injured more quickly than bigger dogs.

Also potty training *is* harder. Mine is 8 months and still has accidents frequently. She's doing better, but I constantly have to have pee pads in the house just in case.

They are also really social and do well with lots of attention so they need a lot of time spent with their owners.

I really do love my yorkie, but I worry myself sick over her sometimes. When she leaps from the couch or does a nose dive off of the side of my bed it can literally make my heart stop for a second. They're so fragile!

 

[lulilu]

With regard to potty training, I think little dogs are just harder -- they have little tiny bladders and need to go often. I have 2 mini doxies, but one is half the size of the other (so much for mini). The little guy has to go outside waaay more often than the bigger guy. I think with any little dog you have to be prepared for accidents and taking them out ALOT.

I think little dogs bark more too. Mine do -- at everything/everyone they don't know. If they know you, fine, they are quiet. If not, they bark.