Yorkshire terriers and young children/cavalier separation anxiety

Lillydee

Hi guys,
Just researching dog breeds at the moment. We'd love a yorkie but since dogs are a long term investment we have to consider if they would be a good idea if we were to start a family in the future.

I've read over and over that yorkies and kids don't mix. Just wondering if anyone has both and has a positive experience?

Our second choice of a dog is a cavalier king charles but the problem with these is that they are prone to separation anxiety. We work from 8am to 4pm so I don't know if it would be fair to the dog. Anyone have any experience with of working and owning a chevalier?
Cheers :-)

wolfpawnat

Lillydee wrote: »

Hi guys,
Just researching dog breeds at the moment. We'd love a yorkie but since dogs are a long term investment we have to consider if they would be a good idea if we were to start a family in the future.

I've read over and over that yorkies and kids don't mix. Just wondering if anyone has both and has a positive experience?

Our second choice of a dog is a cavalier king charles but the problem with these is that they are prone to separation anxiety. We work from 8am to 4pm so I don't know if it would be fair to the dog. Anyone have any experience with of working and owning a chevalier?
Cheers :-)

My mother bred Yorkies, and to be honest, they have to be reared with children to even tolerate them in many cases, but not all. I found the standard Yorkie seemed more tolerant than the miniature (now stupidly called "teacup") Yorkie in my personal experience. They are a breed that tend to be over pampered by many and that has caused them to become less tolerant of "competition".

My partner is in Veterinary and is nearly finished. When they are doing consultations with people regarding new dogs, Yorkies are not the most recommended for houses with younger children. Cavaliers are highly recommended with children however due to over-breeding and in-breeding they suffer many cerebral and brain issues and are at risk of horrible problems with those. Vet bills can be terrible with them.

Dingle_berry

My mother has a cavalier. Though he's definitely bonded to her he doesn't seem to suffer too much while she's in work or when she goes away.
I think that while breeds do display characteristics they are only a guideline and what the dog is trained or learns can have a bigger impact on its compatibility. There are ways to train a dog to take separation well as well as introducing them to children.

Do you definitely want a small breed? Because they tend to be more vulnerable around kids! Something the size of a lab would be better?

Lillydee

Hi guys thanks for the advice, yeah I def want a small dog. The idea of a bigger dog running through the house doesn't do it for me.

I did compatibility test and the breed that best suits our lifestyle is a bichon but I don't really like the look of them.

andreac

Cav's and Shih Tzus make great family pets, but just make sure you do your homework with your breeder and source one that health tests.

cocker5

To be very honest with you OP… not dog over another is better with children than another IMO.

Its al down to the socialising of the dog and teaching a child manner Etc, obliviously the bigger the dog the more chance of a child being knocked over (by accident etc.), but with regard to temperament it is all down to how you train your dog, socialise him / her and teach a child how to inter act with the dog etc… if all the latter are done properly then any breed can be excellent with children.

As you mentioned you would like a small / medium breed have you considered a cocker spaniel? They excellent family pets, they are so loving and kind, playful and have great personalities, but they do require lots of exercise. I have a cocker and he is amazing with kids, but then again from 8 weeks he was socialised with kids, babies, other dogs and adults etc., so he a great little guy now. He doesn’t have a bad bone in his body.

My mum had a Yorkshire terrier female and again she is excellent with kids…

So my point is as all as you invest the time and energy into socialising your dog, and introducing them to kids, babies, etc. at an early age they will be generally good with kids!

Your working hours are quiet long for a puppy to be left alone - IMO…. Maybe you could organise doggie day care one day per week? If not an adult dog who is more used to be alone all day might be better.
A puppy left for that amount of time all day 5 days per week, will more than likely become very destructive.


Best of luck with your search!

DBB

Lillydee wrote: »

I did compatibility test and the breed that best suits our lifestyle is a bichon but I don't really like the look of them.

But that some random stranger's opinion on what dog would suit you! I would no more go by one of these compatibility tests, to be honest! Bichons are nice little dogs, but they are VERY high maintenance, they are very, very bright, and might be a bit of a handful if your kids are very young. And you don;t like the look of them, so it'd be a silly thing to do!

As for Cocker5's comments about it not mattering what the breed, as long as the dog is properly socialised with kids, all will be fine, well, I'll have to respectfully disagree.
Socialisation is critical, absolutely vital to shape a well-rounded adult dog. But it's not all about nurture: nature plays a critical role too. Many terriers, for example, are short-tempered, and genetically programmed to be. They had to be able to react rapidly with immediate aggression towards their prey. This trait does not go well with small children. You can socialise a Yorkie, or a Westie, or a JRT all you like with kids, but this is not a guarantee that all will be well.. not by any stretch, and I know many, many examples which prove this point.
The same goes for a lot of Cockers! They can be a bit terrier-like in their stubbornness, and they are becoming increasingly prone to resource guarding: even the reputably bred ones. Again, I know so many examples of families who went buy the book regarding selecting a good breeder, and socialising their Cocker pup, and still the dogs are biting their children.
Now, don't get me wrong, I also know a lot of terriers and Cockers who are great with kids, but for my money both types are too much of a risk around children to be considered a dead cert around them.

OP, is it a puppy you were looking for? An 8 hour absence every day is going to make rearing a puppy extremely difficult, indeed if this is the plan I'd have to be honest with you and tell you that it's unfair to leave a pup alone for such a long time.. you can't socialise or train a pup if you're not there for a lot of the day! But perhaps you have a plan in place to have the pup minded during the day?
If you're out for that amount of time and don't have a back-up plan, you'd be better off getting an adult dog, one who has already lived with children and shown it loves them, and in your case, has shown that it's happy enough to be alone for 8 hours a day.
There is little doubt, Cavaliers are generally a super choice for a family dog, but as already mentioned, they are prone to health conditions. The spinal problem is the least of their worries: heart problems are a foregone conclusion in the breed as they get older. But they are a wonderful family dog, generally.
There are a couple of other breeds that are really good too, but I'm loathe to mention them for various reasons I'll not go into here.
Think very carefully OP, as a puppy will need a comprehensive set of circumstances to be put in place for it to be happy, and for it to become the adult dog you want it to be.

Wizard01

We have 2 yorkies, a male and female, the male is laidback but can be a bit grouchy, but he is an older dog and likes to sleep and relax, he never leaves my side and is very loyal
Our female yorkie is loveable, plays with them and takes everything in her stride, extremely placid, but she was reared with the children and she loves to lick them from head to toe!
Have you considered a Maltese?
Our wee girl is almost 3 years old, the most placid wee girl you will ever meet! She loves to lay catch, fetch, jumping or just relaxing on the sofa with the babies!
These breeds require regular grooming, good diets are essential, socialising or they may become yappy when they see other dogs and they love human company but mine are absolutelty fine when left on their own, even though it happens rarely and they have each other for company!!
Hope this helps.

wolfpawnat

Also Yorkies are noted as the best watch dogs in the world, not guard dogs, watch dogs, nothing passes their little eyes/ears. My bítch was not great with kids, but my dog was absolutely amazing, he'd sit and wait with his paw up to shake their hands as he saw it.

I had a cocker too, a total sweetheart, but very high energy, I asked my mother to walk mine while I was away on holidays, she thought he only needed the same as our Yorkies, he tore up the lino in the kitchen for her troubles. They need to be trained not to react to the ears being pulled, as with their large ears that the kids go for.