Adopting a Yorkshire terrier

brokenarms

After the passing of my little dwarf hamster 2 nights ago. I have really been thinking about wanting a little dog again. In fact 5 months on, I have been pondering it in my head. quite a bit over the last few months

I have been looking for a free older toy breed again. Very sceptical of buying pups as I find it hard to sort which is genuine and which people are trying to make profit.

Im not in the perfect situation for dog ownership though. As it will be alone for 2-3 days a week. Apart form that I have a really good home for one.

Is there any Yorkshire Terrier owners out there as I may have the opportunity to get one from a family who is leave the country.

Toulouse

When you say alone, how long do you mean?

How would you feel about employing a dog walker for those days or do you have a friend who might pop in at lunch to break up the day or even mind in their own home? There are lots of options, having to work does not mean you can't be a good dog owner but it's important to put some arrangements in place for the dog.

cocker5

brokenarms wrote: »

After the passing of my little dwarf hamster 2 nights ago. I have really been thinking about wanting a little dog again. In fact 5 months on, I have been pondering it in my head. quite a bit over the last few months

I have been looking for a free older toy breed again. Very sceptical of buying pups as I find it hard to sort which is genuine and which people are trying to make profit.

Im not in the perfect situation for dog ownership though. As it will be alone for 2-3 days a week. Apart form that I have a really good home for one.

Is there any Yorkshire Terrier owners out there as I may have the opportunity to get one from a family who is leave the country.

How do you mean it will be alone 2/3 days per week? do you mean for a few hours or for the entire 2/3 days.... if its the latter then its def NO...

IMO if you already know your not in a good situation to get a dog then its not a good idea and i think you know this deep down, although you would like one.

At these times a dog needs must come first no matter how much us humans want one

brokenarms

Both my partner and I work on a flexi time work schedule . It usually means no one at home from 9am till 6. Two maybe three times per week. Except I come home for lunch hour each day around 3pm. I work 5 mins away . So the dog could be let out for a pee or whatever.

As for a dog walker. Imm . nice idea but we have to many financial out goings to the moment with childcare.

Not a perfect setting but we nearly tick all the boxes.

Closed Garden , 10 year old child and a very enthusiastic want~to~be dog owner.

The dog would be warm and feed properly.

I think a little dog would benefit the family greatly. My son would love a pet also.


If only we did not have to work!!

brokenarms

cocker5 wrote: »

How do you mean it will be alone 2/3 days per week? do you mean for a few hours or for the entire 2/3 days.... if its the latter then its def NO...

IMO if you already know your not in a good situation to get a dog then its not a good idea and i think you know this deep down, although you would like one.

At these times a dog needs must come first no matter how much us humans want one

You know what. You are 100% right. sometimes I need to see/hear the voice of reason.

Thanks.

I may go and get another hamster.

cocker5

brokenarms wrote: »

You know what. You are 100% right. sometimes I need to see/hear the voice of reason.

Thanks.

I may go and get another hamster.

I know its horrible when you really want a dog.... im sure in the future you will have a dog but wait until its a good situation for all.... trust me you'll all be far happier beacuse of it.

hamsters rocks too you know :P

DBB

brokenarms wrote: »

Both my partner and I work on a flexi time work schedule . It usually means no one at home from 9am till 6. Two maybe three times per week. Except I come home for lunch hour each day around 3pm. I work 5 mins away . So the dog could be let out for a pee or whatever.

To be honest OP, I know it's not ideal leaving the dog for a long day, but 2-3 days a week, with a break in the day when you come home... it could be an awful lot worse!
To my mind, if you got matched up with the right dog, this could work. I regularly get dogs in to rehome who are finally being rehomed when their owner realised that leaving it for 12 hours a day, 5 days a week (maybe more) is wrong. These dogs are usually very used to long, long bouts of loneliness... so in your case, 2-3 days a week, with a break in the middle is surely a pretty significant upgrade for them!

Closed Garden , 10 year old child and a very enthusiastic want~to~be dog owner.

This Yorkie you were considering, does he/she like kids? Yorkies can be hit-or-miss with children... many would rather not, but some of them ADORE children, so it depends on this individual. I know one Yorkie, a rescue dog, who is devoted to his owner's son.. the child is only 5! The relationship between the two of them is incredible.

Have I gone and upset the apple cart again now?

toadfly

I think you're in a good position to adopt a Yorkie. 2 or 3 days a week to be alone during working hours isnt bad at all. I have two Yorkies and they are great little dogs. I adopted one from a pound in Dublin at 5years old and he is such a pet.

Where in the country are you?

brokenarms

Im in Kildare.

Apple cart overturned.

Apples all over the place. LOL

ShaShaBear

Definitely not the worst situation to be in. My Shadow is left alone during working hours 5 days a week with a break in the middle and its been like this mostly his whole life. He sleeps inside with us and lives the life of Reilly. If I could I would prefer to be at home more often with him but its better than him being locked outside all day or other situations that working families can sometimes leave their dogs in.

Inexile

OP your second post helped a lot. The fact that you can come home for lunch is a big bonus and with an older dog its entirely doable.

Good walks before you leave and a few chews and a soft warm bed will be a great help too.

Good luck with your search.

dkod

Hi there. As the owner of 2 Yorkies I will give my experience. I love my 2 to bits however I do find them a needy dog compared to others. They are a pure house dog. Exercise wise 1 needs about an hour and the one would keep going all day long. They definitely are a lot of work and need to be groomed regularly. Would I be without them? No way. I even got a second one as felt they need doggie company. I am a sahm so my dogs are used to company However I have met dog owners that work full time but are so committed to their dogs.walks before and after work regardless of weather. These dogs are very happy ,well looked after and loved. Is the Yorkie in question used to being left for a long time? If so could ye have a trial period to try it out? Good luck. Ps if you do go ahead be prepared for the dog to become part of the family.

brokenarms

I got her. She is 5 years old. She is used to being on her own and is the biggest reason she has been adopted. The last owner was away 12hrs a day . 6 days a week. She will have a lot more company with us and seems to be settling in. Tonight may be a different story though.

I washed her as she was in a bit of a state. Her eyes have not been cleaned in a long time and I have had to cut matted hair from around her face, legs and feet.

Its surprising how skinny these dogs are when wet.

She is house trained and goes to her cage when told. Both her and I need to be trained in using a lead though. She has some bad habits I may need help to correct , like begging at our dinner table even though she was fed.

Im sure this is a good place to ask.

I did weigh up cocker5's comments and we agreed as a family to make her welcome. She will do fine with us. Very happy .

toadfly

Best of luck OP. Some pics when you get a chance!

Snowshower

How about getting a King Charles, I have one they love to sleep all day and will be happy enough with a walk in the evening. Beautiful mild dog for any household (not a guard though).

DBB

Snowshower wrote: »

How about getting a King Charles, I have one they love to sleep all day and will be happy enough with a walk in the evening. Beautiful mild dog for any household (not a guard though).

The OP has already got themselves sorted with a Yorkie

Jayney OP, you don't hang around, do you?
But this is exactly what I meant: this little dog is getting a serious upgrade by moving in with you. It would be lovely to be able to stay at home all day and play with our pets, but the real world just doesn't allow it!
Now, pulling on the lead... Can I suggest with great enthusiasm that you get yourself a front connection harness? Instead of leading the dog by the neck, or via a normal harness where the lead is attached between the shoulder-blades, both of which can facilitate pulling, the lead is attached to the dog's chest, under the chin. These harnesses are brilliant to stop dogs from pulling, and are far more comfortable for the dog. Yorkies are a bit prone to collapsing trachea, and using a harness may help avoid or reduce the problem.
As for begging at the table, you need to establish the ground rules at times you're not actually sitting down to eat... it's too frustrating otherwise. Get her to target her bed, by luring her onto her bed with a nice treat. As soon as she gets into bed (or a mat), give her a treat from the other hand (don't use the piece of food you're luring with). As she gets the idea, start to introduce a command before you lure her... maybe "Into bed!" or the like.
Now, start to get rid of the lure altogether, simply telling her to get into bed in order to get the treat, without luring her, though you can use the same hand signal, as if you still hold the lure.
Gradually delay before you give her the treat, so that she's staying in her bed longer and longer. She may not leave the bed until you tell her to, with a release command, such as "Okay!" If she leaves her bed before being released, gently return her to her bed. IF she gets out again, gently return her. And keep returning her until she stops trying to get out.
Once you have this established, you can start to send her to her bed, any time you want! But you can see how you need to practise this outside of mealtimes!
Also, be ultra-careful that nobody is sneaking goodies to her under the table:o

brokenarms

Getting her off my seat may need a bit of persuasion already LOL..

Im not going to start attempts in training her for a week maybe. She is missing her last owners and is crying a small bit. I think she needs to settle down and become comfortable. She hates going outside . Probably the stormy weather and her lack of body hair is the reason..

dkod

Oh she is fab. Delighted she is settling in well. She has a major improvement in her life thanks to you. She is possibly not used to being out walking much as her old owner must have been exhausted working those hours. Yep before you know it she will be ruling the roost!! Nothing beats the adoration of a dog.( well unless its 2 dogs) As for the chair thing we spent a lot of time confusing our dogs with whether they were allowed on couches or not and one evening as we were all sitting on the floor so the dogs could be next to us I looked at the empty couches and clearly they are on the couch since. Best of luck with her.

brokenarms

Ah thanks.

She is fitting into family life with us perfectly. She is such a great dog. She sees me as the boss. If she is on the sofa, a strict order "In to bed" and see darts off the sofa and sprints straight to a blanket in the corner. She walks directly by my side now and does not pull at all. I have been trying to teach her basic orders like sit with no success yet, but we will get there.
She does not respect my sons orders as much, but i am guessing this is because he is pampering her a bit much and asking her to move instead of a proper command . I think the whole family could do with a bit of education on training.

She seems to do her businesses on an order in the morning in the same spot in the garden and at the same time. I hope this stays predictable.

My son simple adores her . She has really put a smile on his face . The whole thing has been very positive so far.
Had to wash her again tonight as the grease and dirt on her did not come out in the first wash. She did not thank me for it. But if want on the sofa, she has to pay the piper. LOL.

I get her out for a 10 min walk in the morn and a run with me in the evening. She can keep up well.

All is well so far. will keep you updated. Getting a pre house trained adopted dog is the way to go!

There is such joy in finding a wee dog leaping into the air with excitement on your arrival back in the door. I was only away to leave out the bins!

aonb

Lucky you, lucky dog! How did you manage to get a yorkie so quickly!
Hope she settles in quickly - how old is your son - lovely for them to have each other to be friends with now.
She looks like a real cutie