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I need advice about a new puppy!

2K views 9 replies 10 participants last post by  finleysmatte 
#1 ·
Hello everybody!

I've never had a dog myself, that's why I need your help and advice so much!

My sister is thinking about getting a Yorkshire Terrier puppy... She lives with her family (it's going to be the first pet for all of them) and she's got two kids, 7 and 5 years old (the younger one is extremely naughty!). I'm telling you all that because I've read that this particular breed doesn't get along with children (especially the naughty ones) and that it can't stand too much shouting, running around, sudden moves, children stuff in general..! So I'm afraid that the little doggy might suffer sometimes...

Moreover, financially they're not at their very best, so I would also like to know about the financial cost of having a dog like that.. (vets, vaccination, anything you can think of...you know better!). We live in Greece but I'll get an idea!

Sorry if my English is not so good!
Your advice and help will be valuable to us!

Thanks in advance!
 
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#2 ·
If they are getting a puppy its all about how the dog is brought up although you do get great little dogs from rescues as well and they can tell you if they are good with kids rather having to experience it first hand, find out they don't, then having to return the dog. But if the dog is going to suffer because of the child's behavior it would probably be best to wait until the child is a little bit older. Hope this helps.

Paula
 
#3 ·
Dogs and kids aren't a great mix to begin with, toy breeds and five year olds is definitely not a good mix. Yorkies are small, and fine boned. If the kids were to pick it up and drop it, it could break a leg or otherwise get hurt. They are also not a breed for the beginner- I hate how popular they are now because they are terrier first, toy second. They cannot be expected to fit comfortably into a family-with-crazy-kids lifestyle.
That being said, dogs can be conditioned to accept handling. However from my experience with training dogs and their people, people don't monitor their children as strictly as they should around a dog. I cannot begin to tell you how many tiny puppies I've seen carried into a petstore, swung around in the arms of a child. Those same dogs have been stepped on, dropped, tossed around, poked at, and basically treated like a doll rather than a dog. Eventually the dog becomes scared of the kid, kid goes to innocently pet the dog, dog bites, parent sees dog that "bit for no reason" and then there's a whole new problem.
I would try to convince them that a yorkie is probably not a suitable dog for their family. I'd suggest some other breeds to them rather than just saying "you're not fit for a yorkie," though haha.
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#4 · (Edited)
Ditto on a yorkie not being the best fit for young kids!!!

As for cost of dogs, it varies by location.
But just to give you an idea...
The Cost of Owning a Dog
This article has a decent chart breaking down the costs of owning a dog. it does have cost in US dollars, but it should help just to show that properly caring for a dog is not cheap.

Just last month I paid a $450 vet bill and that was just routine care:
2 wellness exams ($25 each), 2 rabies vaccinations ($12 each), and heartworm meds! I also bought another bag of food (about $45 for a 30 lbs bag) which will last just over a month.

If you sister looks over the costs of pet ownership, but still wants a dog, then I would recommend something more along the lines of a pug. She would still need to be very careful as pug puppies can be injured by kids, but adult pugs are much sturdier (though still need to watch so that kids don't injure eyes!). They also have a more easy going, playful, happy-go-lucky temprament that is more suitable for a family with young children.

But IMHO it would be best if your sister and the kids were to visit some shelters and see who fits well! They could also look at different rescues in the area.

Tell her to think about and write down what they are looking for in a dog. That way they can take it with them so that shelter or rescue staff can point them in the right direction!
Some things to think about!
-How much exercise are they going to give? A daily jog? A daily walk? Just playtime with the kids???
-How much training will she be willing to provide?
-What type of personality/temprement???
-How much grooming? Will she do it herself or will she pay a groomer?
-What size? Small, medium, large, extra-large?
 
#5 ·
Dogs and kids aren't a great mix to begin with
Ditto that, i mean there are great dogs who do great with them, but the dog always looks PAINFULLY tolerant. And I'm saying that having been that kid-and that kid who got bit-pretty badly actually...

I think SH suggested and many ditto's -a beagle is a good family dog
 
#6 ·
Hi there i agree with what has been said a terrier is not the best dog to go for,look up shitzu breed on the net they are small breed but very tolerant of children of all ages,they are a lovely breed of dog,they do require a lot of grooming if you want the fur left long,or you can have them cut short in my oppinnion this would be an ideal dog,we had 2 & they are a lovely breed.There is the cost of vacinations,food,grooming,worming,& defleaing,but as an idea before ur sister buys the dog,she could set up a reward sticker chart for the child good behaviour earns a sticker & at the end of the week the child gets a treat & if he/she continues with the good behaviour in time earns them there dog.Also make sure you check for good breeders in your area.Hope i have been of some help all the best.
 
#7 ·
I totally agree on that the mix of puppies and kids are not a great mix. Even my Golden Retriever pup is afraid of kids who are moving too fast and hyper. But whenever an old couple walks up, she'll let them pet her.

To tell the truth, in my opinion, 2 young kids are already a handful. Getting a puppy isn't all that easy when you have 2 more young ones to care for, not to mention the house work to be done and all. My family just got our pup 3 months ago and sometimes its a little hard to juggle all the balls too. Luckily me and my brother are a lot older, (20 and 18 to be exact) and we have another brother which is 8 years old. It will be hectic for your sister if she never owned a dog before. Right now, me and my brother takes up most of the responsibility in training, feeding, bathing. We manage but if it were up to only me, I wouldn't really have gotten a dog at all.

Not trying to discourage your sister but, if she already had so many balls juggling at the same time, she should think really hard and see if she can really handle another ball.

My suggestion is, wait for the kids to be a little older. Maybe at around 13/11 years old? Should the kids really want to raise a puppy, get them to do their homeworks. And by homeworks I mean reading doggy books. Kids at this age are much calmer and mature. This way, your sister can allocate some responsibilities to them too.

Hope this helped =)
 
#8 ·
Ditto Kmes - great info!

I think 7 is not a terrible age for an older puppy, especially a sturdier breed / mix than a small boned Yorkie. But the 5 yr old would worry me quite a bit. Not to say that it's not doable, but it would take a huge commitment and complete supervision at all times. While all breeds have medical conditions that they are predisposed to, some breeds tend to be healthier that others. I'd suggest they do some research on which breeds have less health problems and can enjoy many years with minimal costs (other than routine vaccinations, wellness checks, flea control, heartworm preventative, quality food, worming, grooming etc)

Just a thought, if they aren't at their best financially, but really want to share their home with a dog; why not suggest that they apply to be foster parents and see how it goes, I'm sure some places would allow them to foster an appropriate dog and they could see how it goes, before making a life long commitment --- plus the burden of medical costs and food would be on the rescue agency rather than their family. Not sure how many rescues would foster out their dogs to a family with small children but who knows, there may be some rescues that are overrun and in dire need of foster homes for a few dogs that are great with well behaved - supervised children.....it might be worth looking into??
 
#9 ·
I read someone the other day that said someone should expect to spend roughly 1000 yearly on a dog. Now that can be more or less depending on area and other factors (i.e. dog food a high quality brand will cost more then a poor quality brand.) Dogs who are elderly like people may need more medication daily etc which can also rise cost. One reason you will sometimes see older animals dumped off at a shelter.

Little dogs tend not to get along with young children just for the reason you stated. If your friends/family can work on this child’s behavior and explain to him that the new puppy is a living being and we need to be gentle. The truth is a tiny dog like that can easily be killed by an over excited child.


Here is a website that lists some breeds good with children. Two small dogs on the list are Papillion and Pug.

Dogs Good with Children, Dogs Suitable for Children

That said I second the idea of going to a shelter, telling them what you want and see if any dogs would be suitable for the family. Sometimes they will know information about a dogs previous owner. If they lived with children , what ages etc. I agree one should think about it if they can truly afford it. Many dogs and cats have been surrender in recent years because of money issues.
 
#10 ·
Hi
I would not get a puppy when my children where so young, I have done that ! We have had border collies for allmost 20 years, allways 2 males with a coople of years in between, using Them for dog sports. When my wild sons where 6 and 3 years, we got a new bc puppy and that was hell for mé! And I where used to raise puppies... your sister Will not have a god time, not with here children or the puppy.. Get her to wait a coople of years and then it Can be a good experience for her and the children!
My oldest boy is almost 13 and did get his own puppy a week ago. It is so Nice to se him taking care of his little pup, not like when he was 6 and running around getting my bc pup crazy ;-)
Kids must learn to respect the dogs and that takes alot of time to help Them to learn..
Good luck!
Maria
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