4 Things to Know Before Adopting a Yorkie

Yorkies Require a Lot of Attention

Yorkies are very social dogs and therefore require a lot of attention. Yorkies tend to always want to be in your lap and nap while you’re watching tv or working on other things. If you’re heading out to work or running errands your Yorkie will more than likely want to go with you. If you’re looking for a little companion that you can easily take with you anywhere, a Yorkie just might be the perfect fit. 

However, if you spend a lot of time out of the house you may want to hold off on getting a Yorkie. They can suffer from separation anxiety which is caused by being left alone for too long. This can cause them to be destructive, sad, or depressed over time.

Yorkies Tend to Bark a Lot

Yorkies, just like most small breeds, tend to bark a lot. This is because it’s their only real way to grab the attention of their owner and other dogs. An advantage of their barking is that they make great watchdogs. Helping alert you whenever someone is at your door, in your yard, or near your home. However, they can also easily develop the habit of barking at almost everything. They may bark at strangers passing by, squirrels passing through the yard, or the mailman every day. While they can be good apartment dogs, they need to be well trained or you might get noise complaints!

Yorkies Don’t Always Get Along with Children

Yorkies usually are not great with young children due to their small size. Kids may be tempted to try to roughhouse with a Yorkie or approach it too quickly. Yorkies can also easily be stepped on – which can cause serious injuries to them. It’s because of these dangers that Yorkies become very wary of small children. 

Yorkies are known to growl and even snap at young children if they feel threatened. However, they’re not trying to be mean to them, it’s merely a self-protection mechanism. Yorkies do better with kids that are older and more aware of how to treat a small dog. So it may be better to wait until your kids are older before adopting a Yorkie.

Yorkies Require a Lot of Grooming

A Yorkie requires a lot of grooming despite their small size. They need to be bathed weekly to help keep their skin and coat clean and free of problems.

If their hair is left to grow on its own, it can grow up to two feet long! This can cause some mobility challenges for them. You can choose to let your Yorkie have a long, silky coat but it still needs to be neatly trimmed so they can walk without tripping on it. Or you can go with a cute short haircut making the daily brushing a quick process. 

Part of their grooming process also includes trimming the hair around their eyes and ears. This is to ensure they can see and hear clearly. In terms of the amount of time this process takes, it depends on whether you choose to keep the dog’s hair long or short.