Are Yorkies good with kids?
Yorkshire terriers are among the most popular choices for people when looking at toy dog breeds, but many people tend to discuss whether they are great partners for children. Many say that Yorkies aren’t great “kids’ dogs”, but that doesn’t mean they can’t mix. It’s essential to be careful with how children are going to interact with Yorkies, so it depends on the household. Many Yorkies and kids end up being great play partners.
It’s not about what kind of dog you have, it is much more about how you raise them, the way you teach them, what they learn and at the same time how you teach your kids to behave with this beautiful dog breed. Yorkies can and would be an excellent choice for kids.
Yorkshire Terriers behave according to the way we interact with them
So, one of the main reasons is the bond and how you take care of your Yorkie.
It isn’t that hard, since Yorkies are known to be “man’s best friend”.
You can see it’s true; it’s hard to match the bond between humans and canines, and it’s something quite unmistakable. Dogs were always there to help humans since their domestication and expected little in return.
From hunting and keeping pests away to serving the military or police and assisting the disabled, dogs will always remain as a loyal companion.
But we as owners can’t wait for them to do everything; we must return them the favour taking care for them, providing them with a good quality of life.
Owning a Yorkshire Terrier wouldn’t only help for companionship, which is the main reason to own a dog.
Scientific evidence proves that owning a Yorkie or any other dog benefits our health status. Yorkies help their owners to relax, lower their blood pressure; they keep us active and happy.
Everything we do with our dogs helps us to create a bond with them, they learn from us as much as we do from them, everything we do with them reinforce the relationship we have, spending time with them, talking with them, exercising together, playing with them, working. Being present to our dog and bonding with them will give strength and preserve your relationship.
But, are Yorkies good with kids?
Absolutely yes! However, there are some things to consider.
Yorkies are small in size and as you know they have delicate structure. So, kids can easily injure your Yorkie. For this reason I would not recommend owning a Yorkie for households with toddlers.
First of all, getting your kid a Yorkie when they are older gives your kid something to care about; they teach kids responsibility. Kids learn how to take care of another living creature and they also keep them exercising.
Instead of leaving your kid all day sitting at home playing video games, giving them a dog would keep them outdoors and active. Even such dog as Yorkshire Terrier can be a perfect play partner!
If you plan to have one child, but at the same time want them to have company, then get them a Yorkie!
Giving an only child a dog tends to subdue the feeling of loneliness and they start viewing their pet as a sibling, creating a special bond between them.
It helps to teach how to share their parent’s time and their own space; kids learn how to respect another living creature, they learn about kindness, how to love, and how to live as they would with a sibling.
The bond between a kid and a dog is fantastic, they reduce tension and improves their mood overall. Dogs will always be happy to see their family, and kids will smile when they walk through the door and see their dog.
Giving your kid a Yorkie will teach them how to love them unconditionally. It helps them to learn this lesson much quicker than a child who doesn’t have a pet to care for or rely on.
With that lesson, when kids can recognise how powerful the concept of love is, they’ll be able to effectively apply it later in their daily bases and important moments in life.
Are Yorkies good with babies?
If you have toddlers or preschool-age children, please beware of how they interact with Yorkies.
Yorkies and kids get along very well, but that doesn’t take out the fact of how relatively fragile a Yorkie can be.
They don’t weigh more than 7 pounds at maturity; many Yorkies weigh around 5 pounds.
Be careful of how the Yorkies and kids are going to play along; pretty often kids don’t realise how fragile Yorkies can be, and they may don’t understand how rough they are with them.
It helps to teach children to be gentle with your Yorkie and discipline your Yorkie to be gentle with the babies and children as well.
In terms of temperament, Yorkies don’t have the sweetest temperaments, which people tend to find out when they feel threatened.
Remember that Yorkies, despite their small size, are still terriers.
They aren’t afraid to take on bigger dogs when they go out for walks or at the dog park, and an annoying kid could fall into the same category.
Know that Yorkies are great for younger kids and babies as much as you pay attention to both of them.
However, having Yorkies with older kids is another story.
Once children are old enough to understand how to approach and behave with a small dog, they’ll be able to bond with a Yorkie.
Also, another reason for Yorkies to be great for kids it’s because the fact of them being quite playful.
They’ll make great companions for kids who know better than to roughhouse with a small canine.
And, since Yorkies require extensive grooming, they offer a way for kids to learn how to take care of something else.