Are Yorkshire Terriers Good With Kids?

Yorkshire Terriers have a well-deserved reputation as fun-loving and boisterous. However, although they are wonderful dogs, they aren’t always good with children. It doesn’t mean, however, that you can’t bring a Yorkie into your home with children. As a veterinarian with over 20 years of experience working with both families and dogs (as well as being a Yorkie owner myself), I can offer a balanced take on this issue.

What Traits Of Yorkshire Terriers Make Them Good Family Dogs?

Yorkshire Terriers are fantastic family dogs. They are energetic, youthful, and love people (as a general rule). Some will be tireless play buddies while others can be that devoted lap dog that doesn’t want to leave your side.

Their small size makes them seem less scary to even those that don’t like dogs. They are also long-lived (on average, expect about 13-15 years of life) so they can be cherished friends as the kids grow up.

As additional evidence, the AKC site itself labels the Yorkshire Terrier as a 5/5 rating for being in a family with young children so they do have great potential as a family dog.

What Characteristics Of Yorkshire Terriers Make Them Bad Family Dogs?

Not every Yorkshire Terrier exhibits those traits of being cuddly or playful or loving people. Some can be more fearful, anxious, and only want to be with one or two people.

Our Yorkshire Terrier, Binky, was a lot like that. She was an adult rescue that had never been around kids before. Everything made her nervous and she was at her happiest when she was either in mine or my husband’s lap. She would have run and hid from any kid that came near her.

If you’re thinking of getting a rescue dog, you have to keep that in mind. Most rescues these days will have tested the Yorkie with kids to see if they’re tolerant or even playful. However, some will not and simply assume that children would not make a good fit with a rescue Yorkie.

Do Yorkshire Terriers Bark A Lot?

The vast majority of Yorkshire Terriers that I’ve ever met are big-time barkers. They’re excellent watch dogs and also express their happiness and love by barking. However, for families with infants or very small children, loud frequent barking isn’t welcomed.

Can they be trained out of this bad habit? Yes, but you have to be committed and the entire family needs to be in on the training. Do NOT make the lazy choice and try a collar as a way to try to prevent barking. Even if they made shock collars small enough for a Yorkie to wear, they are far too small and their necks far too vulnerable to try this option.

Are Yorkshire Terriers Aggressive?

One of the biggest fears any parent can have with a dog in the house is that dog biting their child. Yorkshire Terriers can always bite a child, but it could be due to the dog itself or even the child. An aggressive dog will show signs of aggression with the children even in the presence of the parents. Signs can include lifting the lip to show teeth, growling, or even snapping at the child.

Then again, children can easily provoke a bite through unwanted behaviors of the child including pulling of the tail or ears, picking up roughly, or even just taking a toy or food away from the dog.

While I believe that a dog should never bite a child (or anyone else), don’t put them into a position to fail by bringing a dog home who is not a good fit for your family.

What Families Are Best Suited To Have A Yorkshire Terrier?

I would recommend a Yorkshire Terrier to either a small family (with just one child) or a family with children who are more grown (think 10 years and older).

Needless to say if your children are born into a family with Yorkshire Terriers already present, things tend to sort themselves out. Just be mindful of the potential for very young children to be able to hurt a small dog like a Yorkie by inadvertently dropping or running over it. It’s also quite possible that a Yorkie could snap, growl, or bark at very young children when they are overly noisy or pushy towards the Yorkie.

How Can Parents Prepare Their Children For A Yorkshire Terrier Addition To Their Home?

Depending on the age of the children in the home, parents will need to let their kids know what the “rules” are with the new dog. Adults wanting a Yorkie need to be able to train not only the new dog but also the children in what’s expected from them.

My general rules for training children how to behave around a new dog in the family:

• Do not try to pick up the dog without an adult supervising
• Do not give a treat or food to the dog without an adult supervising
• Never take food or toys away from the dog (don’t set up your dog to fail – many dogs will look upon small children as part of their pack but they well may look at them as lower in the pecking order and won’t hesitate to refuse the child’s attempt)
• Never yell at the dog
• Never pull the tail/hair or pull on the collar
• Kids should never be the one to “walk” the Yorkie. Despite the small size of Yorkshire Terriers, they can bolt suddenly and pull away from a child’s grasp. Kids aren’t usually paying close attention to anything that they are doing and the Yorkie can get into a lot of trouble if an adult isn’t in control

What To Teach Your Yorkie When Bringing It Into A Home With Children

• Basic obedience is a must – your Yorkie should be taught and made to learn simple commands like sit, stay, come, and drop/leave it (this last one for anything that the Yorkie has picked up that you don’t want them to destroy)
• House training is a must – your children should not have to deal with urine and feces in the home. Not only is it unsanitary but it’s always possible that certain diseases can be transmitted via the feces to kids. Having “accidents” in the house can also cause children to yell or scream at the dog when they catch it in the “act”
• Give them a safe place and train them to go there when they need a break. This can be a dog kennel or a bed in a secluded bedroom where kids should not be allowed to enter. Sometimes they may just need a quiet spot that is kid-free

There’s so much more to learn and, in many situations, the personalities of your Yorkie and your children will dictate how you should approach training.

Do not hesitate to consult a trainer if you feel like you need one or just don’t know how to start training. Most trainers will want children (ones that are mature enough to understand instruction) to come to the training as well. I think that’s also a great idea. Most kids would want to be a part of this and having them involved shows the dog that they should be respected as well.

In Conclusion

If you badly want a Yorkshire Terrier but have a child younger than 7, consider waiting a few years until they are older. This dog is going to be in your life for a very long time and you want to make sure that you bring it into the best home possible. Take time before you acquire the Yorkie to educate your kids on ways to treat the dog and all the do’s and don’ts. Once the Yorkie is in the house, be sure to apply consistent training for the dog so that the entire family can experience the joy of having a happy, healthy Yorkie in the home.

Dr. Julie