Our 3 year old son has really bad allergies and I had heard about hypoallergenic dogs.So after doing some of my own research I was thinking about getting either a Schnauzer or a Yorkie.I was wandering which breed is better for our family.Does anyone know positives and negatives about these breeds.And also money is an issue (being a SAHM and buying special things for his food and seasonal allergies.) I was hoping maybe to save up and get the kids a puppy for christmas.Does anyone know where to buy these breeds at a great price?
I would try and have your kids interact with both of these breeds to see how they do. There really is no such thing as a hypoallergenic dog. However, there are dogs that have less dander that your child will probably have less of an allergic reaction too. My husband is allergic to most dogs. We have a boston terrier and he has no problem with him, but my sister who is also allergic to dogs has a lot of trouble with our boston. I do know from my own research that Maltese and Bichons tend to have less dander. Also, poodles are supposed to be very good for people who have allergies. The two drawbacks I know to Schnauzers and Yorkies are they can be yappy barkers. But there are many dogs that potentially can have this trait. It all depends on how you train them. I applaud you for doing research and encourage you to really think through what dog will be best for your family. So many people get a dog on a whim and end up returning it to the pound. We were lucky enough to get our boston as a rescue and he is such a great dog. Good luck!
We have several Schnauzers & Yorkies in the family. They are ALL not good with children....the Schnauzers because they are yippy/yappy & have drawn blood on all of us. The Yorkies because they are sooo small that they feel intimidated with the kids, & they also have snapped. In all fairness, they are the sweetest companions for the older & quieter members of the family.
On the other hand, I also suffer from allergies. We've had labs, beagles, & lab mixes. They have all bothered me....until the best dog in the world came to live with us. CoCoa is a labradoodle, & he does not shed. We also now have a pup...an Olde English sheepdog mix. He also does not shed, which was a surprise to us. The only time we see hair moving off of the pup is when we brush his undercoat. It was a nice surprise when the breeder told us about this breed's coat!
Sooo, there's my thoughts....I always cringe when I hear of a family wanting to add a Schnauzer/Yorkie. These are not isolated events, but has happened with every single one of these dogs. & as for <$, I didn't check where you live, but Rolla.net has classified ads....& we shop regularly thru these ads. Lots of dogs, all different prices. Good luck!
i was basically going to echo sue's advice, although it seems she has more experience than i do. my grandparents had a couple different schnauzer mixes throughout my life and they were good dogs for them, even with grandkids, but now they're in their "golden years" so my grandma decided she wanted a FULL BLOOD schnauzer, since she'd had such good luck with the mixes. NO WAY. she is the most hyper dog i've ever seen. no- i think beagles are worse...but not by much. she also jumps and is really rough. sadly she stays penned when the grandkids are around. and yes, she barks a LOT. just my personal experience with a schauzer.
i was going to suggest a poodle - they're great with kids and as long as you don't get a teacup one, i'd say it'd be a great match (i'd worry about a teacup poodle getting broken around kids!) they're really intelligent, sweet dogs, and they are the original "hypoallergenic" dog. i'm not a huge fan of the looks, but labradoodles are really cute. i'd go that direction! (the thing that always gets me though...i see labradoodles as a "mutt" -not that there's anything wrong with that, i've never had a purebred dog in my life- but nowdays people are charging for them like they're purebreds. ask around at local shelters!)
good luck! what a great christmas! :)
We have 3 miniature schnauzers and 2 yorkshire terriers in my immediate family along with 5 kids ranging from 1 to 14 years old. I personally have never, ever had any of the experiences that the other women have had. All 5 dogs are very sweet and play well with each other and the children. Schnauzer: very sweet, more robust, more fun, less barking, likes to play- so keep that in mind, very protective and loyal. Yorkie: Very sweet, likes to cuddle, likes to play, very yappie, difficult to house train, very fragile, and very expensive if you get a good breeder. My parents' yorkies have had health problems from the start. These are very expensive dogs to own. Children tend to have problems realizing that this is an animal, not a toy. That's just my two cents. Dogs are all about how they are raised and just remember to never leave very small children around a dog unattended.
neither one of these dogs are good with children, especially
young ones. they are both very high energy, tend to be
nervous and territorial and will definitely bite, especially
Yorkies. when I got my king cavalier spaniel, the breeder
that I bought her from also raised Yorkies and she told me
that they are absolutely NOT kid-friendly and she has had to
talk several families out of buying them. people think that
they are "cute" and will sometimes want one even though they
are not good for their kids. they are better suited for
single owners or families without young kids. schnauzers
are a little better, but here again, not recommended for
little kids, and boy, do they SHED!!
my son also has allergies and asthma. since he has been on
his meds for it (singulair, flovent, zyrtec) he has been
around my sisters dog (pomeranian) and several of my neighbors
dogs, anything from a german shorthair pointer to a golden
retriever and he has had no problems at all. cat hair is a
larger problem for him, though.
you might have to try looking into larger breed dogs for
your family. small breeds just don't cut it with kids for
the most part. and they are all expensive, sorry to say!!
good luck!
Schnauzers and Yorkies are a bit yippie for us. Have you considered a Westie? (West Highland White Terrier) We have had one for 14 years. He is the best dog. Great with kids (We have 3) and great with allergies. Just a thought.
I can't tell you anything about these dogs, but can I suggest that you go to a rescue agency instead of a breeder? You would be doing a WONDERFUL thing, and not have to spend several hundred dollars at a breeder and you will not be supporting a possible backyard breeder/puppy mill. http://stoppuppymills.org/ (Humane Society of the United States) Please do NOT purchase from a pet store, unless that store is 'selling' rescued animals. Puppies/kittens at pet stores are almost always from puppy/kitten mills in horrible conditions. There are breeds at shelters, and you might even find an older dog (puppies can be a handful) that does not need housebreaking and may already have manners. Millions of animals are destroyed in shelters every year, so please consider a shelter/rescue agency. http://www.petfinder.com/
And PLEASE make sure the animal is spayed/neutered. If from a shelter, this would be done. http://www.hsmo.org/m_vetcare/benefits.php Humane Society of MO
I would also like to suggest NOT for Christmas. There is just too much other commotion at Christmas w/people and things. After Christmas, the holidays, then it would be time to go to a shelter.
I applaud you for doing research!!
I used to work for a vet and a some schnauzers can have skin problems. Some are really bad need special shampoo, medication. I think your best bet would be a yorkie, my aunt has one and has not had any problems with his skin. You might check on the Yorkie rescue web site. I don't know if they have puppies thought but worth a try.
I can't help a whole lot, but I can give you a little of my experiences. First off, I know absolutely nothing about schnauzers. My best friend had a Yorkie when we were little. She was such a good dog. She got a little hyper at times, but she didn't do much yipping, and she NEVER tried to bite. They had her for as long as I could remember. She made an excellent house dog, and I don't remember any problems with her shedding.
Right now, we have a silky terrier (looks just like a Yorkie). She is also an indoor dog. We have 4 kids (9, 7, 4, and 3 months). She is great with kids, although sometimes she is very hyper when she gets to play with the kids. She has nevver bitten nor tried to bite. We only had a small problem with her shedding, but once we started getting her groomed, we didn't have that problem anymore. (If you know anything about how to do it, I'm sure you can do it yourself. I don't and wouldn't torture my dog by trying, so I take her to get groomed...haha)
From what I've seen, Yorkies and silkies both are expensive breeds. Another poster was absolutely right in saying that if you can find them at a shelter/Humane society, you would be doing a much better thing and getting a much better price than buying from a breeder. Our Silky was $300, which I'm told was actually pretty cheap. The upside to breeders is that you will get papers and shot records, but if you buy them while they are young, they won't be fixed like the Humane Society would do.
Also, any breed can be a good dog for kids. It all depends on how they are treated and trained. Some breeds are more likely to have a calm demeanor, but that doesn't always make them a better choice over another. We had a yellow lab when I was little that was a great dog, very calm with us, and very protective of us. My neighbor has a yellow lab that would attack anything it could see because he's never had an ounce of training. It's all going to depend on how it's trained.
I HIGHLY recommend getting your dog from a rescue. We wanted a male westie who was not a puppy, but still young and good with kids. After watching and waiting (at rescues and on petfinder.com) we found our boy. He was 8 months old, potty trained (well, they said he wasn't, but he certainly was) and after his initial shyness is great with the kids. I don't know much about allergies, but I really do recommend a rescue dog. We had many options to get a very young puppy too, but that's not what we wanted. Enjoy looking for the right dog and save a pup at the same time. We spend about $100 for a purebred westie. A great deal. Enjoy your pup, your kids will love it (much of the time anyway!)
Katie
We had a yorkie. He was so great with the kids.
He was one of the best dogs I have had!
Hi Casey,
I know getting a pet for your child can be difficult, but it's great that you doing a bit of research. I am a Veterinary Nurse so I have alot of knowledge about dog breeds. The yorkie is fun and energetic with spunk. Due to the small size they can be breakable especially with the kind of ruff housing children envoke. Yorkies also have allergy difficulties. If you decide on a yorkie, make sure they are coming from a good genetic line. Schnauzers are alot more durable than a yorkie with lots of energy and spunk. With both breeds they require alot of grooming. Bichon Frise is the only hypo-allergenic breed labeled as such. However they are not good with children. They do not have the tolerance. I sugest that since your son has allergies getting a shor haired dog. A schnauzer even though needs grooming they are better with children. If it is money you are concerned about, you could always get a mixed breed. There are so many out there and usually with a mixed breed you are getting the best of both worlds. Mixed breeds don't usually have the breed dispositions of one or the other. The combonation usually creates a great pet with a fun personallity without all of the problems one breed can generate. Like for instance, Dalmations are known for bladder stones, Boxers are known for developing cancer, or Rottweilers are aggressive as well as Pitbulls. When getting a mixed breed many of these dispositions do not exist. I have a beagle, pitbull, doberman, collie mix. He is awesome. So dosile and sweet. He isn't aggressive at all and doesn't have the growths that dobermans develop. I also have a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. She is difficult. She sure is cute and very expensive. She is the fisrt pure bred I have ever had and she is alot of trouble. I have had mixed breeds my whole life and I think with the experiences I have had, I will continue to do so. Cavaliers are great with kids, require little grooming and are so sweet. However they are expensive and are known for luxating patellas and heart problems. I spent 10 years searching for a great breeder. She is great other than she isn't the smartest dog. She isn't like a Cavalier at all. For some reason she licked outlets and got zapped. She hasn't been the same ever since. Unfortunately with pure breds the smarts goes out the window. She isn't like the typical cavalier anymore. So I spent the money for a dog that isn't like the what she should be. Pure breds are known for this and that depending on what dog you want, but just because you spend the money doesn't mean they will be that way. I was also going to suggest a Pug because they are small and tough. Pugs have great personallities and lots of energy for kids. They don't shed as much as some other kinds of short haired dogs. They don't reguire grooming either. If you look into getting a pug, be sure you look at the puppies nose to make sure the nostrils are open and the nose isn't too short. They can have breathing difficulties like bulldogs if the muzzle is too short. There are pugs ou there that do not have breathing difficulties. Getting a mixed yorkie, schnaauzer or pug would be great. The yorkie is the least I would reccomend. You can go to your local animal shelter or humane society to look for puppies. I worked at a humane society and was shocked to find pure breds coming in. If you decide to get a mixed breed, humane society and shelters have lots of them. I hope this has been of some help to you and if you had any other qtions I would be happy to awnser them. If you are going to do more research on any breed, make sure it's a well know web site and factual. Good luck!
Amber H.
Good Morning Casey, you have received a lot of different views for your post. Great job Mom's. I had a Yellow lab for yrs but had to leave her in Ks when we moved to TX yrs ago. Solomon was to big to be in an apartment for 2 months. I have then had 3 Shih Tzu's hubby slight allergies, but Shih Tzu haven't seems to bother him. Molly our first was almost 18 when she passed away. Bubba her brother (3rd litter) was 15 when two of our gr son's let him out of the back gate 4 months ago. I now have Amber a sweet little girl I Did find at a pet shop near here. She is now almost 7 months old. She is good with all of our 5 gr kids, loves to cuddle and play and she is not a barker at all.
I tried the Petfinder.com, and rescue dogs also. I just couldn't afford the cost of the dog's and transportation fee's to get them to us. Plus some rescue centers want at least 3-4 reference's for you to adopt your forever fur balls :)
When I found Amber (we named her) the pet shop gave us a 48 hour healthy window. We immediately took her to a Vet to have her checked out, she is awesomely healthy. Had all of her shots when we got her. She will be sprayed on Nov 7th.
I tired Humane Soc. here in Wichita also. I guess I was to driven to find another Shih Tzu. ( looking for them finally helped me learn to Spell that breed name too.. ;)
One thing about Amber and possibly other Pet shop or kennel pets is they are not always completely house broken. Amber will only pee or poop on the Driveway in the early mornings, grass is to wet. lol I take water out with me and rinse it off so as not to leave a scent, but she still only does her thing on cement in early mornings. Will go to a grassy spot during the day. I have very few accidents. Shih Tzu are very sweet dogs, can be trained, smart intelligent dogs.
She sleeps in a pet carrier at night, doesn't whine or bark to get out.
Best of Luck in your search, please no Christmas pets. To much going on for everyone.
Karen Nana of 5
I have only known a few Schnauzers, but every one of them has been very snippy and unfriendly. I've never seen a Yorkie that wasn't playful and friendly.
Hello there, how exciting, a new member of the family!
I have some experience with both types of dogs and I would have to probably say a yorkie would be my choice.
Unfortunately both breeds are pretty hyper and aren't technically the best breeds with kids. Although under your special circumstances I am sure that you can train them to be great family dogs! I had a mini schnauzer growing up and we had a lot of trouble with him being overly protective and biting people. My close friend and dad both have yorkies and sometimes they seemed annoyed by my kiddos but they have never tried to bite. I'm sure that someone else may have a completely different thought. I would be sure to get a yorkie on the larger side though so that it will hold up with a small child! Lisa O
I would definitely have your son interact with any dog before you get it to make sure he's not allergic. My daughter has had allergic reactions with almost any dog she's been around inclucing a Yorkie. Good luck!
I jus recently acquired a yorkie...and he is wonderful. He knew his name within 2-3 days. Knows what "no", "bad", "go outside" means and he is only 11 weeks old. We are still potty training him but he has a good idea of what to do. We found him from a kennel. If you want to the website is www.needscountrykennel.com and she is very helpful there. Also she has Schnauzer and Yorkie. Good luck.
my understanding is poodles are suppose to be good for not shedding.
but as far as the two breeds you have chosen - I have had several yorkies and they do well with the kids. But then again depending on the dogs own personality they all can be good or not with kids.
So one suggestion I have - is to take the kids with you when you try to decide and see how the pup gets along with the kids before you buy..
I have to stand up here and support the purebred community. Don't get me wrong....rescues are great and do a great service to the dog world. However, there are an awful lot of dogs in rescue because their owners bring home a little puppy that they thought was so cute and then didn't take the time, energy and money to provide the training and level of care that they require. You could end up spending lots of time and money to fix the problems that another owner didn't bother to take care of in the first place. I also do not support the small time pet stores which sell puppymill animals to the public. The situation in the puppymill industry is BAD, BAD, BAD!
If you have done your research and believe that these are good breeds for your family, then find a reputable home breeder in your area who really cares about their breed, health screens the parents before breeding and socializes the pups while they are in the whelping box. If their pups are well cared for, exposed often to children and outside stimuli, they will grow up to be great family dogs who aren't "yippy" or "nippy". You can find these breeders in your area by searching on breeders.net, terrificpets.com, or puppyfind.com.
Now, unfortunately, you will get what you pay for....these puppies will cost alot more because their breeders have spent so much time and energy just to produce the pups. I am a breeder and charge $1250 for each puppy. Why? Well, my dogs have been to obedience training and have earned their CGC (Canine Good Citizen) and ATTS (American Temperament Testing Society) titles. They have been to many dog shows to earn their Championship show titles - each show costs me $500 in expenses. I have screened them for canine hip dysplasia ($400), breed specific health tests ($150) and genetic screening ($75), not to mention all of the pre-natal veterinary costs. (Even at $1250, I don't even end up breaking even on my puppies.) There are some people out there to make a buck and breed just because they see that others charge for puppies; however, you can probably pick out the good from the bad with just a quick phone call. The good breeders will ask you more questions that you ask them!
Good luck with any decision that you make and have fun with your new puppy!