need your opinions: yorkie or westie?

I don't know much about toy dogs, but I think Westies are cuter.  Sorry, that's really no help!

i believe its been said that yorkies arent as kid friendly.. but ... I personally believe that depends on how the dog is raised. my sister's grandmother has a yorky/peke and she was an absolute doll with kids. however since she's older she is possessive of the grand dad's lap and wont let the grand kids near him. but she's an 11 yr old dog..... she has earned that lap lol

i dont have ANY experience with westies, but i have experience with terriers. i owned a JRT and she was a fire ball, but i never got the chance to introduce her to children myself. i was in high school/college when i had her.... when i moved the new landlord wouldnt allow dogs and my mom wouldnt keep  her, so i gave her to a friend with an 8 yr old boy who loves her dearly. but... thats a JRT. but still a terrier none the less.

i think it should depend on what you want and what the dog is like that is up for adoption. do you guys have kids or plan to have kids or are their grand kids that visit? if so then how old?
and where training is concerned are you planning on competing in obedience or just every day sit stay good dog stuff?
that might be where people say a yorky is harder to train, for competing purposes maybe. not sure on that. Tiffy, the yorky i mentioned earlier was a good little dog and very bright. she loved to play fetch and she only played fetch with one ball and it was pink. she didnt want the blue one or the red one, or the striped one. If the pink ball rolled under the tv set she would lie there for hours waiting for it to come back out....

thank you for your replies. yes that's what i've heard about yorkies regarding to training. we plan to have kids in the future and i agree it depends on how you train the dog on how open they will be to others.

hmm... i'm leaning towards getting a westie...

My neighbors have a Westie and they have two small kids. He seems like a nice dog, not too hyper, good with the kids, and my shelties enjoy playing with him.

Training can help, but some of it is size-related. A westie is, IMO, a much better companion for kids- he's rough and tumble enough to play more games, robust enough not to get hurt if someone trips and falls over him, and strong enough to squirm loose if a kid is tormenting him. (Not that you would EVER intentionally let your future offspring do that but it could happen)

that's a great tip pwca. that's what i was thinking too. the yorkie is adorable but it's tiny! i have a lot of nephews & nieces all less than 16 years old and i was thinking the yorkie might not be able to stand up to them! haha! and i've read that the yorkie is a bit fragile so if he/she accidentally falls, might break something...

thanks for the tip!

maybe its a bit off topic but maybe not.. and i am NOT implying anything towards you Dieselgirl..  but i must ask why would anyone get a small toy dog if they planned on having kids? for example.. my cousin the "breeder".... she has chihuahuas, and two toddlers. those boys torment those dogs to no end and get their butts blistered for it. but they think its funny when the female growls and bites them. when this dog had her one and only surviving puppy the oldest boy(4) used to sneak it out of the crate.. once he even wrapped it in a towel and tried to hide it in a kitchen cabinet!! his mom caught him and he got spanked but really..... you get two reactions.. the dog is going to bite to get away from a toddler, or its going to die horribly....... i know there are cases where parents are extra vigil, but.. i dunno. just seems too risky to me. kids can be so rough.
soooo yeah i think you would be better off to get a westie or something like it.

I wanted a chi, but I ruled them out because I have small children (ages 6 and . My kids would never torment a dog on purpose, but my son is an active kid and accidents can happen. My friend's son accidentally injured their chihuahua so yeah, we decided to go with a small to medium instead of small. Personally I had concerns about very large dogs with my kids also though. My daughter is somewhat timid around bid and/or rowdy dogs, and I wanted my kids to be able to handle/walk the dogs and be involved in their obedience training.

i think part of the kids problem is they're jealous. mom doesnt spend time with them.. and neither does she spend time with the dog.. thats her hobby.. breeding. but her real passion is her computer and the games sooo... little boys do what they must to make mom pay attention.
she also has two shepherds outside in a kennel. the kids cant go near them. heck.. i dont even want to go near them. they're so out of control.

I vote westie over yorkie...with the note that you need to have many, many children of different sizes and shapes handle this pup when young. Expose the pup to toddlers and other youngsters who make loud, erratic, high pitched sounds and make sudden movements. Toddlers and preschooler can be unpredictable and to a dog that is a couple of years old and used to calm adults, a little kid is another species.
 
IMO Yorkie coats require too much grooming....and you said you wanted hypo-allergenic? I think some people are more sensitive to the allergens produced by specific breeds. The only way to tell if a breed bothers you is to spend time with dogs from that breed.
 
Have you considered a Bichon Frise? They are considered among the most easy to tolerate breed for people with allergies and their temperament seems to be a good match for children
 

Temperament
Gentle mannered, sensitive, playful and affectionate. A cheerful attitude is the hallmark of the breed and one should settle for nothing less.

.
from the breed standard at:
[linkhttp://www.akc.org/breeds/bichon_frise/index.cfm]http://www.akc.org/breeds/bichon_frise/index.cfm[/link]
 
 
Here is the akc list of dogs which generally work for people with allergies:
http://www.akc.org/about/faq_allergies.cfm?SEARCH_BUTTON.X=20\&SEARCH_BUTTON.Y=7
 
Here is the akc page explaining why these dogs:
[linkhttp://www.akc.org/news/index.cfm?article_id=2588]http://www.akc.org/news/index.cfm?article_id=2588[/link]
 
 
I am not knocking westies--- I think they are great dogs. I just wanted to make sure you were aware of other options which suit your requirements.

Good luck!

ave you considered a Bichon Frise? They are considered among the most easy to tolerate breed for people with allergies and their temperament seems to be a good match for children

I agree.  I've seen some really feisty westies.  They can have a pretty strong mind of their own.  They are terriers after all.  Training and socializing are very important here.

..... and one should settle for nothing less.

  hmmm...This is telling. 

IMHO, Bichons are a sweeter, gentler breed with small children.

i spent time with a westie pup for about 30 minutes. and on the way home i didn't experience any allergies (sneezing or itching). my mom has a toy poodle (doesn't live with me) and whenever i play with her, i don't get allergies, too. but there are certain dogs like golden retrievers when i play with them, i'll have a sneezing fit.

re: the bichon frise... i know it's hypoallergenic but i just find the westie much more irresistable.... hahaha! i'm so excited. i might pick-up the westie pup this weekend.

now just have to do more research on toilet training.

Hey!  Have fun with your puppy.  [sm=clapping%20hands%20smiley.gif]  Please keep us updated with photos and such!

Crate training is the absolute best way to go!  We also found that, when you can't watch your pup like a hawk and you don't want him in the crate, tie a cord or leash from its collar to your belt loop.  Try to create a schedule for potty breaks.  It's gonna seem like a million times a day.  Something like, when it gets up, a little after it eats, after a nap in the afternoon, after it eats again,  2 hours later and before sleep time. 

Also, find a puppy class to get your puppy use to new situations, people, other dogs, starting to train, etc., than pick the teacher's brain for any good puppy raising (especially terriers) suggestions.  Westies can be sweet, adorable and delightful as long as they don't think that they have the upper hand. [sm=biggrin.gif]

I have 2 westies - a 4 yr old male & 1 yr old female...we also have kids and they are great family dogs!  They are indeed hearty enough to roughhouse with our kids, as well as our large Golden Retriever!  I know terriers can be tough to deal with, but that's not yet been our experience.  Ours are a joy - they are very sweet, outgoing and friendly.
 
Grooming hasn't been a big deal either - I brush mine thoroughly a couple of times a week - bathe about once a month or so.  My male we actually used to take to the groomer and have him shaved pretty short, so that was NO maintenance and he was sooo much more comfortable.  He doesn't seem to get as hot anymore, so we haven't done it in awhile, but with summer setting in, we may go back to that if he needs it. Here's a pick of my whole crew playing (you can see the Westies get right in there even with a big dog) - this is when Tucker was shaved short:
 

 
Good luck with your decision and post pics of whatever you decide on!