2-pounder vs. a 4-pounder? - YorkieTalk.com Forums

Wylie's Mom · 03-24-2007, 06:43 AM

Hello,

I'm in touch w/ a very, very reputable breeder who happens to have a little guy available from one of her litters (she doesn't "breed for tinies"). He will probably max out at 2-2.5 pounds, but is proving to already be very hardy/sturdy/healthy at 15 weeks. He's a spitfire. He's eating dry, did perfect on his 1st shots (she was worried). She's willing to consider me as an owner since I'm a nurse, we don't have kids, and I'm measuring all the pros/cons in owning such a little guy.

She has another litter that'll result in some 4 pounders. I currently have a 7 pound guy and am well aware of all the potential hazards of an even smaller guy. I've done a lot of research (much on here, of course!) on tinier yorkies.

SO, question is: is there a real tangible difference in owning a 2 vs. 4 pound baby? What do I need to truly consider?

MANY thanks to all of you,
Wylie's Mom

natalienicole · 03-24-2007, 06:50 AM

I have a smaller yorkie a girl that right now weighs under 2 pounds at 16 weeks. She hasnt had any problems at all that have to deal with her size. She isnt near as fragile as i would have thought previously. Shes actually kinda a bully. she picks on my pomeranian whos bigger then her. And likes to play fight with my hubby. I dont think theres anything wrong with her and her size. I would get another that small anytime. I do have to watch her more when shes outside and arround otehr dogs my pomeranian is very friendly and doesnt mind her pickng on him. but you might want to take that into consideration. other then that my small dog is wonderful and i think you can more then handle it.

ARCHIE · 03-24-2007, 06:51 AM

I personally own a larger Yorkie but I would be concerned about
the 7lber playing with the 2lber perhaps the little one getting hurt
in rough play. I would go for the 4lber for certain. After all it is double
the little guy.
Good luck whatever you choose to do.

Yorkieluv · 03-24-2007, 07:08 AM

My yorkie (almost 3yrs old) is 10.5lbs and my maltese (9months) is 3.5lbs, and they get along great. He's much bigger than she is, as she has a very tiny frame, and he has a larger frame. They both love to play with each other and he is very gentle with her. They chase each other and both run after the ball when we throw it, but he always lets her get it

JeanieK · 03-24-2007, 07:10 AM

I too would be concerned about the size difference. My personal feelings are a 2 pounder is just too darn fragile for my lifestyle. I have a puppy that is just over three pounds and I can't wait till she grows some. my 5 pounder mauls her. He's not trying to hurt her, but compared to her he is huge. the poor thing just cowers when he tries to play

natalienicole · 03-24-2007, 07:13 AM

I think it just depends on your other dog, like i said earlier my pomeranian which is quite a bit bigger then my under 2 lbs yorkie puppy play well together and there are no problems. He doesnt mind her. Your bigger dogs personality makes up a big part of weather you should choose the smaller puppy or not. My pomeranian is big for his breed so hes huge compared to normal poms and my breeder informed me when i picked up my little anna that if she didnt get along with my pom i was to bring her back for a refund, maybe that would be a possibillity for you. my breeder had a pom kill one of her yorkie pups before so you need to know how your other dog will act arround little pets. I had my pom arround many smaller dogs and watched him carefully to be sure he would be nice to my anna. Hhe was perfectly fine with all of them.

DomLee · 03-24-2007, 07:56 AM

My Maltese was 2 pounds.
She was the cutest. Got lots of attention from people just seeing her. Cars would pull over in a dead stop and people running through the street to see her up close. Pretty dangerous...

But the practicality for a dog that small...is just too fragile.
Too tiny, as you're constantly having to be aware of where she is on the bed.
She was smart enough to figure out a way to slowly hop off the bed, but even then...you worry. (What would happen if you rolled over in your sleep or kicked in response to her being at your leg?)

Other issues. A tiny dog = tiny bladder. How does a dog hold their bladder for 8+ hours when you're away? You can't blame a tiny dog for having a tiny bladder.

Our Maltese was an escape artist from the very first day we got her. We have a backyard. There is a gap between the gate and the wall which is 2 inches. 2 inches! She squeezed her way outside the first time. Luckily, she loves being home. So she trotted up to the front door. We peek outside and she isn't there. We run to the front door,...and there she was wagging her tail at us, laughing at us. Then, she happily scampered inside. So another "normal" fencing is out of the question. You have to modify to accomodate for your tinier dog. But understand....that practically any hole/gap is a way of escape.

2 pounds. Cute size. But w/ that size, is constant responsibility beyond that of a more normal sized dog. At the dog park, we had to watch her like a hawk. Other dogs were interested in her. But she constantly followed us, partly in fear of their larger size. That,...and for her...SIZE matters. In this case, the Batmobile CAN be too large for the Batcave. (She was spayed). The other problem isn't so much dogs...but people. At the dog park, people constantly picked her up. Just because she is small and cute, doesn't give people the right to pick up a dog. We constantly saw random people picking her up. This is a problem due to people possibly wanting to STEAL your dog. This also affects the proper socialization of your dog. It was hard for our maltese to be proper socialized at the dog park.

Tiny dog also means other dogs have to be VERY careful when they play w/ her. Not so much w/ tugging. But when a larger dog gets overly excited and starts jumping around...that is when you have to calm down the larger dog immediately. All it takes is just the right pounce on just the right spot, and it will be fatal. Sadly, I'm not joking...I learned this the hard way.

We tried to get her to be 4 pounds, as that was more ideal/manageable. Due to liver shunt....she was forever at 2 pounds. This made her a larger target, because the reality was...she physically looked like a puppy forever. Thieves could easily say she was a puppy, when she was not.

IMO, 2 pounds is cute. But not practical and not really safe. We felt 4 pounds was pretty much the limit for safehandling. 2 pounds is too fragile for most people. 2 pounds makes them a bigger target for thieves.

Yorkieluv · 03-24-2007, 08:27 AM

2lbs full grown is not the same as 4lbs, that's for sure... 4lbs is soo tiny already! Some dogs can't help but stay small like DomLee was saying and they shouldn't be faulted for it. If you want to take on that responsibility and think you can handle it, just know what the risks are.

BLowry · 03-24-2007, 08:35 AM

I never thought that a pound or 2 would make a big difference...in size that is..My adult is 6 lbs...I haven't had Lillie weighed in a while but I would say she isn't much over 4 lbs...(9 months old). When they sit side by side you can really see the difference in size. I would probably go with the bigger of the 2...I would just worry about play time and the smaller one getting hurt. JMO though.

03-24-2007, 06:43 AM	#1
Wylie's Mom Furbutts = LOVE Donating Member Moderator Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 35,889 Blog Entries: 2	2-pounder vs. a 4-pounder? Hello, I'm in touch w/ a very, very reputable breeder who happens to have a little guy available from one of her litters (she doesn't "breed for tinies"). He will probably max out at 2-2.5 pounds, but is proving to already be very hardy/sturdy/healthy at 15 weeks. He's a spitfire. He's eating dry, did perfect on his 1st shots (she was worried). She's willing to consider me as an owner since I'm a nurse, we don't have kids, and I'm measuring all the pros/cons in owning such a little guy. She has another litter that'll result in some 4 pounders. I currently have a 7 pound guy and am well aware of all the potential hazards of an even smaller guy. I've done a lot of research (much on here, of course!) on tinier yorkies. SO, question is: is there a real tangible difference in owning a 2 vs. 4 pound baby? What do I need to truly consider? MANY thanks to all of you, Wylie's Mom

03-24-2007, 06:50 AM	#2
natalienicole YT Addict Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Missouri Posts: 286	my experience I have a smaller yorkie a girl that right now weighs under 2 pounds at 16 weeks. She hasnt had any problems at all that have to deal with her size. She isnt near as fragile as i would have thought previously. Shes actually kinda a bully. she picks on my pomeranian whos bigger then her. And likes to play fight with my hubby. I dont think theres anything wrong with her and her size. I would get another that small anytime. I do have to watch her more when shes outside and arround otehr dogs my pomeranian is very friendly and doesnt mind her pickng on him. but you might want to take that into consideration. other then that my small dog is wonderful and i think you can more then handle it.

03-24-2007, 07:08 AM	#4
Yorkieluv Donating YT 3000 Club Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: USA Posts: 7,178	My yorkie (almost 3yrs old) is 10.5lbs and my maltese (9months) is 3.5lbs, and they get along great. He's much bigger than she is, as she has a very tiny frame, and he has a larger frame. They both love to play with each other and he is very gentle with her. They chase each other and both run after the ball when we throw it, but he always lets her get it __________________ Miko 's his Mommy

03-24-2007, 07:13 AM	#6
natalienicole YT Addict Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Missouri Posts: 286	I think it just depends on your other dog, like i said earlier my pomeranian which is quite a bit bigger then my under 2 lbs yorkie puppy play well together and there are no problems. He doesnt mind her. Your bigger dogs personality makes up a big part of weather you should choose the smaller puppy or not. My pomeranian is big for his breed so hes huge compared to normal poms and my breeder informed me when i picked up my little anna that if she didnt get along with my pom i was to bring her back for a refund, maybe that would be a possibillity for you. my breeder had a pom kill one of her yorkie pups before so you need to know how your other dog will act arround little pets. I had my pom arround many smaller dogs and watched him carefully to be sure he would be nice to my anna. Hhe was perfectly fine with all of them. Last edited by natalienicole; 03-24-2007 at 07:17 AM.

03-24-2007, 08:27 AM	#8
Yorkieluv Donating YT 3000 Club Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: USA Posts: 7,178	2lbs full grown is not the same as 4lbs, that's for sure... 4lbs is soo tiny already! Some dogs can't help but stay small like DomLee was saying and they shouldn't be faulted for it. If you want to take on that responsibility and think you can handle it, just know what the risks are. __________________ Miko 's his Mommy

03-24-2007, 06:51 AM	#3
ARCHIE No Longer A Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: NEW YORK Posts: 16,218	I personally own a larger Yorkie but I would be concerned about the 7lber playing with the 2lber perhaps the little one getting hurt in rough play. I would go for the 4lber for certain. After all it is double the little guy. Good luck whatever you choose to do.

03-24-2007, 07:10 AM	#5
JeanieK Donating YT 12K Club Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Council Bluffs Iowa Posts: 12,552	I too would be concerned about the size difference. My personal feelings are a 2 pounder is just too darn fragile for my lifestyle. I have a puppy that is just over three pounds and I can't wait till she grows some. my 5 pounder mauls her. He's not trying to hurt her, but compared to her he is huge. the poor thing just cowers when he tries to play

03-24-2007, 07:56 AM	#7
DomLee YT Addict Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: SoCal Posts: 300	My Maltese was 2 pounds. She was the cutest. Got lots of attention from people just seeing her. Cars would pull over in a dead stop and people running through the street to see her up close. Pretty dangerous... But the practicality for a dog that small...is just too fragile. Too tiny, as you're constantly having to be aware of where she is on the bed. She was smart enough to figure out a way to slowly hop off the bed, but even then...you worry. (What would happen if you rolled over in your sleep or kicked in response to her being at your leg?) Other issues. A tiny dog = tiny bladder. How does a dog hold their bladder for 8+ hours when you're away? You can't blame a tiny dog for having a tiny bladder. Our Maltese was an escape artist from the very first day we got her. We have a backyard. There is a gap between the gate and the wall which is 2 inches. 2 inches! She squeezed her way outside the first time. Luckily, she loves being home. So she trotted up to the front door. We peek outside and she isn't there. We run to the front door,...and there she was wagging her tail at us, laughing at us. Then, she happily scampered inside. So another "normal" fencing is out of the question. You have to modify to accomodate for your tinier dog. But understand....that practically any hole/gap is a way of escape. 2 pounds. Cute size. But w/ that size, is constant responsibility beyond that of a more normal sized dog. At the dog park, we had to watch her like a hawk. Other dogs were interested in her. But she constantly followed us, partly in fear of their larger size. That,...and for her...SIZE matters. In this case, the Batmobile CAN be too large for the Batcave. (She was spayed). The other problem isn't so much dogs...but people. At the dog park, people constantly picked her up. Just because she is small and cute, doesn't give people the right to pick up a dog. We constantly saw random people picking her up. This is a problem due to people possibly wanting to STEAL your dog. This also affects the proper socialization of your dog. It was hard for our maltese to be proper socialized at the dog park. Tiny dog also means other dogs have to be VERY careful when they play w/ her. Not so much w/ tugging. But when a larger dog gets overly excited and starts jumping around...that is when you have to calm down the larger dog immediately. All it takes is just the right pounce on just the right spot, and it will be fatal. Sadly, I'm not joking...I learned this the hard way. We tried to get her to be 4 pounds, as that was more ideal/manageable. Due to liver shunt....she was forever at 2 pounds. This made her a larger target, because the reality was...she physically looked like a puppy forever. Thieves could easily say she was a puppy, when she was not. IMO, 2 pounds is cute. But not practical and not really safe. We felt 4 pounds was pretty much the limit for safehandling. 2 pounds is too fragile for most people. 2 pounds makes them a bigger target for thieves.

03-24-2007, 08:35 AM	#9
BLowry My furkids Donating Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 4,625 Blog Entries: 1	I never thought that a pound or 2 would make a big difference...in size that is..My adult is 6 lbs...I haven't had Lillie weighed in a while but I would say she isn't much over 4 lbs...(9 months old). When they sit side by side you can really see the difference in size. I would probably go with the bigger of the 2...I would just worry about play time and the smaller one getting hurt. JMO though. __________________ Brenda