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Montreal, Quebec, Canada
LindsayPereira
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Freddie was a barker. EVERYTHING made him bark, while in my opinion made him an excellent guard dog. However, the mailman disagreed.... I find he wasn't very dog-socialized. He was great with people, however not so much with younger kids. In truth, kids always wanted to pick him up since he was such a small guy, so I think that's why he didn't like kids in general.
So, I'd recommended not getting a Yorkie if you have very young kids, especially babies. I would be too afraid of biting. Freddie had a bit of a "little guy complex", and he would have no issues barking and biting if he felt threatened. I've heard that smaller dogs often do this, and Freddie was absolutely the poster-dog for this.
Also, I can picture all of the barking being a huge issue with sleeping kids. Freddie would bark day and night, and it was incredibly loud. So, that's definitely another thing to consider as I'm sure not just anyone would be okay with that trait.
But, aside from the barking and biting...and tough-guy attitude...Freddie was a fluffy little bundle of love. He was a total lap dog. So, I'd recommend a Yorkie to anyone really looking for loving, lap-dog companionship.
What happened in the end with Freddie and my ex? Don't worry, my ex went to go live in his parent's basement once I moved out. And Freddie? He moved in with my ex's mom :) Although he's in doggie heaven now, he was coddled to the very end once my ex's mommy took over :)){kind=link}
![](https://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://rightdog.com/Thumbnail/BreedReviewsPhotos/1062016_10221830227873DogBreed_SiberianHusk.jpg&media=https://rightdog.com/Thumbnail/BreedReviewsPhotos/1062016_10221830227873DogBreed_SiberianHusk.jpg&description=I met Nanook, a Siberian Husky, in the summer of 2005 when I was invited over to my then-boyfriend-now-husband's house. Even though I had a dog of my own, a little Shih Tzu named Charlie, I was a bit taken aback by Nanook. He was such an impressive, and slightly scary, HUGE dog, and it took him a while to warm up to me. Although I had been warned that he wasn't your run-of-the-mill, typical easy-going family dog, I didn't quite know what to expect from such a breed. Well, after living with him for several years, up until his passing, I'm still fascinated by the particular personality that comes along with the elusive Siberian Husky.<br><br>Nanook was, to me, a bit of a mystery. He was incredibly stubborn, and seldom did things he simply didn't want to do without a struggle, was very quiet, yet, had an "imposing" (for lack of a better word) character that made him seem slightly unapproachable. The contrast between his "sister" Bella, a young Golden Retriever, and Nanook, was like comparing day and night. Where Bella was your typical, fun-loving Golden, Nanook was tough and hard to read, which made for some uncomfortable situations. <br><br>Let me clarify by being a bit more specific with my "Pros and Cons" list, even though I do hate to classify animals according to these limited categories.<br><br>I would say that, overall, Nanook was a phenomenal guard dog, and I have a pretty impressive story about him thwarting a break-in. To make a long story short, this 140 lbs mountain of muscle guarded the house dutifully, waiting ever so patiently for my husband to come home, only to find Nanook sitting "at attention" right at the threshold of what used to be the front door. If you need a guard dog, consider this Husky! <br><br>Personality-wise, Nanook seemed to be emotionally attached (or, perhaps it was more of a "leader of the pack" thing), to one main person, and would really only take orders from that person. Furthermore, though I would classify him as being a stable dog, he would snap and bite if he felt the need to, especially if you were near his food or brushed him. And, he ALWAYS needed to be brushed. <br><br>Yet, he did have a playful side, which was obvious when he was running around in the forest, or playing out in sub-zero snowy weather. Yes, winter was when he was truly the happiest. Nanook would often refuse to come back inside during snowstorms, and really had a rough time in the dead of summer heat. Want to know how to make a Siberian Husky happy? Just let him curl up in a snowstorm and munch on a frozen fish. If you didn't think a dog could smile, guess again!<br><br>Having said all this, Nanook was gentle with our first born daughter, and there were some tenderhearted times when I would catch her snuggling up in his great coat. It seemed as though he knew exactly who he needed to be calm with, and we never had any dangerous incidents between him and our daughter. However, I can't, in all honesty, recommend this type of Husky with little children, and truthfully, I was always a bit worried, as I never quite knew when Nanook would run out of patience. <br><br>In the end, he was the perfect active dog, and was happiest outdoors, especially in the colder months. He was not a particularly hyper dog, but had a lot of strength and energy, and was a happy companion to my avid mountaineering brother-in-law. We have some pretty incredible pictures of the two of them up in the mountains, in the middle of nature's nowhere.<br><br>If you're an active individual and spend a lot of time outdoors, this may be the ideal dog for you. They do need a lot of outdoor time and lots of regular walks. Nanook had a bad habit of eating everything in sight, and had many stomach issues because of it, so you may need to pay close attention to this. I think this husky would make a great companion for sporty, outdoor families, but I'd keep an eye out with the younger kids.){kind=link}
![](https://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://rightdog.com/Thumbnail/BreedReviewsPhotos/1062016_9312741127873DogBreed_320pxShihTzu.jpg&media=https://rightdog.com/Thumbnail/BreedReviewsPhotos/1062016_9312741127873DogBreed_320pxShihTzu.jpg&description=Charlie was my very first dog ever. He had been a gift from a former boyfriend when I was in my late teens, and I'll never forget the fun times I had with that 8 lbs fluffy ball of attitude. Charlie, whom I had nicknamed Charlie Brown since his appearance at the dog shelter reminded me of the cartoon character's sad, droopy Christmas tree, was a real mess when we first met. I had always been an animal lover and was especially fond of dogs. After spending much time cooing and snuggling with my boyfriend's Yorkshire terrier, I finally decided I was ready for a serious commitment... with a dog of my own!<br><br>Several months of weekends spent at my local SPCA, and countless tears shed over the sheer amount of unwanted shelter dogs, resulted in a chance meeting with a tiny, stinky mess of a dog, who had already been marked as reserved. I was in love. Charlie, who was found wandering the streets nearby, was a knotted up mess, reeked of urine, and was lost under his large shaggy coat. But, every time I would pass his bare cage, he would raise himself onto his hind legs and bark at me until I looked at him, and would twirl in circles to keep my attention. My heart just melted every time, and I asked to be able to walk him, even though he was already technically reserved to be adopted.<br><br>They allowed me to do so, and repeatedly reminded me that his "reservation" was only in place for 24 hours. After such time, he would be, again, available for adoption. I filled out my own set of "reservation" papers and proceeded to wait the 12 hours to find out if I was lucky enough to have the chance to bring Charlie home. In the meantime, I brought my entire family over to see him, and Charlie couldn't stop jumping and twirling for us. Needless to say, this story does have a happy ending, and we brought him home, fleas and all, where he lived a long and comfortable life, passing away at the ripe old age of 17 years old.<br><br>So, what do I think of Shih Tzu dogs?<br><br>Well, my Charlie was incredibly friendly, extremely affectionate, and an overall amazing companion. He became my mom's best friend and, to this day some four years after his death, she still cannot speak of him without getting emotional. Charlie was the type of lap dog that lived for your affection, was very attentive and intelligent, and was simply a joy to be around. Since he was such a small dog, an added bonus was the fact that he ate very little, and of course, that also meant that his poops were so tiny and easy to clean up.<br><br>There were, however, a few issues with Charlie, in general. I personally didn't see them as "deal breakers", but perhaps they would be to other individuals considering adopting a Shih Tzu. <br><br>Since Charlie was from the SPCA and had been found as a stray, he had no previous health record. Well, after the first veterinary appointment, it was deduced that he must have been a "puppy mill" dog, as unfortunately, this is extremely common where I'm from in Montreal (Quebec, Canada), and sadly it is still technically legal here. You see, Charlie was diagnosed with severe bilateral hip dysplasia, a case so advanced that his vet was shocked at how he was still walking. It's pretty sad, considering it was only 2 years old (give or take). <br><br>So, all this to say that health-wise, Charlie came with some real issues. Interestingly, he never did require any surgery, since his vet told us that his musculature was so strong and he showed no visible signs of pain whatsoever, that she just didn't recommend it. Of course, later on in his senior years, he did develop trouble walking, but at that point he was too old to undergo surgery, so we just kept him as comfortable as possible with pain medication.<br><br>Aside from that health issue, he was an awesome dog. I would recommend Shih Tzus wholeheartedly, especially as a companion pet for older or senior adults. Charlie was excellent with adults, yet was uncomfortable around kids who kept wanting to pick him up. He would often lose patience and give warning barks, and at times, warning snaps as well. He wasn't an annoying barker, but did bark at loud noises, and when the doorbell rang. This made for quite the guard dog, and it was really funny watching him strut around like he was a big, tough dog, as I'm pretty sure that's exactly what he thought he was!<br><br>Shih Tzus make the perfect companion pet for older children and adults, but do make sure younger kids are careful. They may look like fun toys, but they can bite!){kind=link}
, and playing fetch (well, because she's a retriever, of course!). Not only did she love retrieving sticks and balls, but she also liked to dig and root around, and would often find some tree root or branch to happily drag back and forth. <br><br>Unfortunately, since Bella was purchased from a pet store as an uncertified purebred dog (meaning, without any breeding papers), it quickly became obvious to us that her unclear background would be a big problem. She developed an ongoing list of health issues from the moment we purchased her. Sadly, Bella was only 12 months old when she underwent her first complete hip replacement, and later on, was 3 years old with her second replacement. Her hips were a constant issue, but we always tried our best to ensure she had the best treatment available.<br><br>The Overall Big Picture: The Pros and Cons of Goldens<br><br>Honestly, I'm having trouble coming up with a Con list. Bella was an absolute angel. She was so sweet and docile, attentive and loving. She was the ultimate family dog, and my kids just climbed on top of her mercilessly like she was an amusement park ride. They all adored her and loved to hug and caress her. If for any reason she didn't like what they were doing, she would simply get up and leave. No snapping, biting or barking. Even her play nipping and biting were super gentle. <br><br>And the Cons? Well, if I had to name one, I guess it would be the constant obsession with water and mud. Bella would make a straight line directly to any liquidy substance, clean or not. Let's just say, it made for a lot of muddy messes.<br><br>In the end, if you want "the perfect family dog", go for the Golden. You will NOT be disappointed.){kind=link}
![](https://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://rightdog.com/Thumbnail/BreedReviewsPhotos/862016_11214171827873DogBreed_Maya.jpg&media=https://rightdog.com/Thumbnail/BreedReviewsPhotos/862016_11214171827873DogBreed_Maya.jpg&description=Our sweet and gentle dog Maya thinks she's a lap dog. Here's the thing... she weighs 120 lbs! Although she is now, technically, a larger "medium-sized" dog, she wasn't always quite so big. Maya came into our lives some 10 years or so ago, and was originally named Nanook. But since, as luck would have it, we already had a dog named Nanook, who was actually a huge Siberian Husky, we decided to rename her, and chose a name that we felt aptly described her honey-sweet character. <br><br>At 12 months of age, Maya had already been rehomed twice before us, and truthfully, we had no intention of keeping her when he noticed our neighbor was repeatedly kicking her out of the house. But, once we took her in, with the good-hearted intention of finding her a loving home, we fell in love instead and decided to add her to our growing dog family.<br><br>At the time, Maya was already a good-sized "older puppy" weighing in at 70 lbs, this being at around 12 months of age. But, I'd say over the course of 2 years, she managed to gain muscle mass, and not necessarily height and length, per se. So, at around 3 or so years of age, she was approximately 90 lbs., and was an extremely fit and agile dog. In her later years, as she is a senior now, unfortunately, with the decrease in physical activity and general "settling down" of her demeanor, Maya has managed to grow into a relatively round 120 lbs (not-so-very) lap dog.<br><br>The Pros and Cons of Our Playful Pup:<br><br>In all truth, our Maya is an absolute sweetheart. Surprisingly, many people are initially afraid of approaching her, not simply because of her large size, but also because of her strong Rottweiler-type head/jaw shape. However, as I have told countless people, Maya is without a doubt such an incredibly gentle, family-friendly dog. I have witnessed time and time again how laid-back and gentle she is with our kids. How many times have I seen my little ones pull her tail, poke her in the eye, climb on top of her and try to ride her like a pony, or stick their hands into her food bowl while she's eating? I've lost count! As well, she has absolutely no issues at all sharing her space with other pets, as I am specifically referring to cats, dogs, or guinea pigs. She gets along with all creatures, great and small. If you're looking for an amazingly affectionate, kid-friendly dog, look no further! <br><br>However, having said all of these wonderful things about our loving Maya, I do have to add a few additional informative pointers. Although I have to say that, overall, she is not a constantly-crazed barking dog, she does seem to have a naturally ingrained territorial tendency to defend the house. Is this a deal-breaker for me? Absolutely not! In fact, there have been times where I have been home alone with the kids in the middle of the night, and Maya's ears have perked up and she started to growl, all to inform me that "someone" or "something" was potentially too close to the house. She is the best home alarm anyone could have, and naturally protects the house against anyone who "doesn't belong there." <br><br>Lastly, I think people should really take into account the potential size that these dogs can grow to be. The main reason we ended up with Maya is because the two previous owners were simply not equipped, or truly willing, to deal with a breed that, not only grows to be quite large, but also requires regular exercise. Now, it may not seem surprising to many people that they actually need to walk their dog. However, when you take into account the specific type of breed Maya is, you need to fully appreciate her daily exercise requirements. Not only does she need to be walked several times a day, but, she also requires regularly scheduled agility-type running time. These are dogs full of energy, and they positively need an output for that energy.){kind=link}