I prefer you http://yorkie-breeders.com for buying puppies. They are providing an extensive list of puppies from reputable breeders located throughout the US. Yorkie Breeders all the puppies are family-raised and socialized to ensure that they are well-adjusted and suitable for your home.
Yorkshire Terriers are a good breed to possibly start with as they do not shed like dogs normally do, as their hair is more similar to human hair in that strands fall out from time to time, but not constantly. They are also very sweet and tend to thrive off of attention, and the ones I’ve had have always been social eaters, as in they won’t really want to eat unless almost everyone else is sitting down to eat.
A few suggestions though would be to be careful not to drop them if you carry them, or handle them too roughly, as with most little dogs they are a bit fragile in that sense, and if you plan on house training do not overly scold them for accidents in the house when they are little, as they are like babies, if you yell at a baby for peeing all it will do is feel bad and cry, it will not understand why you are mad though. Scold once or twice, let them go outside to finish their business, then praise them if they did anything outside. Because even a baby will try to repeat what they got praised for, even if they don’t understand why.
But overall a great dog. They are small, so space and food needed for care is minimal compared to bigger dogs, they don’t shed, keeping cleaning time down, and as long as you get them from a reputable breeder, a very healthy dog that will love you and your family.
The only one who can say what breed of dog is right for your family is you. Every breed has a different general temperament, health issues, energy level, and so on. Research any breed you consider before getting one to be sure you can handle them. Every dog is an individual, just like people, but every breed has a general temperament you can use to look at breeds you may want, and breeds can be broken down into several categories. I’d suggest you read through the categories below and see what might work best with your lifestyle, and research from there.
Hunting Dogs – Hunting breeds are dogs like Pointers, Hounds (Bloodhounds, Coonhounds, Beagles, Basset Hounds), Brittanies, and Setters. They tend to be high-energy, playful, and intelligent, but often also stubborn and not always great with other dogs. They can be very sweet family dogs but many hunting dogs I’ve known have also been fairly nervous in nature, so it’s best to be extra careful with them and children until they’re comfortable. Hunting dogs are extremely high-energy and need lots of mental and physical exercise. You will need to take them for runs, give them tons of toys to plays with, and actively spend lots of time playing and training. Puzzles are great for them. Many hounds are prone to ear infections, and have a special kind of bark called baying that some people don’t like. Be sure you know how to care for a dog with an ear infection and can stand hearing baying before you commit to one.
Herding Dogs – Herding breeds are dogs like Border Collies, Shepherds, Sheepdogs, Heelers, Cattle Dogs, and Collies. They are bred for working with livestock and tend to be high-energy with lots of endurance, very intelligent, and loyal. They bond very closely with people but can be difficult to handle due to their temperament. Like with hunting dogs, they take a lot of exercise, physical and mental, to keep them out of trouble. Being the owner of an Australian Shepherd, I can tell you they can run for hours before they get worn out. A lot of herding dogs have a unique trait where they tend to focus very, very closely in on something and are very difficult to distract from it. They have a high work drive and do best if you give them a job. Even being trained to fetch your newspaper in the morning can do wonders for them. Health problems vary by breed, and many herding breeds take quite a bit of grooming, as they tend to have long, thick coats that need to be kept healthy.
Other Working Dogs – Aside from hunting and herding breeds there are many other dog breeds bred to do specific types of work. Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers, Huskies, Malamutes, Great Danes, St. Bernards, and others generally fall into this category. They are also very intelligent, but usually very gentle and loving. They range from low to high energy. Huskies in particular are known for being escape artists and very destructive if they aren’t given a job, and tend to be a little more independent than other breeds. Huskies were bred to pull sleds and run long distances (think sled dog teams), and their temperament is designed for that lifestyle. Without lots of training and physical exercise they can be a nightmare–however, they do great in groups of dogs and with an owner who understands them. Labs and Golden Retrievers are especially gentle and amazing with children, but as puppies can be incredibly playful and high-energy. They were bred to retrieve, hence their names, so fetch is a great way to get that energy out. As they get older, they tend to settle down quickly and become very sweet and tolerant dogs. Giant breeds (Great Danes, St. Bernards, Newfoundlands, etc.) are also very gentle and sweet dogs despite their size, and are usually medium-low-energy. They love people and are great with children as long as they’re taught early to be gentle with them, as they’ll forget how big they are fast as they grow up. The biggest concern with them is getting manners down while they’re little, before things like jumping up on people or pulling on a leash becomes a danger due to their size. Like herding breeds their health issues vary breed to breed, but giant breeds tend to have a much lower lifespan than other breeds, usually around 9 years.
Bully Breeds – Bully breeds like Pit Bulls, Bulldogs, Boxers, and Rottweilers have a bad reputation that is entirely undeserved. They are no more likely to be aggressive than any other breed, but can have a touchy temperament in some cases. Without being well socialized some tend to not like being around many other dogs. Many bully breeds were originally intended as guard dogs or nanny dogs to protect children so they bond very closely to their favorite people and can be very protective of them. Despite their reputation around children they can be some of the gentlest dogs you’ll find, and they’re very loving and playful in general. Bulldogs can have respiratory problems due to their squished noses, and have to be careful with exercise to avoid breathing problems.
Toy Dogs – Toy is the name given to a lot of small breeds, even if they aren’t super tiny. Chihuahuas, Yorkies and other small terriers, Pugs, Dachshunds, Shi Tzus, Poodles, Pomeranians are some of these. They tend to be lower on the energy spectrum than working breeds but it varies a lot dog to dog. These breeds are usually very sweet to people they’re familiar with and often prefer people to other dogs, but can have a yappy or feisty sort of disposition. Some are more intelligent than others. Breeds like Shi Tzus, some small spaniels like Cocker Spaniels, Pomeranians, and Chihuahuas are of lower intelligence but can still be very sweet and well-trained dogs. Many have health issues due to breeding for looks that are specific to breeds, such as respiratory and eye issues in dogs with shorter noses (Pugs, Boston Terriers) and back problems in long breeds like Dachshunds.
No matter what kind of dog you go with look for a responsible breeder or a rescue dog in need of a good home. Many pet shops that sell purebred puppies get them from puppy mills and you’ll end up with an inbred, sick puppy and support a terrible, abusive industry, so stay away unless the store is sponsoring rescue dogs (as many do now). Mixed breeds tend to have a more stable health and temperament than purebreds, but if you find a responsible breeder they will use genetic testing to eliminate as many genetic health problems as possible and make a point of socializing their puppies to get them on the best possible track for training, so either way has benefits. Good luck!