Getting a 5 year old Yorkie

[bpearce]

Hi. This is my first post. I owned a Jack Russell for 15 years and he died in May. I decided I wanted a smaller dog hopefully one that would love to lounge on my lap. The breeder I have talked to told me about a situation where a couple have lost their jobs and are having to move. They can't take their 5 year old Cody with them. I am going to go and look at him tonight. My question is this. How hard will it be to break any habits he might have and get him accoustomed to us? My husband & I work so I thought this might be a good thing if he is housebroken. Your thoughts please.

[chachi]

I would get him. A 5 yr old dog is still very trainable

[mkbartz]

Hi Congrats! I hope your new bundle of joy works out!

I got my two yorkies as adults--and I am so happy that I did.

Here is what worked really well for me:

Get a dog kennel to keep your puppy in while you are not at home. That keeps him safe and gives you peace of mind. You never know how the dog will react being in a new place. One of my dogs wasn't a big fan of it when we first started it--but after a few weeks it became her special place that she goes to when people or her fur sister annoys her (we leave the door to the kennel open when we are home).

Give him a few weeks to adjust. If there are any issues that you can identify, have a dog trainer come in and help you. They really aren't expensive and are REALLY worth the money.

You could post something on here seeing if anybody in your specific area has a trainer they could recommend. Also, you vet may have some suggestions

Don't forget to post, post, post on here. The lovely people on here have lots of helpful thoughts.

Good luck, Congrats Again, and Happy New Year!

Kate

[Ladymom]

I adopted Lady at 4.5 years old and it was a great age. Expect that he will need a potty training refresher as most do when they are rehomed. Just treat him like a puppy and take him out (or to his pads) on schedule and praise and treat when he goes. Don't leave him unsupervised and give him a chance to go in the wrong place or it will make it harder to train him.

I highly recommend this book. Many rescue groups give it to new adoptees. I got it when I adopted Lady and it was very helpful.

Amazon.com: Second-Hand Dog: How to Turn Yours...

[tallulahsmom]

First off, let me welcome you to the site! This is one of the best sites ever simply becasue you can get help with any issue, which is great if your considering adopting. I would get him if you can devote a lot of your time and attention to him when your home-atleast for the first little while. We just adopted a five year old yorkie named Tallulah and she has been great. However, she was piddle pad trained at her old house but since coming here she has been peeing in the house. We are home all day so we opted for the pad and have been trying to get her re-trained. Turns out evern if they are trained in one home doesn't mean they will be trained in a new one- simply because it's a new environment. But he should catch on quickly.A few tips: don't let him roam the house on his own, we have been leashing Talu to us and that works great. This way they won't pee/poop in the house. I would recommend kennel training him since your gone during the day. In the back of the kennel put a pad or newspaper down so he knows that is where he goes- they won't go where they sleep so the two areas need to be seperate.

Be very patient with him because everything is new to him and you too. As time passes you will all get to know each other very well and things will get easier. But in my opinion sometimes adopting an adult yorkie is better than a puppy in the sense that they are more settled- but it depends on the previous situation of the dog too. It sounds like that is what you are looking for so I would go for it. We love our Tallulah and are very happy we got her. I would highly recommend adopting an adult dog- it's been great for us!

[MollysMum54]

Molly was 2 years old when i adopted her, and we had no real problems. She settled in well very quickly. I did lots of walks to wear her out when she was at home, and apart from a few times when she weed in the house,everything has been good. I cant imagine life without her now.
I adopted a 10 year old collie/whippet cross before molly and she settled in amazingly well too. There is something very special about adopting an oldie. sadly i only had her for just over 4 years, but i know those years were some of her best, as she had been abused and in and out of kennels all her life.
i hope you decide to adopt the little boy and look forward to seeing some pics.

[princesselle]

Originally Posted by bpearce

Hi. This is my first post. I owned a Jack Russell for 15 years and he died in May. I decided I wanted a smaller dog hopefully one that would love to lounge on my lap. The breeder I have talked to told me about a situation where a couple have lost their jobs and are having to move. They can't take their 5 year old Cody with them. I am going to go and look at him tonight. My question is this. How hard will it be to break any habits he might have and get him accoustomed to us? My husband & I work so I thought this might be a good thing if he is housebroken. Your thoughts please.

The saying "you can't teach an old dog new tricks" isn't true. It is great to get an older dog if you don't want to house break them because I have learned with my own it is hard to do so. All dogs love treats so I'm sure he will be a great learner.

[yavenay]

Welcome to YT

I adopted a 7 yr old yorkie and while I wouldn't trade her for the world, the one thing that caught me off guard was her vet bills when I first got her.....more specifically her teeth and shots. I don't know what the situation is for the yorkie you are adopting but as with any dog young or old....there's always a chance they will need some medical attention.

If your dog was well cared for, chances are she will be okay. My yorkie was neglected so most of her teeth had to be pulled. She only has her front teeth but that doesn't stop her from eating like a horse .

She also is still not fully housetrained but she is getting there. We hit a major miles stone last night. For two nights in a row, she got up and used the pee pad. I am hoping she is finally getting it. Usually its a hit or miss kinda of thing. But she has never used it twice in a row. I am keeping my fingers crossed. Other than the housetraining, she is a very well-behaved yorkie. She is somewhat settle in that she is very laid back and is more of a couch patato like her mommy. I still haven't gotten her to play with toys...this maybe due to being caged most of her life but we do manage to get in a game of tag. Heck even my cat joins in on that.

For the most part....having her has been extremely rewarding. She has the cutest little face that melts my heart every time I look at her. What is it about yorkies that we love so much? Is it their face? Who know what it is but she has certainly capture my heart.

[Deegan's mom]

Just wanted to congratulate you on the new pooch. I'm sure you'll do great training her to obey the rules of the new home... just be patient and persistent. She'll do just fine with some tender loving care!

[bpearce]

I want to thank everyone that has responded and all the encouragement you've given me. We go and meet him tonight. I can't wait. Your answers have given me a lot of confidence. I just miss having a 4 legged family member so much. I'll keep you posted.

Brenda

[Deegan's mom]

Originally Posted by Deegan's mom

Just wanted to congratulate you on the new pooch. I'm sure you'll do great training her to obey the rules of the new home... just be patient and persistent. She'll do just fine with some tender loving care!

Oh geezz... aparently I didn't read properly or I was thinking about some other post... I realize now that it's a boy and not a girl - my bad.