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Old 11-16-2009, 05:22 PM   #1
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In the next week or so, our house will have a new Yorkie addition. Because of his past circumstances, I am worried about how he will adjust and am looking for some advice - and probably some reassurance, to be honest.

Zachary belonged to my aunt, who has been very ill for the last year and who spent the last couple of months in Hospice Care. He was everything to her, and she to him. He refused to leave her side to do more than eat and do his business for the past few months and has suffered for it. He has skin allergies that have not been tended to, is no longer house trained (he now uses puppy pads instead), has lacked true attention as he gave all his energy to a dying woman.

My Aunt Lorraine passed away this morning. I will miss her horribly. It was her wish that Zachary come to live with us, as she knew we would love and care for him as she had when she was able to do so as he deserved.

Zachary is a teacup Yorkie, 4-5 years old, and in desperate need of love and rehab. We know he needs treatment for his skin allergies, as the last time we saw him (last month, as Lorraine lives in another state) he was missing over half his fur, but stubbornly refused to be taken anywhere away from Lorraine. He needs vaccinations, grooming...so many things.

He is coming into a home with 2 adults, a teenaged boy who is experienced with dogs, and an 11 year old girl who he seemed to take well to when we visited with Lorraine. We also have a 3 year old female (spayed) German Shepherd with a fantastic temperament and a 1.5 year old male (neutered) Rat Terrier with some fear issues that we are currently addressing. Zach is used to being with a number of Pomeranians, and has stayed with 3 large dogs (unsure of the breed) during Lorraine's care.

I have traditionally lived with large dogs and Ripley (our Rattie) is my first experience with smaller breeds. I adore him and we are doing well, especially since I am disabled and no longer able to train large dogs. The thought of a dog as small as Zachary almost scares me, though! I am hoping that the adjustment goes as smoothly as it did with Ripley.

If anyone has suggestions as to things I can do to prepare our home for Zach, it would be much appreciated. I know he will be in mourning for his person, which I have never dealt with. What do I look for and what can I do for him? Is there anything special I should know when it comes to training or feeding when it comes to Yorkies? Is there anything I haven't mentioned that I should address?

I just feel more than a bit lost at the moment.

Thank you in advance.

Barb
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Old 11-16-2009, 05:29 PM   #2
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I have no advice, and no experiece with your difficult situation.

I just wanted to say God bless you for taking on this responsibility and Wish you luck.

Just keep coming back here for support and advice.
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Old 11-16-2009, 07:23 PM   #3
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I want to, first and foremost, say I am so sorry for your loss!

I have a small piece of advice for you. I think the most common mistake that new dog owners make when taking in either a rescue dog or a dog from a situation such as yours... is that they tend to completely dote on the dog, give lots of affection and love and "feel sorry" for the dog. But I highly believe that dogs do not live in the past, or the future, but in the now/present. Yes, dogs grieve and it will take time. But I wouldn't dwell on it. He is going to have a great life with you! If you haven't got him yet, the first thing I would do when you get him... take him on a nice walk, just you and him and establish yourself as his "leader", his new friend, his new owner .... okay, I'm sounding incredibly repetitive of the Dog Whisperer (National Geographic Channel). I think I watch his show too much. But his main "guideline" you could say is Exercise, Discipline, Affection, in that order and I truly believe in that. If you follow that, you're one step above most dog owners in America! Small dogs often get "small dog syndrome" because they're tiny and cute and people let them get away with things. Anything you wouldn't let your GSD do, don't let your Yorkie do either

Hmm, as for Is there anything special I should know when it comes to training or feeding when it comes to Yorkies? Yorkies are prone to tracheal collapse and should only be walked in a harness, NOT a collar. I didn't know of this until joining this site. Some Yorkies have sensitive stomachs it seems like, but of course not all. Yorkies are true terriers (well, most of them, not all of course!) and are not always the little lap dogs people perceive them to be. They still need exercise and need to burn off their energy.

I wish you the best and hope to see ya around here!
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Last edited by Britster; 11-16-2009 at 07:25 PM.
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Old 11-16-2009, 07:46 PM   #4
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I am sorry for the loss of your Aunt. That is great you are taking her baby in to your home. I don't have any advice, but my best friend just brought home a 4 year old Cavalier to her home where she has a 7 year old Cavalier. The breeder told her the dog was not getting along with her show dogs and was peeing on the bed because she was kept away from the others. My girlfriend has had her about a month now and she has had no problems with Penny. She said she is the best dog, so I think most dogs given love and attention will make the adjustment given a little time. Please keep us posted.
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Old 11-16-2009, 10:58 PM   #5
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Thanks so much.

Found out that the funeral is Thursday afternoon, so we will be leaving for Florida (we are in SC) that morning and back Friday afternoon. I will be making a vet appointment for Zachary for Saturday. I want to be sure he has all his shots, a microchip, and has his skin taken care of, along with anything else that might be wrong.

I found out that Zach has no leash experience. I appreciate the info on trachea collapse. We use Gentle Leaders, so I hope I can convince him into one. I don't know if anyone remembers what treats he likes, so will be taking our dogs' favorites with us. (Our kiddos are going to the boarders for the trip.) Hopefully the treats will help get him used to the Leader, which will avoid any pressure on his neck. (So, first stop, PetSmart for Leader, leash, and a sweater, since it's definitely cooler here than in FL!)

I have always been a "big dog" person, until our Rat Terrier. Our Rattie has been a wonderful education for me. I am hoping that he and Zachary get along well, at least within the first few days, anyway, and that "pack walks" will help Zachary feel more at home and find his place. I also hope that Ripley (my Rattie) helps temper my urge to baby Zachary through his transition, as I think that will be the hardest part for me.

I just want to do the best I can for Zachary - for Lorraine, and for the little guy. He's been through so much and we're both going to missing his mom.
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Old 11-17-2009, 06:59 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Britster View Post
I want to, first and foremost, say I am so sorry for your loss!

I have a small piece of advice for you. I think the most common mistake that new dog owners make when taking in either a rescue dog or a dog from a situation such as yours... is that they tend to completely dote on the dog, give lots of affection and love and "feel sorry" for the dog. But I highly believe that dogs do not live in the past, or the future, but in the now/present. Yes, dogs grieve and it will take time. But I wouldn't dwell on it. He is going to have a great life with you! If you haven't got him yet, the first thing I would do when you get him... take him on a nice walk, just you and him and establish yourself as his "leader", his new friend, his new owner .... okay, I'm sounding incredibly repetitive of the Dog Whisperer (National Geographic Channel). I think I watch his show too much. But his main "guideline" you could say is Exercise, Discipline, Affection, in that order and I truly believe in that. If you follow that, you're one step above most dog owners in America! Small dogs often get "small dog syndrome" because they're tiny and cute and people let them get away with things. Anything you wouldn't let your GSD do, don't let your Yorkie do either

Hmm, as for Is there anything special I should know when it comes to training or feeding when it comes to Yorkies? Yorkies are prone to tracheal collapse and should only be walked in a harness, NOT a collar. I didn't know of this until joining this site. Some Yorkies have sensitive stomachs it seems like, but of course not all. Yorkies are true terriers (well, most of them, not all of course!) and are not always the little lap dogs people perceive them to be. They still need exercise and need to burn off their energy.

I wish you the best and hope to see ya around here!
Good post
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Old 11-21-2009, 08:10 AM   #7
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We brought Zachary home yesterday evening. What a mess the poor guy is! But a trooper, too!

It was a 4 hour car ride back to Charleston, and he did very well. We couldn't get him to eat or drink on the way, but I kind of expected that. We got him home and left him with our teenager, as our younger kiddo had an appointment, then we had to pick up our other 2 dogs at the boarding kennel.

We introduced the dogs one at a time. Our Rat Terrier, Ripley, tends to be shy, so we introduced him first. They seemed to do well and even played a bit, tentatively, after a while.

Zachary was a different story with Maia, our GSD, though. We had been told that he was used to large dogs. However, he is afraid of her on sight, even though she approaches him slowly and is very careful. Zach shows his teeth to her immediately and will growl, yap, and rush her if she get close to him. Maia is very frustrated at this point, and we are trying to keep her calm and comforted. Since this worked with Maia, he also used it with Ripley, who is now thoroughly intimidated. We are soothing Rip's hurt feelings - he had thought he'd found a friend. We are hoping they work it out in the long run.

We actually got Zachary to eat last night! Granted, it was almost 11pm and because he really wanted potato chips, but we got him to eat real dog food! I hadn't expected him to want to eat so soon after all he had been through. (Apparently, they have had him eating Pedigree and Kibbles & Bits dry food *shudder*)

Took him to the vet this morning. He has a fungal infection, a full-blown skin infection, an ear infection, his teeth are horrible, and he has flea issues...but...he has no internal parasites of any kind. So now he has a medicated shampoo, a couple different anti-biotics, ear drops, an ear wash, and, of course, flea and heart worm meds. Poor kid! I would be cranky, too!

I have a picture of him posted to my FB here: Zachary (should be viewable by everyone, with or without a Facebook page) We are gong to hold off on taking him to the groomer until his skin is better.

I am so glad he is home, and am looking forward to him feeling better and all the dogs starting to build some sort of relationship.

Thanks for the kind words and encouragement!
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Old 11-21-2009, 06:18 PM   #8
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I'm so glad you've got him home!

I'm sure once he gets used to you all, things will settle.

Good luck!
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Old 11-21-2009, 06:30 PM   #9
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I have spent the past 4 months trying to get my two girls from tolerating eachother to actually enjoying eachother's company. In another recent post I mentioned they are lovin eachother since thier trip to the groomer.

Also, I took them on walks together a lot recently. These walks have been away from the house so they can bond on neutral territory.
Bless you heart for taking him in and he is adorable!
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Old 11-22-2009, 10:02 AM   #10
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Thanks guys.

I am hoping that Zachary's issue with Maia (our GSD) stems from size and he will get used to her. So far, no change. He's faster, and Maia has suffered a small bite to the nose! However, he and Ripley are doing better, even lying on the couch near each other. (I wonder how much Ripley's uneasiness has to do with Zach's odd smell from his infection, though. It was after Zach's bath that Ripley was easier with him.)

Zach has started marking as he walks away from the food and water bowls, so we have to catch him at it and address it. Maybe his own smaller bowls in another location so he doesn't feel threatened?
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