Almost New Yorkie Owner

[Elton20]

I am kinda new to this forum so bare with me. I am going to be getting a female teacup yorkie at only 2 pounds at 11 weeks. Problem is that the seller is on vacation and I don't want my new puppy shipped so I may go to another breeder with a 13 week old yorkie at 3 pounds. If I get either I will be using a PTPA(Potty Training Puppy Apartment Modern Puppies - Potty Training a Puppy because I want my yorkie to mostly we an indoor dog and only out for walks and maybe vacation in 4 months. I don't have carpet I have hard wood floor so I am aware if I drop it it may injure the puppy. I just need to know about the vaccination and immunization schedule and what is a recommended brand of dog food for the puppy and what to switch to when the yorkie is an adult. I know to feed the puppy 3 times a day and keep water readily available at all times. I know to keep all hazardous materials out of reach and the kitchen off limits. One of the main reasons I want my puppy to be an indoor puppy is because my dad is a car mechanic and he has a BUNCH of poisonous liquids in the garage so the garage is off limits as well. I also want to know how often should I let the puppy loose in the house after I'm home from school. My grandparents are home all day long but I don't want the dog out the whole day. I'll keep her in the PTPA at night and in the morning and until I get home. I will be the main carer for the puppy. We have 7 people in the house. One 7 year old, one 11 year old, one 13 year old and the rest are adults. My mom has allergies so I knew a yorkie would be great for her. I was going to decide on a maltese but I found out they were hard to keep nice looking. So please I just want all my questions answered before I get a yorkie. I have done all my research and know how to take care of yorkies but I just don't know about the shot and what kind of food to give to the puppy. And one more question, how do you search for discussions?

[Ahis_Mama]

Hi and welcome to YT. Not to rain on your parade but there are no such thing as a teacup Yorkie. It's just a label. The Yorkie you seem to be getting is a normal size. I've heard and seen smaller on here and my Ahi is 12 1/2 weeks old and is only 1lb. 4oz. I wish she was 2lbs. They say less health problems when bigger or normal sized.

For the shots you need to take her to a Vet and they can answer all of your questions. And give you a schedule for all of her vaccinations. Food wise there are a lot of choices and it seems like with the Yorkie it varies. Don't worry about adult food yet. You need to make sure that you can afford everything that goes along with owning a Yorkie. Or that your parents can afford it. I hope they know what they are in for.

If you have other questions you can just ask or to do a search on here just click the search tab and type in the key words you are looking for.

As for letting your dog "out" in the house it varies but I run a daycare out of my home and as soon as all the kids are gone. I clean very very well and she has full run of the house for the rest of the day and night. To me Yorkies aren't one of those dogs where you can just play with for a few minutes and then ignore.
I hope you really did your research because this is a huge responsibility and huge commitment.
Others might say different but this is my opinion.
Good luck with your Yorkie.

[Elton20]

Well I know that a teacup is just a label. And yes I am ready for this commitment and responsibility. I also can afford any kind of food out there in those pet stores and grocery stores. Price is not an option. Thanks

[Ahis_Mama]

Originally Posted by Elton20

Well I know that a teacup is just a label. And yes I am ready for this commitment and responsibility. I also can afford any kind of food out there in those pet stores and grocery stores. Price is not an option. Thanks

Lucky you!

If possible please check out the breeder that you are buying from to make sure they aren't a puppy mill or back yard breeder. That way you can see the health of the puppies and the health of the parents.

[Yorkielover0102]

to YorkieTalk!!!
I have heard of the Potty Training Puppy Apartment too. I personally like it. (Some on here dont think so) But some of your questions should be answered here:
http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/gen...w-parents.html
or
http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/gen...tions-faq.html

[DvlshAngel985]

Welcome to YT! I'm all for confinement until they know where to potty. It makes things easier on them and you. I like x-pens better, but that's a matter of preference. Just make sure to give him/her lots of supervised attention.

If you haven't chosen a puppy yet, please leave the puppy out of the equation, and focus on the breeder. Buy your breeder first, then the puppy. All puppies are cute and can steal your heart in an instant. There are so many things you want in a breeder. The number one thing you want, is unlimited support for you and the puppy for the rest of the pup's life. You don't want someone who will disappear as soon as the sale is over. A few key things you might want to keep in mind, you want a breeder:
-who keeps the puppy until at least 12 weeks old
-does genetic testing on their dam and sire
-knows her dogs lines for a few generations back
-if they claim "champions" in the backgrounds, it better be mom and dad. Anything farther back really is nothing more than a gimmic to get people to buy (in my opinion)

I hope you take the time to really research the breeder. Good luck on your search!!!

[AbbysMom08]

Welcome to Yorkie Talk.
You will find a lot of very helpful, knowledgeable and caring people here.
Good luck on your search for your furbaby.

[Tina21]

Hello and welcome to YT This is a wonderful forum with terrific people, I just joined not too long ago and I have been so impressed by everyones kindness. I'm sure your going to find it just as helpful as I have

I'm so glad that you are taking the time to get information before getting a yorkie too often people dont. Yorkies are a wonderful breed but can be high maintainance with specific needs. Toys breeds are difficult to housetrain and Yorkies are also quite stubborn It's good to know what you can truly expect.

When I brought Chloe home I continued with the brand of food the breeder was using. When you switch dog foods it can be stressful to their digestive system. If you do decide to switch, the best way is to slowly change over to the new food. Chloe was on Royal Canin which she one day refused. She is now on Nutro small bites and doing well. When she was a puppy I also gave her nutri-cal, a vitamin suppliment each day. Young puppies need a great deal of nutrition and yorkies in particular. One of the possible dangers for a young yorkie is hypoglycemia. This is when blood sugar levels drop. It is a good idea to have some honey on hand should this happen.

If you dont have a vet picked out ask friends with dogs if they have any recommendations. You will want to take your puppy to the vet within 48 hours of picking him/her up. A reputable breeder will allow you to have your little one checked for any health problems and if any are found will take the puppy back. If everything checks out and your little one is healthy the vet will then tell you what vaccinations are needed and when. I suggest purchasing a puppy plan. Most vets offer a package that will include all needles, deworming, exams and spaying or neutering etc. The package is much cheaper than all of these services purchased seperately. Also it is very important to take care of their dental health (yorkies are known for having dental issues). Get your little one used to having their teeth brushed. Even with diligent brushing every second day, my little girl has to go in to have 3 baby teeth removed (she is two) and her teeth cleaned. The cost for this isnt cheap

I did have some questions and concerns after reading your post. You mentioned that you are planning on keeping the puppy crated during the night as well as when you are in school. Would that mean the puppy would be in the crate all night and all day? I'm not sure how long you are in school each day but if you are a fulltime student that could mean being crated as long as 14-16 hours daily. Dogs do not do well on their own as they are social animals and suffer very high stress if left on their own. I am of course only assuming as I dont have all of the information.

Also I hope that you dont take offense by the question as I would never want to make anyone feel insulted. I am only asking as there wasnt much info in your post about how much time you would be able to commit to a new fur-baby or if anyone else in the family has offered to help out. Chloe was originally my DD's dog and I spent alot of time helping with her.

Another thing to consider. Chloe did not tolerate the crate well AT ALL! She hated it and would wail for HOURS. My DD bought the same type of crate as you are planning on getting. We tried with no success to get her to adjust. We followed all of the recommendations and did so for almost a month. I honestly gave up. Putting her through all of that just wasnt worth it. Crate training, like everything else with a puppy takes a huge amount of time and patience. From someone who has kids and dogs believe me when I tell you puppies are ALOT of work. Well worth the work mind you but work none the less. You may find that like me crate training doesnt work out as well as you had planned. Plus these dogs are excellent at manipulating their "mommies"

You had asked how often should you let the puppy loose once you are home. When your home take the puppy out. He or she will need a great deal of play time. If the puppy has been in the crate all day I wouldn't put him back in until bed. S/he going to want and need to play as much as possible.

You mentioned that your grandparents are home all day but that you didnt want the pup out all day. Have you asked if they would be interested in taking him or her out for a "crate break" I have two dogs and the bigger of the two NEVER had the energy of my yorkie. As you have done alot of research you probably know that yorkies are a working breed and as such need a HUGE amount of exersize. Thankfully as they are small much of that can be acommplished at home.

Again I hope that my questions were not off putting. I am hoping that I have been able to offer you some good advice and give you a bit of first hand information on owning a yorkie. I have never loved a dog the way I love Chloe ( thank God my other dog doesnt know LOL) and that is a testiment to how wonderful they are. On the other hand I have had dogs all of my life and I have never had a dog that was as challenging to care for.

Take care and again WELCOME

Tina

[Teresa Ford]

Welcome to YT. We are happy to have you. You will find a huge amount of information and lots of opinions about things. Some of us are pet owners, breeders, trainers, show handlers, Vet tec.s, Rescue workers and professionals in other animal fields. So usualy any question you might have, has been asked before, and there are threads about it, this is great for a new Yorkie owner. You will find excellent support and some very caring people here. Try not to get offended if someone is blunt and to the point about something. Not all of us are chatty and huggy. My Best Advice is find a good breeder and a good Veterinarian. Just doing this will save you heart ache, money,and many mistakes. Check with the YTCA (Yorkshire Terrier Club of America) for a local breeder. Ask local members who they use for their Vet. Hugs from a OSU Buckeye Fan ( I went to school there ) Teresa and my just right Yorkies Rubin, Gracie, Ginny Joy, and Abba Boy.

[gemy]

Originally Posted by Elton20

I am kinda new to this forum so bare with me. I am going to be getting a female teacup yorkie at only 2 pounds at 11 weeks. Problem is that the seller is on vacation and I don't want my new puppy shipped so I may go to another breeder with a 13 week old yorkie at 3 pounds. If I get either I will be using a PTPA(Potty Training Puppy Apartment Modern Puppies - Potty Training a Puppy because I want my yorkie to mostly we an indoor dog and only out for walks and maybe vacation in 4 months. I don't have carpet I have hard wood floor so I am aware if I drop it it may injure the puppy. I just need to know about the vaccination and immunization schedule and what is a recommended brand of dog food for the puppy and what to switch to when the yorkie is an adult. I know to feed the puppy 3 times a day and keep water readily available at all times. I know to keep all hazardous materials out of reach and the kitchen off limits. One of the main reasons I want my puppy to be an indoor puppy is because my dad is a car mechanic and he has a BUNCH of poisonous liquids in the garage so the garage is off limits as well. I also want to know how often should I let the puppy loose in the house after I'm home from school. My grandparents are home all day long but I don't want the dog out the whole day. I'll keep her in the PTPA at night and in the morning and until I get home. I will be the main carer for the puppy. We have 7 people in the house. One 7 year old, one 11 year old, one 13 year old and the rest are adults. My mom has allergies so I knew a yorkie would be great for her. I was going to decide on a maltese but I found out they were hard to keep nice looking. So please I just want all my questions answered before I get a yorkie. I have done all my research and know how to take care of yorkies but I just don't know about the shot and what kind of food to give to the puppy. And one more question, how do you search for discussions?

The YT Library here has some wonderful informative, articles, one on how to choose/find a reputable breeder. They also have a great article on vaccination protocols.

I would also support prior posters very wise advice to search and "buy" your breeder first. There is no hurry, get on a waiting list if necessary.

KNow this a very good breeder will not let a pup go prior to 12wks of age and 2 pounds. You need both before the breeder will be ready to let her/his pup be adopted out.

Yorkies in general are active, inquistive dogs, with a huge need and love to be with their owners. They need both mental and physical stimulation, every day. So it would not be advisable to keep your pup in a play pen for over 16 hours a day, every day. If you can come home at lunch, or conversely if grandma/pa, is willing to play with the pup several times for 10-15 minutes or so while you are away at school, that would be great. When the pups are young, 15minutes or so several times a day, then some quiet time is preferred to one hour gungho at a time.

Health concerns, in the article I referred you to, there are some listed, as well as what you can expect from a good breeder, if there is a problem. A good breeder would never insist you return the pup, instead maybe an offer to refund partial or full purchase price dependent upon the condition, or be willing to take back the pup. A good breeder will always be willing to take back the dog if somehow your circumstances change and you can no longer keep the pup.
Now as an informed purchaser, understanding that no matter the best of breeding, sometimes a problem does occur. Are you willing to bear the financial burden of surgery for Luxating Patella(s), FHO, kidney or thryoid disease, LiverShunt surgery? These surgeries easily can cost much more than the purchase price of your pup.

Dentals as another poster indicated, Yorkies are prone to gum/tooth disease. They require regular care by you, teeth cleaning, and quite frequently will need to go into the vet to have a dental cleaning done. Maybe every 2 perhaps 3 yrs? Prices seem to vary for this quite a lot, best to find out from your vet what kind of pricing you may be looking at.

Finally, I wish you the best of luck in finding the right breeder, and the joy one day of being owned by a Yorkie