New to toy breed & yorkie world

[Stormyw2000]

I adopted a sweet little 3 yr old dog from my local shelter. I've had mini schnauzers for 31 yrs and know that breed inside & out. I went to the shelter to consider a schnauzer they had for adoption but I took a darling little mixed breed home. Consensus is that he's a yorkie maltese mix, but seems more yorkie. He looks like a yorkie with floppy ears. He's had a rough start. I think he was kept in a crate most of the time and was the victim of archaic training methods. (afraid of keys, loud voices, newspapers, & looked for a place to hide when he had an accident) He didn't know how to walk on a lead, he doesn't know how to play with toys, doesn't eat treats. In the six weeks I've had him, he's blossomed into a friendly, affectionate little friend. He's tiny - he weighs about 5 lbs. I'm used to rough & rugged 18 lb schnauzers. He has that terrier attitude that I love so much.

I want to give this little guy the best care possible. Does anyone have advice for food (he's on blue buffalo toy breed & my home made recipe developed for the schnauzers' to prevent bladder stones), obedience training, toys, harnesses, etc.? Are there health concerns I should watch for or can prevent? He has long silky hair. What are the best ways to care for it? Any advice will be appreciated.

The first thing I did was get a mesh harness - I know from meeting yorkie's in my travels they have delicate tracheae and collars aren't the best option.

[MY OSCAR]

Originally Posted by Stormyw2000

I adopted a sweet little 3 yr old dog from my local shelter. I've had mini schnauzers for 31 yrs and know that breed inside & out. I went to the shelter to consider a schnauzer they had for adoption but I took a darling little mixed breed home. Consensus is that he's a yorkie maltese mix, but seems more yorkie. He looks like a yorkie with floppy ears. He's had a rough start. I think he was kept in a crate most of the time and was the victim of archaic training methods. (afraid of keys, loud voices, newspapers, & looked for a place to hide when he had an accident) He didn't know how to walk on a lead, he doesn't know how to play with toys, doesn't eat treats. In the six weeks I've had him, he's blossomed into a friendly, affectionate little friend. He's tiny - he weighs about 5 lbs. I'm used to rough & rugged 18 lb schnauzers. He has that terrier attitude that I love so much.

I want to give this little guy the best care possible. Does anyone have advice for food (he's on blue buffalo toy breed & my home made recipe developed for the schnauzers' to prevent bladder stones), obedience training, toys, harnesses, etc.? Are there health concerns I should watch for or can prevent? He has long silky hair. What are the best ways to care for it? Any advice will be appreciated.

The first thing I did was get a mesh harness - I know from meeting yorkie's in my travels they have delicate tracheae and collars aren't the best option.

congrats & welcome..
well, it sounds like you are off to a great start.
the food you are feeding sounds perfect and the harness is the right way to go as well.
you already mentioned one serious health concern ,
the trachea. the other is luxating patella, i am sure you have heard of that one anyway. some yorkies are prone to tummy troubles and hypoglycemia/low blood sugar. just make sure he is eating regular meals.
as for the coat , yorkies usually require a bath weekly .
you can also find also this info and more in a good yorkie care book , most pet stores carry them.
you have come to the right place for advice on caring for your precious addition . there are lots of awesome yorkie people here with great advice...

ps, i used to have a mini schnauzer.
she passed away last year at the age of 15 years
due to cancer. i still miss her very much..
believe it or not her name was stormie....

[yorkieusa]

Originally Posted by Stormyw2000

I adopted a sweet little 3 yr old dog from my local shelter. I've had mini schnauzers for 31 yrs and know that breed inside & out. I went to the shelter to consider a schnauzer they had for adoption but I took a darling little mixed breed home. Consensus is that he's a yorkie maltese mix, but seems more yorkie. He looks like a yorkie with floppy ears. He's had a rough start. I think he was kept in a crate most of the time and was the victim of archaic training methods. (afraid of keys, loud voices, newspapers, & looked for a place to hide when he had an accident) He didn't know how to walk on a lead, he doesn't know how to play with toys, doesn't eat treats. In the six weeks I've had him, he's blossomed into a friendly, affectionate little friend. He's tiny - he weighs about 5 lbs. I'm used to rough & rugged 18 lb schnauzers. He has that terrier attitude that I love so much.

I want to give this little guy the best care possible. Does anyone have advice for food (he's on blue buffalo toy breed & my home made recipe developed for the schnauzers' to prevent bladder stones), obedience training, toys, harnesses, etc.? Are there health concerns I should watch for or can prevent? He has long silky hair. What are the best ways to care for it? Any advice will be appreciated.

The first thing I did was get a mesh harness - I know from meeting yorkie's in my travels they have delicate tracheae and collars aren't the best option.

What a wonderful thing you have done to save this little guy! If you have not already done so, please take him to a good vet to have his teeth thoroughly checked for tartar. Yorkies, generally, do not have good teeth and they need to be brushed. Also, the vet should check him out to see if his joints are good and I would have a blood panel done. Has he been neutered? I would have that done after the blood panel. A good pin brush without ball tips is good to care for yorkie hair, as well as a good metal comb with both narrow and wider teeth, is good to get mats out. They tend to mat mostly where their harnesses or clothes have confined their hair. The BB is a good food. Be sure to watch the recalls. Buddy Belts are a wonderful harness that protects their trachea, plus they are very easy to put on them. We have a YT seller that gives discounts on them. Her username is Maximo. If you're interested, you can send her a visitor message or pm her. Congratulations on your new friend. You may want to peruse the stickies at the top of the rescue forum for any ideas:

Yorkie Rescues & New Homes Needed - YorkieTalk.com Forums - Yorkshire Terrier Community

[gemy]

I'll give you a shortish summary of health concerns;
Most frequent are at top of list;

1. Luxating Patella - ie kneecaps slip out of place - Graded 1-4 Usually lower grades are not a huge concern. Good exercise important to keep kneecap stable. Long walks, swimming, all great ideas. Try to limit jumping if LP is present.
2. Collapsing Trachea - you know about this one. Harness great idea
3. Liver Shunt : can be extra(outside the liver) or inside. Usually Yorkies are tested for liver shunt at 16wks and 6mths old. The specific blood test is called BATS aka Bile Acids Test. Good thing to request and can be done along with the full blood panel. and not too expensive either
4. Bladder Stones - good idea to utilize what you know from your Schauzer experience
5. Hip Dysplasia and or Leggs Perthes Disease. At this point of 3yrs old unless you see movement problems I would not be too concerned with this.
6. Gastrointestinal upsets - hopefully your boy won't be prone to.
7. Pancreatitis - limit fat in diet. No bacon bits for treats and or other fatty meat. Watch out for cheese too.
8. Eye diseases - including PRA - cataracts, et al. Regular check up with your vet. As far as I am aware Yorkies are no more prone to Eye problems then other breeds.

That list will get you started..lol. There are other things of course

Obedience training is great!. Not too sure how stubborn the Schnauzer's are, but Yorkie can be. I think that given his history (Of being a rescue), if you look in our library second forum down; there is a good article on how to rehab a rescue.

Obviously reward base training especially with his history is best. You might be able to just use "voice" rewards. Soft "harsh" voice for correction. Happy lilt reward.

It is so great that you rescued this Yorkie. A big welcome to Yorkie World. I'm sure you will fall in love with this special breed.

[gemy]

Long Silky Hair. We have a grooming forum, where all us product nuts go on about products.

Do you want to keep the hair long? If so daily brushing is a must. But so rewarding when you see that coat just shine and glean.

I would get a good pin brush - Maximo on here sells some As well as a good comb.

If you keep coat long you will need to deal with mats of course. There are lots of threads in grooming section about how many of us cope with that scenario.

I'd get Biogroom Silk Conditioner - not too pricey and good results. They need to be conditioned after bath. Also always use a grooming spray. I use Isle of Dogs.

Again I'll direct you to the Grooming Forum - you could spend hours there reading threads :-)

[Harrysmum]

Originally Posted by Stormyw2000

I adopted a sweet little 3 yr old dog from my local shelter. I've had mini schnauzers for 31 yrs and know that breed inside & out. I went to the shelter to consider a schnauzer they had for adoption but I took a darling little mixed breed home. Consensus is that he's a yorkie maltese mix, but seems more yorkie. He looks like a yorkie with floppy ears. He's had a rough start. I think he was kept in a crate most of the time and was the victim of archaic training methods. (afraid of keys, loud voices, newspapers, & looked for a place to hide when he had an accident) He didn't know how to walk on a lead, he doesn't know how to play with toys, doesn't eat treats. In the six weeks I've had him, he's blossomed into a friendly, affectionate little friend. He's tiny - he weighs about 5 lbs. I'm used to rough & rugged 18 lb schnauzers. He has that terrier attitude that I love so much.

I want to give this little guy the best care possible. Does anyone have advice for food (he's on blue buffalo toy breed & my home made recipe developed for the schnauzers' to prevent bladder stones), obedience training, toys, harnesses, etc.? Are there health concerns I should watch for or can prevent? He has long silky hair. What are the best ways to care for it? Any advice will be appreciated.

The first thing I did was get a mesh harness - I know from meeting yorkie's in my travels they have delicate tracheae and collars aren't the best option.

Good morning and welcome from the UK!

Congratulations on your new addition, and God bless you for taking your Littlie into your home. We've had Schnauzers before and, apart from the size, I've been amazed at actually how similar they are - their intelligence, tenacity, loyalty - even their eyes I think are very similar...

We can't get Blue Buffalo here - I personally home-cook for Harry too, and top him up with Royal Canin Yorkshire Terrier kibble. Would love to hear your recipes - I'm always open to new meal suggestions for him!

I don't know whether you intend to take him to obedience/training classes? As you probably know by now - they're extremely quick, and willing, to learn...they seem to thrive on it. A lot of our games at home involve training (although Harry doesn't know it! ) plus hide-and-seek etc.

His very favourite toy is the Kong Air Squeaker ball - he also loves his Kong and old (clean!) tied up pairs of socks for tug and fetch. He also loves stuffed plush toys - but as he always gets the stuffing out in 2 minutes flat I tend to buy the 'skinny' ones, and just keep mending them...

As for harnesses - views are very mixed about the best ones - I love the Choke Free, just as many love the Buddy Belts, others the Puppia range - all are good as they don't choke your new little boy! Oh, and Harry's hair sounds like your Littlie's - we bath him once a week, then condition and rinse thoroughly, but also tend to keep him in a puppy cut - it solves many problems!

Good luck, enjoy every minute - and look forward to getting to know you! Sally + Harry x

[Joyce Adams]

Originally Posted by Stormyw2000

I adopted a sweet little 3 yr old dog from my local shelter. I've had mini schnauzers for 31 yrs and know that breed inside & out. I went to the shelter to consider a schnauzer they had for adoption but I took a darling little mixed breed home. Consensus is that he's a yorkie maltese mix, but seems more yorkie. He looks like a yorkie with floppy ears. He's had a rough start. I think he was kept in a crate most of the time and was the victim of archaic training methods. (afraid of keys, loud voices, newspapers, & looked for a place to hide when he had an accident) He didn't know how to walk on a lead, he doesn't know how to play with toys, doesn't eat treats. In the six weeks I've had him, he's blossomed into a friendly, affectionate little friend. He's tiny - he weighs about 5 lbs. I'm used to rough & rugged 18 lb schnauzers. He has that terrier attitude that I love so much.

I want to give this little guy the best care possible. Does anyone have advice for food (he's on blue buffalo toy breed & my home made recipe developed for the schnauzers' to prevent bladder stones), obedience training, toys, harnesses, etc.? Are there health concerns I should watch for or can prevent? He has long silky hair. What are the best ways to care for it? Any advice will be appreciated.

The first thing I did was get a mesh harness - I know from meeting yorkie's in my travels they have delicate tracheae and collars aren't the best option.

Hello, welcome and bless you for giving this baby a good and loving home...

[Ringo1]

Thanks for taking this little one into your home. After living with a feisty Westie for 3 years; my little yorkie, Lucy, seemed much more docile. She's probably a little needier as well ~ Westies are VERY independent.

She's much more fragile than Ringo - he's currently at a very sturdy 15 lbs - her bones are much finer.

That said, she's still a dog and loves to play and run. Though only 2 years old; she no longer jumps to her luxating patella.

Harness sounds great and the food sounds good too. I keep Lucy's hair short - but not too short - because I don't want to fool with a very long coat. That's just me.

A friend of mine rescued a yorkie that was about one year old. His prior owners had kept him OUTSIDE with little interaction. Little Wicket ended up being a happy and content little guy - but he never did take to toys. He loved walks, being held and cuddled; treats; but we could never get him to touch a toy.

Best of luck and others more knowledgeable about rescues than me - have already posted!

[Yorkiemom1]

Thank you so much for providing a wonderful, loving home for this baby! She will reward you many, many times over with her devotion and loyality and loveing nature! After her vet check and her blood panel, you will see if there are any health issues already in progress that need attention. While you have been given a great list of possible issues that Yorkies are faced with, dont read that and think, "OMG!! What have I gotten into!!"....Have you ever read the sheet that comes with any prescription medication you get from a pharmacy? You read that and you see all the side effects listed and you are terrified to take the med! The issues gemy listed are indeed true, and after you see your vet, you will be able to go down that list and mark stuff off. Then you can concentrate on issues she may possibly have, and address those! "Yorkies for Dummies" is a book I highly recommend to all my new owners, also "Yorkshire Terriers: A Smart Owners Guide" is a great additional resource. These two books will cover everything Yorkie, and get you right up to speed on this wonder little terrier! They are not like any other breed you have encountered, with that gorgeous silky coat you understand grooming and excellent food is vital to keep that coat so pretty. Welcome to YT and hold on tight! You are about to start a wonderful, exciting journey with one of the most charming breeds you could ever possibly be owned by!

[Lovetodream88]

Welcome to Yorkietalk and congrats on you new little guy. Its so awesome of you to adopt this little guy. If you are going to home cook for him I would talk to a vet nutritionist about a diet for him and don't forget supplements. You are right about the collar thing although I would still use a collar for just id tags in case he ever got out that is what I do for mine.

[LunasMomma]

Welcome to YT!!! You've already gotten the best advice from some our most knowledgeable members, so I'll just say THANK YOU for taking in this little one He is very lucky to have such a caring new parent

[msyorktown]

Originally Posted by LunasMomma

Welcome to YT!!! You've already gotten the best advice from some our most knowledgeable members, so I'll just say THANK YOU for taking in this little one He is very lucky to have such a caring new parent

What she said!!! The most warmest welcome to yt..and thank you again for giving this little one a loving home! Hang on tight and enjoy the ride!

[MamaZiggy]

you have already receiveisd great advice so i just wanted to say welcome to YT and thank you for adopting this baby

[Lilymo]

Hello and welcone. Well done you for taking this little guy to your heart. What's his name ? Looking forward to hearing all his stories and seeing some pics when he's settled.

[navillusc]

Congratulations! So happy to hear that beautiful boy now has a loving home of his own. And, own it he will...just give him time. The Yorkie in him will come out and you'll who actually rules your roost...and you will love living under his rule!

My first Yorkie was a Yorkie-Poo named Stormy...rescued as a tiny puppy when I was a child. He owned me from the instant he saw me, I loved every second of all the many years we had together...I still miss him.

I now have two Yorkies, Brody and (golden) Mia...both were originally owned by someone else and needed new good homes. They are both 2 years old now...6 days apart in age but we got Brody first at 14 months old and Mia as a companion 3 months later at 17 months old. I couldn't be happier. It is great living with the Yorkie attitude and personality again after so many years of bigger Shep/Lab mixes.

To give you an example, Brody never wore clothes, bows or top knots at his previous home...Mia's previous mom said she dredsed her but Mia didn't like it and that Mia would not wear a top knot. Well, Mia wears a top knot and so does Brody...and they LOVE CLOTHES!!! I pulled out the bow making supplies today and chose two garments for them for later and they went NUTS!!! I am headed now to get them dressed and ready to go.

Welcome...to the Yorkie fun and the Yorkie Talk forum. I didn't see pix of your new baby, though...how did I miss those?