Hello YT! I would like to introduce Stark! - YorkieTalk.com Forums

bnmorrow113 · 06-15-2012, 06:16 AM

Hi there everyone! This being my first post on YT, I will do a bit of background info. You will have to excuse my language uses as I am a southern born lady, and I tend to type like I talk. I firmly believe that Stark's past is his past, and all that matters is his future, but this is his story.
I despise our local shelters. I do. The past 3 kittens we have adopted from there died within 2 weeks and the very last time I was in there, they had a cat with a missing leg, VERY infected and pus-like, and also out mixed in with the other cats licking away at it. It was horrifying. We actually had a vet confirm one of the kittens we had was definitely infected from this staph and probably the others had been as well. We asked the workers there if they realized this animal was in this state, and they just looked at us like we were stupid and said, "uh, yeah". I KNOW for a FACT vets work with this shelter. Vets we do not use, now or ever, but still... how can they miss that??? To make a long story short, my DH and I decided not to put my children through that again, and only adopt from animals already in fostering homes or from breeders, or people we knew. Hence how I got my 3 Ragdoll mix cats.
Another long story short, we moved from a 12 acre farm house to a .90 acre subdivision home for my DH's job. I have had several people come to my door and I did not know it, and I felt uncomfortable without any warning system that I had a visitor literally looking in my front door. I am a country girl at heart and I am trying so hard to adjust to living in a "neighborhood". Add to that a slightly stalker-ish dude that has some sort of strange man-crush on me, and well, you get the picture. Enter the decision to get an inside dog (the cats are useless, my DH reminds me lol).
So we searched for a while until we found Stark. We decided on a Yorkie because my grandparents had one up until she passed away a few years ago, and I always loved that dog. Stark came from an older couple that "raised Yorkies". They were not breeders. But were they running a puppy mill? NO. They were simply an elderly couple that had 2 registered Yorkies and allowed the female to have a litter every year. I got the feeling that somehow they were old fashioned and did not think dogs should be fixed. I suppose some would call them "backyard breeders", but it really wasn't even like that. The dogs were very well taken care of, socialized with cats and kids, and Stark was in good medical condition, except that he was a bit younger than what they said (only 6 weeks according to the vet, instead of 8), not really eating solid food great because he didn't have the necessary teeth yet, had a few fleas (they are BAD this year!) and probably not 100% ready to leave his mother. But all that aside, he is eating better now, but has to have food access round the clock for the next few weeks to make sure he is getting enough. Which is not really helping the night time housebreaking. But anyways....
My husband and I love Game of Thrones, and that is where he gets his name. He loves playing and fighting with his rope, going outside and (much to their displeasure) stalking the cats. My 5 yr old son treats him like a baby, literally! My 3 yr old son ignores him until Stark steals one of his toys and runs off with it. LOL I am curious as to why he likes stealing underwear though. If my boys or DH leave any in the floor, Stark takes them and adds them to his "collection"! He jumps around like a rabbit, which is, let's face it, the cutest thing in the world! But we really do wish to train him at some point. I cannot allow him access through the dog door all the time, as my cats are not allowed outside. I do have a programmable dog door attached to my sun room which is a closed off room that the cats do not go into, as it exits into the garage. I have considered allowing Stark to come and go in there and bring him in the main part of the house when he is done outside or when I am home (which is the most part of everyday, since I stay at home and home school, and have 2 side craft things I sell). But how hard will it be to train him to go outside (which he does EVERY time I take him out regardless of how many times he pees/poops on the pads/floor) AND inside on the pads if he can't get outside? I have even considered littler box training. LOL I have a small crate that he refuses to stay in no matter what is in there. He doesn't like being confined in small spaces, he freaks out (can he be claustrophobic?) I am also wondering when it will be a good time to introduce a leash? He seems so small to have that extra weight on him right now.
Anyways, if anyone actually takes the time to read all this rambling and has any suggestions, I would gladly welcome them! Thanks a bunch! Brandi

sganow · 06-15-2012, 09:04 AM

Welcome! Our dogs like to steal underwear and socks too. We trained all our dogs to go potty outside. We never tried potty pads or a litter box. Yorkies are fun and have cute personalities. Good luck with your new baby!

Teegy · 06-15-2012, 09:15 AM

Welcome, I got the smallest size buddy belt and waited until he had all his shots and then got him out on a leash right away. It takes some patience because they need to get used to the new environment and smells and plod very slowly along

Roxys Mom · 06-15-2012, 09:20 AM

Oliver uses pads while we are at work, or when it is scorching hot outside. He sometimes but typically when my husband is home with him will go off the pad. I watch him and when I see him walk fast or circle i take him outside unless its midday. HOT here in AZ. We have him use pads because we work and atleast 1 day a week he is alone nearly 7 hrs. That is the longest day. the other 2 days he's alone 3-4 hours and 4 days a week he is with one of us. You're lucky to be with him all day...I hate leaving for work.

Oliver likes to take socks, he dives in the laundry basket and runs out with one. He cracks me up. We have a walk in closet so we try to keep the door closed. Other wise, he ends up with flip flops and socks in his toy pile.

They are funny little things, enjoy Stark!!

Bluemoon · 06-15-2012, 10:43 AM

Welcome Lol what was the ??? Oh ok the leash, hmmm my baby is only 16 weeks old and we use her leash about once a week. Our past experience has been to get our animals used to leashes and harnesses and collers within a week or two of getting them. At first we only use it when going for a walk so they associate it with a positive thing. It's kinda like dress up, when they hear the leash come out they get all excited because they associate with going out. Now mind you at first it's a walk around the yard once and done. A couple of days or the next week it's a walk to the mailbox or whatever. After a few times they get it.

bnmorrow113 · 06-15-2012, 06:27 PM

I will probably try outside training since I am home alot, but the days I am out for more than a 3-4 hour period is what I worry about. Now if I can just figure out how to get him to bark when he hears someone at the door...
To Bluemoon, I did warn ya about my southern speech Haha. Where I live a triple ? means really really really confused to the point of hysteria. Kinda like the emoticon

LOL Sorry bout that.

Mom to Hot Rod · 06-15-2012, 07:48 PM

Hi and welcome to Yt. I would probably get him used to a leash asap. Even if you just tie a ribbon or string to the harness, it will be a leash.

As for potty training, I use pads as well as take them outside. We boat and our schedules are all over the place so the pads are great. Hubby has a pad down in his garage and will take the babies "out" several times throughout the night and when the weather is terrible. It's so nice to be able to do that when it's pouring down rain or snowing.

Good luck with training. You will be surprised at just how fast Gizmo will take to it.

Lilymo · 06-16-2012, 12:34 AM

Hi welcome from pouring with rain , cold , Scotland. I use pads indoors the girls use these if they need to go but also go outdoors when I take them out. I train them to a command mine is "toilet" when I take them out I say the word and they squat to pee or poop. All my dogs use this command. The pads are great for says like today when the wind and rain are too much for us all lol. As for barking at the door, this is pretty much a natural response from yorkies but Lily didn't start barking till she was about 4 months or more. Now at 5 1/2 months barks at any noise or movement outside the house. I'm trying to train her to bark a few times then stop.

gracielove · 06-16-2012, 01:26 AM

You should never attach your leash to a collar on a Yorkie. They tend to have a very delicate trachea that can be damaged easily by the pulling of a collar on their necks. Some people use a ferret harness on their puppy until they are big enough for a regular harness.

You might want to try getting an exercise pen to leave him in while you are gone. If you put a pee pad in there with him he might actually use it instead of the floor. If you want to outside train him then you are going to have to keep your eyes on him every second and take him outside often and whenever it looks like he is about to pee or poo. Try taking him to the same place each time and saying something like "go pee" or whatever terms you use. That way he will learn why he is out there. As soon as he does his business praise him greatly and take him directly inside. Don't mix outside play time with potty time or it will be more difficult for him to learn what he is supposed to be doing.The muscle that is needed for a puppy to hold their urine does not develop until they are around 16 weeks old so at this point it is all about your timing and getting his little brain to associate peeing with being outside. Little dogs have little bladders so they often have to go out more than a bigger dog would. If you do a good job of training him he will learn to let you know when he needs to go out. I think many times dogs do not get properly trained because people do not watch them closely enough and they give them too much freedom in the home before they are ready.

Dogs just love stinky thing and items that have our scent on them. Even cute little darlings like Yorkies have this trait!

I guess I would call the people you got your pup from "backyard breeders." They may mean no harm but they are not doing well by those dogs. No competent breeder would let a puppy leave it's mom before it is totally weaned and ready physically and emotionally to be on it's own. The thought of fleas crawling on helpless babies is just terrible. I'm sure you have a darling little puppy and I hope things go well for you with him. There is a lot of information here about Yorkies and I hope you get time to read some of it. Welcome to YT and congratulations on your new puppy.

06-15-2012, 06:16 AM	#1
bnmorrow113 YorkieTalk Newbie! Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Killen, AL Posts: 3	Hello YT! I would like to introduce Stark! Hi there everyone! This being my first post on YT, I will do a bit of background info. You will have to excuse my language uses as I am a southern born lady, and I tend to type like I talk. I firmly believe that Stark's past is his past, and all that matters is his future, but this is his story. I despise our local shelters. I do. The past 3 kittens we have adopted from there died within 2 weeks and the very last time I was in there, they had a cat with a missing leg, VERY infected and pus-like, and also out mixed in with the other cats licking away at it. It was horrifying. We actually had a vet confirm one of the kittens we had was definitely infected from this staph and probably the others had been as well. We asked the workers there if they realized this animal was in this state, and they just looked at us like we were stupid and said, "uh, yeah". I KNOW for a FACT vets work with this shelter. Vets we do not use, now or ever, but still... how can they miss that??? To make a long story short, my DH and I decided not to put my children through that again, and only adopt from animals already in fostering homes or from breeders, or people we knew. Hence how I got my 3 Ragdoll mix cats. Another long story short, we moved from a 12 acre farm house to a .90 acre subdivision home for my DH's job. I have had several people come to my door and I did not know it, and I felt uncomfortable without any warning system that I had a visitor literally looking in my front door. I am a country girl at heart and I am trying so hard to adjust to living in a "neighborhood". Add to that a slightly stalker-ish dude that has some sort of strange man-crush on me, and well, you get the picture. Enter the decision to get an inside dog (the cats are useless, my DH reminds me lol). So we searched for a while until we found Stark. We decided on a Yorkie because my grandparents had one up until she passed away a few years ago, and I always loved that dog. Stark came from an older couple that "raised Yorkies". They were not breeders. But were they running a puppy mill? NO. They were simply an elderly couple that had 2 registered Yorkies and allowed the female to have a litter every year. I got the feeling that somehow they were old fashioned and did not think dogs should be fixed. I suppose some would call them "backyard breeders", but it really wasn't even like that. The dogs were very well taken care of, socialized with cats and kids, and Stark was in good medical condition, except that he was a bit younger than what they said (only 6 weeks according to the vet, instead of 8), not really eating solid food great because he didn't have the necessary teeth yet, had a few fleas (they are BAD this year!) and probably not 100% ready to leave his mother. But all that aside, he is eating better now, but has to have food access round the clock for the next few weeks to make sure he is getting enough. Which is not really helping the night time housebreaking. But anyways.... My husband and I love Game of Thrones, and that is where he gets his name. He loves playing and fighting with his rope, going outside and (much to their displeasure) stalking the cats. My 5 yr old son treats him like a baby, literally! My 3 yr old son ignores him until Stark steals one of his toys and runs off with it. LOL I am curious as to why he likes stealing underwear though. If my boys or DH leave any in the floor, Stark takes them and adds them to his "collection"! He jumps around like a rabbit, which is, let's face it, the cutest thing in the world! But we really do wish to train him at some point. I cannot allow him access through the dog door all the time, as my cats are not allowed outside. I do have a programmable dog door attached to my sun room which is a closed off room that the cats do not go into, as it exits into the garage. I have considered allowing Stark to come and go in there and bring him in the main part of the house when he is done outside or when I am home (which is the most part of everyday, since I stay at home and home school, and have 2 side craft things I sell). But how hard will it be to train him to go outside (which he does EVERY time I take him out regardless of how many times he pees/poops on the pads/floor) AND inside on the pads if he can't get outside? I have even considered littler box training. LOL I have a small crate that he refuses to stay in no matter what is in there. He doesn't like being confined in small spaces, he freaks out (can he be claustrophobic?) I am also wondering when it will be a good time to introduce a leash? He seems so small to have that extra weight on him right now. Anyways, if anyone actually takes the time to read all this rambling and has any suggestions, I would gladly welcome them! Thanks a bunch! Brandi __________________ Children require guidance and sympathy far more than instruction. -Anne Sullivan

06-15-2012, 09:04 AM	#2
sganow YT 500 Club Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Van Alstyne, TX Posts: 842	Welcome! Our dogs like to steal underwear and socks too. We trained all our dogs to go potty outside. We never tried potty pads or a litter box. Yorkies are fun and have cute personalities. Good luck with your new baby! __________________ Maggie (RIP), Ginger (RIP), Lilly, Bella, Saleen, Bailey, Bridget

06-15-2012, 09:20 AM	#4
Roxys Mom YT Addict Join Date: May 2012 Location: Tucson AZ USA Posts: 261	Oliver uses pads while we are at work, or when it is scorching hot outside. He sometimes but typically when my husband is home with him will go off the pad. I watch him and when I see him walk fast or circle i take him outside unless its midday. HOT here in AZ. We have him use pads because we work and atleast 1 day a week he is alone nearly 7 hrs. That is the longest day. the other 2 days he's alone 3-4 hours and 4 days a week he is with one of us. You're lucky to be with him all day...I hate leaving for work. Oliver likes to take socks, he dives in the laundry basket and runs out with one. He cracks me up. We have a walk in closet so we try to keep the door closed. Other wise, he ends up with flip flops and socks in his toy pile. They are funny little things, enjoy Stark!! __________________ Laura - Roxy , Oliver and now Itzi's Mum

06-15-2012, 06:27 PM	#6
bnmorrow113 YorkieTalk Newbie! Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Killen, AL Posts: 3	Thanks for all the tips and welcomes! I will probably try outside training since I am home alot, but the days I am out for more than a 3-4 hour period is what I worry about. Now if I can just figure out how to get him to bark when he hears someone at the door... To Bluemoon, I did warn ya about my southern speech Haha. Where I live a triple ? means really really really confused to the point of hysteria. Kinda like the emoticon LOL Sorry bout that. __________________ Children require guidance and sympathy far more than instruction. -Anne Sullivan

06-15-2012, 07:48 PM	#7
Mom to Hot Rod Donating YT 5000 Club Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: MD Posts: 10,908	Hi and welcome to Yt. I would probably get him used to a leash asap. Even if you just tie a ribbon or string to the harness, it will be a leash. As for potty training, I use pads as well as take them outside. We boat and our schedules are all over the place so the pads are great. Hubby has a pad down in his garage and will take the babies "out" several times throughout the night and when the weather is terrible. It's so nice to be able to do that when it's pouring down rain or snowing. Good luck with training. You will be surprised at just how fast Gizmo will take to it. __________________ www.kissecollar.com Soft Cone Collars for Post-surgery and much more! 10% (non-food) - Discount code YT10

06-15-2012, 09:15 AM	#3
Teegy Donating YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 2,631	Welcome, I got the smallest size buddy belt and waited until he had all his shots and then got him out on a leash right away. It takes some patience because they need to get used to the new environment and smells and plod very slowly along

06-15-2012, 10:43 AM	#5
Bluemoon Yorkie Yakker Join Date: May 2012 Location: Charlotte NC Posts: 45	Welcome Lol what was the ??? Oh ok the leash, hmmm my baby is only 16 weeks old and we use her leash about once a week. Our past experience has been to get our animals used to leashes and harnesses and collers within a week or two of getting them. At first we only use it when going for a walk so they associate it with a positive thing. It's kinda like dress up, when they hear the leash come out they get all excited because they associate with going out. Now mind you at first it's a walk around the yard once and done. A couple of days or the next week it's a walk to the mailbox or whatever. After a few times they get it.

06-16-2012, 12:34 AM	#8
Lilymo YT Addict Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Scotland Posts: 441	Hi welcome from pouring with rain , cold , Scotland. I use pads indoors the girls use these if they need to go but also go outdoors when I take them out. I train them to a command mine is "toilet" when I take them out I say the word and they squat to pee or poop. All my dogs use this command. The pads are great for says like today when the wind and rain are too much for us all lol. As for barking at the door, this is pretty much a natural response from yorkies but Lily didn't start barking till she was about 4 months or more. Now at 5 1/2 months barks at any noise or movement outside the house. I'm trying to train her to bark a few times then stop. __________________ Eileen mum to Mitzi Brodie Robyn Molly and Lilly RIP Morgan

06-16-2012, 01:26 AM	#9
gracielove YT 3000 Club Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: NY Posts: 6,582	You should never attach your leash to a collar on a Yorkie. They tend to have a very delicate trachea that can be damaged easily by the pulling of a collar on their necks. Some people use a ferret harness on their puppy until they are big enough for a regular harness. You might want to try getting an exercise pen to leave him in while you are gone. If you put a pee pad in there with him he might actually use it instead of the floor. If you want to outside train him then you are going to have to keep your eyes on him every second and take him outside often and whenever it looks like he is about to pee or poo. Try taking him to the same place each time and saying something like "go pee" or whatever terms you use. That way he will learn why he is out there. As soon as he does his business praise him greatly and take him directly inside. Don't mix outside play time with potty time or it will be more difficult for him to learn what he is supposed to be doing.The muscle that is needed for a puppy to hold their urine does not develop until they are around 16 weeks old so at this point it is all about your timing and getting his little brain to associate peeing with being outside. Little dogs have little bladders so they often have to go out more than a bigger dog would. If you do a good job of training him he will learn to let you know when he needs to go out. I think many times dogs do not get properly trained because people do not watch them closely enough and they give them too much freedom in the home before they are ready. Dogs just love stinky thing and items that have our scent on them. Even cute little darlings like Yorkies have this trait! I guess I would call the people you got your pup from "backyard breeders." They may mean no harm but they are not doing well by those dogs. No competent breeder would let a puppy leave it's mom before it is totally weaned and ready physically and emotionally to be on it's own. The thought of fleas crawling on helpless babies is just terrible. I'm sure you have a darling little puppy and I hope things go well for you with him. There is a lot of information here about Yorkies and I hope you get time to read some of it. Welcome to YT and congratulations on your new puppy.