HELP! Worried and need some opinions on a puppy.

[roho]

Hey guys,
I am a first time yorkie purchaser and im a little bit worried about a pup ive pretty much got my mind set on.
She is 5 almost 6 weeks old, 1.6 lbs. She is the runt of the litter. My breeder says in the past the runts have grown to be very small. Somewhere between 4.5-5.5 lbs, and she does not expect this little one to get any bigger than that. I really wanted a small yorkie at first, but the thought of her growing up to be not big enough and having health issues really scares me. It would break my heart if i lost a puppy so young. The dad is 5lbs, mom is quite big almost 8 lbs , and i was told she usually has litter of 5-6, but this time she had a litter of 8! Could that contribute to the stunting of my yorkies growth progress? She has significantly smaller paws/face than her brothers and sisters. What do you think her adult weight will be? Is that an unhealthy weight? Should i get one of the bigger ones that are around 2.3 lbs? I have attached photos.

[roho]

Sorry i forgot to mention. She has a little bit of black in the tan areas of her legs and paws, what does that say about her future coloring? i will love her regardless of how big/small or light/dark she is, just wondering.

[Lorraine]

She is pretty small but how old will she be before the breeder lets her go and what weight is the breeder willing to let her go? What is the vaccination program, ie at what age are vacc's given?

[roho]

Originally Posted by Lorraine

She is pretty small but how old will she be before the breeder lets her go and what weight is the breeder willing to let her go? What is the vaccination program, ie at what age are vacc's given?

The breeder is taking her to the vet at 7 weeks for vaccinations (july2nd) .. she told me if the vet gives her the ok that she could be ready by july 9th (8 weeks). so she would come home with me with 1 vacc, and would have a scheduled 2nd vacc for sometime in early august.

[gracielove]

It is really early to say how large that puppy will grow to be. For one thing she is in a large litter. Many times while puppies are still nursing there are some that get more nourishment than others. A puppy that is smaller in a litter could very well start to grow at a faster rate after it is weaned.

A knowledgeable breeder will not sell an 8 week old Yorkshire Terrier puppy. Yorkies need to be with their mom and the litter longer than 8 weeks. Many vets will say it is OK but most vets are not experienced breeders.

It sounds as though you are dealing with a backyard breeder. You are running a risk buying from such a breeder. There is plenty of information on YT about buying a puppy from a good breeder. There are also many stories from those who decided to take the risk and the very sad events that transpired afterward.

[Lorraine]

Originally Posted by roho

The breeder is taking her to the vet at 7 weeks for vaccinations (july2nd) .. she told me if the vet gives her the ok that she could be ready by july 9th (8 weeks). so she would come home with me with 1 vacc, and would have a scheduled 2nd vacc for sometime in early august.

Way way to young for vaccinations and to go to a new home. Personally, best advice I can give you is to find another breeder. Vacc's should never start on a Yorkie until 10 weeks of age. Vacc's that follow are at 14 weeks then 18 weeks. Mine never go anywhere until after the second vacc's.
On a pup that is particularly small, they don't go anywhere until at least 2 1/2 lbs, I don't care how old they are. Some I have not sold until 7 or 8 months or older, already spayed/neutered by my vet. You see, if there is a problem especially liver shunt or other kidney/liver/heart issues, that can show symptoms after 6 months and definitely anesthesia will often bring a problem to the forefront. If there is a problem, I don't want that pup already someone else's baby, I would rather it be with me to take care of and deal with with the help of my Vet.
The smaller ones can be a bit more precarious. What seems fine now may not be later on as they get older. If after about 4 months and they seem to be fine and are pretty close to 2 1/2 lbs then I might consider letting one go to a new home but only if the new owner knows what to look for if problems could start, and the new owner must be home a good part of the day.
Small plus stress of going to a new home can cause a lot of things to go wrong. Even in the smaller ones, a little more age and size behind them will often transition them into a new home with way less trouble.

[luvlee]

Cute puppy. 8 weeks is probably too young to be released to new owner (for the puppy's sake). You really can't know the ultimate size of the pup at this point. Lot's of "breeders" (I'm being a little sarcastic here) use the term "runt" to market the puppy. By the time you figure out that the breeder was full of it - it's too late, you have a 12 pound teapot (that you love anyway.)

IMHO, I'd never buy a puppy based upon a "breeder's" assurance of size. I bet you that the contract for sale has a provision that there's "no guaranty" on size anyway. Also, letting the puppy be weaned so young should caution you.

I understand your desire for a puppy NOW!! I was that way too. I almost made a poor decision on a puppy. Finally, I got my wits about me, did a lot of research, took my time and found the right BREEDER & a wonderful puppy!

Best wishes in whatever you decide to do. Tracey

[OwnedByJezebel]

No way they can tell the size at that age, even the runt can turn into a larger sized Yorkie. If you want a guarantee of weight, the only way to be sure is to get one that is at least a year old.

[4Scrappy]

I've had six Yorkies over the years. The smallest was only 20 ounces when we took her home at 10 weeks old. I remember holding her at the first vet visit thinking "what have I done, how am I going to take care of this little thing?" Turned out my worries were for nothing. She grew to be about 4 pounds and had the BIGGEST personality of all my Yorkies. Make sure you know how to care for young puppies such as dealing with hypoglycemia, learning to watch where you step and making sure her surrounding are safe. As for her coloring, she looks completely normal to me. The breeders can tell better than I but as far as I know, Yorkie babies start out black, get the tan markings and, as they grow, their color changes. When they are adults, the colors are completely different from when they were a puppy. Good luck with your new baby.

[puddles58273]

As a very newbie to these tiny sweethearts, PLEASE LEAVE PUPPY WITH MOM & SIBLINGS more than 8 weeks. I didn't know any better and have regretted it since day 6 when Puddles had her first blood sugar low. She is now 13 weeks old and only started gaining weight 2 weeks ago. She finally will eat by herself most of the time, but she seems to get really depressed if my daughter doesn't bring her yorkie poo puppy over to play every 2 or 3 days. Today is Saturday and Puddles hasn't seen her playmate since Monday so she isn't eating but a bite or 2 all day. Thank goodness Cricket (daughter's puppy) will be here in a few minutes. I truly believe that these babies really need Mom & siblings emotionally and socially. Thank God that my daughter got Cricket when she did. Puddles literally didn't start eating by herself until she met Cricket. My thoughts have been to get another puppy close in age and size (Cricket is 1 day older) but if he/she had any issues, it would just kill me. Whatever you do, please leave with mom & siblings for a few extra weeks!!,

[luvlee]

Originally Posted by puddles58273

As a very newbie to these tiny sweethearts, PLEASE LEAVE PUPPY WITH MOM & SIBLINGS more than 8 weeks. I didn't know any better and have regretted it since day 6 when Puddles had her first blood sugar low. She is now 13 weeks old and only started gaining weight 2 weeks ago. She finally will eat by herself most of the time, but she seems to get really depressed if my daughter doesn't bring her yorkie poo puppy over to play every 2 or 3 days. Today is Saturday and Puddles hasn't seen her playmate since Monday so she isn't eating but a bite or 2 all day. Thank goodness Cricket (daughter's puppy) will be here in a few minutes. I truly believe that these babies really need Mom & siblings emotionally and socially. Thank God that my daughter got Cricket when she did. Puddles literally didn't start eating by herself until she met Cricket. My thoughts have been to get another puppy close in age and size (Cricket is 1 day older) but if he/she had any issues, it would just kill me. Whatever you do, please leave with mom & siblings for a few extra weeks!!,

My new puppy doesn't seem at all sad but I've found that I still have to coax her to eat sometimes. I don't know if it's the way the food sounds in the bowl or what. Sometimes I have to take a few pieces of food out and place them on her food mat and she eats a few bites at a time. She seems to prefer me to handle the food and place it on the mat for her. I do get her to eat that way. Maybe it could work for you too.

Good luck. Tracey

[roho]

Wow guys thank you so much for all the advice. YT is so awesome. This is such a difficult decision for me, im so heart broken. But the more you guys talk about how early she is being let go the more afraid i get. I have already put a down payment on her, but am willing to lose it if it means i will have a puppy from a differnet breeder whos health i wont have to worry about. At the same time, i am so in love with this little girl it is so hard to let go. As much as i chose her out of the 8 puppies that were there, it kind of seemed like she chose me too. She was constantly running over to me and crawling all over my lap, she just wouldn't leave me alone! She has such a BIG personality at just 5 weeks *sigh*

There is something else i noticed just recently.. if you look at the picture where i am holding her little face up to thr camera, you can see her tail. Is it docked too short?!

[BLowry]

Originally Posted by roho

Wow guys thank you so much for all the advice. YT is so awesome. This is such a difficult decision for me, im so heart broken. But the more you guys talk about how early she is being let go the more afraid i get. I have already put a down payment on her, but am willing to lose it if it means i will have a puppy from a differnet breeder whos health i wont have to worry about. At the same time, i am so in love with this little girl it is so hard to let go. As much as i chose her out of the 8 puppies that were there, it kind of seemed like she chose me too. She was constantly running over to me and crawling all over my lap, she just wouldn't leave me alone! She has such a BIG personality at just 5 weeks *sigh*

There is something else i noticed just recently.. if you look at the picture where i am holding her little face up to thr camera, you can see her tail. Is it docked too short?!

Every one here has given you great advise...and I know how hard it is to walk away from that adorable little face...maybe ask the breeder if she can keep her until she reaches a certain weight, like someone had said here..As far as weight goes...you never know...my first yorkie's Mom was 10 lbs and Dad was 4...Sadie is 6 1/2 lbs. Lillie's mom was 5 1/2 lbs and Dad was 3 lbs...Lillie is 5 1/2 lbs...Not sure of the weight of Bentleys parents but we got him at 5 months old and he weighed 2.5 lbs...he will be 1 next month and just barely weighs 4 lbs...he gets neutered Tuesday...hoping he gains a bit after that...

[gracielove]

It is pretty typical for puppy mills and back yard breeders to dock the tail way too short. They have no idea what the breed standard calls for. It can be very dangerous to the puppy as getting too close to the spine can cause horrible nerve damage.

She comes from such a large litter. Usually only a large Yorkie or a Silky will have that many puppies. No one can tell you how big those puppies are going to get and they know you would never return a puppy that is 8 months old and bigger than was promised. Anyone who is making promises like this to you is dishonest.

[Lilymo]

Originally Posted by roho

Wow guys thank you so much for all the advice. YT is so awesome. This is such a difficult decision for me, im so heart broken. But the more you guys talk about how early she is being let go the more afraid i get. I have already put a down payment on her, but am willing to lose it if it means i will have a puppy from a differnet breeder whos health i wont have to worry about. At the same time, i am so in love with this little girl it is so hard to let go. As much as i chose her out of the 8 puppies that were there, it kind of seemed like she chose me too. She was constantly running over to me and crawling all over my lap, she just wouldn't leave me alone! She has such a BIG personality at just 5 weeks *sigh*

There is something else i noticed just recently.. if you look at the picture where i am holding her little face up to thr camera, you can see her tail. Is it docked too short?!

As you already paid the deposit why not wait until she is 12 weeks and see how she is then. She may put on lots more weight when she is on solid food.
Everything else is just cosmetic.