Presenting Snoopy!

[zooropean]

Hi!

Me and my girlfriend have been long time followers of YorkieTalk, just because of the great advice you give in so many aspects of a yorkies life.

So, it's about time to meet her dog Snoopy. I don't really know if he's a purebred Yorkshire Terrier but, since she got him from a friend of hers, but he's still cute and she loves him and that's what matters. He's 2 years old and weighs, I would say, about 5 pounds.

Since reading a lot of your posts, I can say Snoopy is... kind of something. And since I'm going to take care of him for a week while she's on vacations with her parents, I could really use some tips for taking care of him.

He's a bit scared of just about everything, probably because he never goes out much (only to pee and whatnot) and doesn't really like to play.

He fetches his little ball at home, but not outdoors like the beach or the park which kind of bugs me because I know many yorkies that are very playful. When he's outdoors he just stays with my gf. That annoys her because she wants him to socialize with other dogs, especially mine. But he just doesn't. Sometimes he just goes about exploring the place, not really caring when my girlfriend calls him back.

One other thing that really annoys her about Snoopy is the amount of times he stops to pee when we are on our way to the beach or just walking around the park. He stops like 5 or 6 times to pee, probably for markings but, in my opinion, I think it's a but much. Don't you?

Also, he's a very picky eater and doesn't really eat his dry food no matter what brand. That's probably because her grandmother feeds him cookies while she's taking her breakfast (and lunch... and dinner... and sometimes in the afternoon). About this I'm thinking just feeding him rice and a bit of chicken breast with the dry food so he can start getting used to it.

Since I have Kaili (my angel), a crossbred Irish Setter with a Irish Wolfhound (with traits of Dalmation and Rottweiller) and she's a very happy and fun dog to be with, I don't really know how Snoopy is going to get along with her. They have met and at first, it ended with him hiding behind the couch or jumping to my girlfriend's lap. Recently, he's actually being more "brave" about Kaili and that really makes me happy.

About the grooming, what I really need is some tips that I'm sure I can find in the Grooming thread. Oh, about that. He's has kind of a medium, almost short length of hair and it's kind of rough and not silky at all, so I would be trying to at least give it that silky look and feel.

Well, that's Snoopy. He's a very funny dog, I really like him. Especially the way he begs for food and attention when I get to my girlfriend's home

If you could give me some tips about what I could do in a week to make him happy for being in my home, I would really appreciate it. Thanks

[nanahas3]

Welcome to YT! Snoopy sounds adorable. The exploring is a yorkie trait I think mine do this also and once they get their minds set on it they will sometimes ignore me for a minute when I call them. I try to not let them get fixated on it.
The peeing is marking, Laddy before we had him fixed would mark 15 times every walk lol. The cookies need to stop lol, he should be on a good kibble for his health sake. A yorkie should really be groomed at least once a day to keep them from matting. Good luck with Snoopy.

[zooropean]

Thanks

We just went to the vet to get him vaccinated and dewormed and I realized I made a mistake about the weight. Actually, it's almost 9.5 lbs (4.25kg).

About the marking, does it stop after a while or will he just keep doing it?

I agree about the cookies, he should stop eating them. Don't think it'll stop, though. Even the vet said his coat may be the way it is because of his diet.

[nanahas3]

Laddy still marks some after being neutered but only where his sister pees first lol. Before neuter was every bush. Has Snoopy been fixed?

[Yorkiemom1]

Welcome to YT!!! This is a wonderful thing you are doing for your girlfriend, taking care of her baby, Snoopy! He sounds adorable! He sounds like a typical yorkie, with the exploring, and marking, picky eater, but loving cookies! I would LOVE to see some pics! I would even love to see a pic of YOUR Kaili....I had an Irish Setter once....stunning dog, wonderful, wonderful personality...I would love to see what your baby looks like with the addition of the Irish Wolfhound!!! I can understand why Snoopy hides! He must barely reach up to Kaili knee!!!! He will contoinue to mark...probably not as much after he is fixed....brush him everyday....I do mine during "quiet time" at night, watching TV....

[zooropean]

Snoopy hasn't been neutered. I asked my girlfriend why, she felt sorry for him

About Kaili, she's not that big and that kind of impressed me, given how one of her brothers turned out. She has a wonderful personality, very (very!) playful and is truly beautiful, with a silky black coat. The "problem" about her is that she is too sociable, never growling at anyone or anything. She just wants to play with everyone, little angel I'll post some pics of both sometime tomorrow.

So, I guess when the party returns from our trip to the beach I'll brush both. Oh, one of the things I've noticed is that he sheds a lot and that's not really common in yorkies. Vet said it was because of the diet. Poor thing

[Yorkiemom1]

See what dry food your vet recommends for Snoopy.....we all have our favorites on here...I happen to like Royal Canin and I think you have access to that over there....mixing a little boiled chicken and the broth with it, may make him more receptive to eating the kibble...you may have to let him get a little hungry...cut out cookies and snacks...he needs the nutrition from a balanced dog food....he shouldnt be shedding that much....since the vet thinks it is diet related, see what he specifically recommends. Your girlfriend is going to have to gently tell grannioe if she keeps feeding Snoopy cookies, he is going to be bald soon, because he is just like a kid...he will try to live on junk food, ie cookies, rather than the nutrition he needs!!!

[zooropean]

Yes, the vet recommended Royal Canin for Yorkies which I think was the first food he had. He's shedding a lot. We gave him a bath before going to the vet and fur just got stuck everywhere. Even the vet pulled gently at 3 strings of hair and a lot came of easily.

Granny doesn't care. Even I have tried to explain that one quarter of a cookie is like 5 to us, but she pretends she doesn't listen.

[ilovejoel]

Take the cookies away from granny!

[MamaZiggy]

welcome to yt

[Teresa Ford]

Welcome to YT

[zooropean]

Originally Posted by ilovejoel

Take the cookies away from granny!

That's what I say to my girlfriend

[gracielove]

Since you are only watching him for a week I would not plan on making any changes. Snoopy is going to be quite upset being out of his regular surroundings. He is marking because he is not neutered. He can't help it. He has to do it because of the male hormone that drives the male dog.

Your main goal should be to make Snoopy as happy and comfortable as possible while he is away from his home. It is bad that he is being fed human junk food. It will rot his teeth and cause him to refuse the nutrition he needs to get from his dog food. Of course this also is not the dog's fault.

Since he has been kept inside most of the time and pampered quite a bit he is going to be one very frightened little dog. Please don't expose him to any new experiences as it could very well overwhelm him. If his owner decides she wants to start training the dog and teaching him things that is something that should be addressed when she gets home.

I can certainly understand Snoopy being afraid of your rather large dog. He has certainly never been exposed to such a large dog and it will take time for him to adjust.

He should not have his food changed while you care for him. All changes ind diet should be done gradually to avoid stomach upset and diarrhea. You certainly do not want to take that on while he is already upset during this time away from home.

As far as grooming goes. Just use whatever his owner uses to comb him daily. He should not require more than that.

Yes, small dogs that stay mostly inside and have not been socialized do behave differently than other dogs. As I said it is not his fault, it is the way he has been raised. He is already 2 years old so any behavior changes are going to have to be addressed slowly by the person he trusts.

I hope all goes well for you and Snoopy. I expect he is going to be quite uncomfortable with you and your dog so please be patient with him. He has lived a sheltered life and the way he acts has everything to do with his people and his environment and has little to do with the kind of dog he is.

[zooropean]

Thanks for the tips gracielove

Him and Kaili have met numerous times, but he's afraid poor little thing. I'll just try and give him his normal routine, but I'll make him go out more so that he can experience new surroundings and can play with Kaili if he feels like it.

[zooropean]

So, I just picked up Snoopy from my gf's house. When we got to my house, Kaili came to us and he just ran and hid under the coffee table in the living room. They're good now and Kaili has calmed down, so he's getting more confident about being in a strange environment.

One of the things she told me was that he didn't have much shampoo left and gave me money to buy some. Snoopy's shampoo is the Artero Moisturizing Bath which is a great shampoo to keep the coat shiny and fluffy. Since she doesn't really have a conditioner I am thinking of buying the Artero Moisturizing Bath, the Artero Protein Vital (it's in the Cats section but I've read in some forums that it's good for dogs as well) and the Artero Flash so he can be brushed without damaging his hair.

Tell me what you think