Were getting our first yorkie puppy?

[teeneythebetta]

Hello everyone! I'd like to introduce myself, as I am new here on the forum.
I am 15 years old and I LOVE animals. Like, theyre my life. xD
I have 2 cats and a pit bull.
My dad wanted a puppy, a smaller breed. I thought maybe a daschund, or a corgi, but instead he saw a picture of a yorkie pup and we plan on getting it.

Don't get me wrong, I love dogs of every breed, color and size, but a yorkie really isn't for our family IMO. The main reason being that my 3 youngest siblings are ages 2, almost 4, and 5. Our pit bull is a total love muffin and gets along great with other dogs. But he weighs 75 pounds. I'm afraid he could squash her!

Anyways, I have totally NO say in this decision, so it is what it is and I have to make the best of it. I truly would prefer to adopt a dog from a shelter, especially since I regularly volunteer at a no kill shelter and get to see all the wonderful babies in there that deserve much better.

Another thing is, that I take care of all of our animals. That means going outside, going on walks, feeding, water, washing dishes daily, brushing, bathing, playing, everything. And, I dont mind it.
But im not looking forward to potty training a puppy. Especially one that, based on her parent's sizes, will weigh 3-4 pounds full grown. And I know that any time the puppy "goes" on the floor, I will be the one getiing in trouble.

I guess I'm just feeling overwhelmed in all of this and just need tips on doing this the right way.
Anyways, give me any and all tips possible, on puppies or the breed in specific.

[Oddsock]

You need to tell you dad, if he wants a puppy, he needs to take care of it, not you. That it's his choice, so his responsibility.
Will it have a crate and x pen, so that it can be safe, when no ones watching or when your other dog is playing?
You sound like the adult and he sounds like the child.

[teeneythebetta]

Originally Posted by Oddsock

You need to tell you dad, if he wants a puppy, he needs to take care of it, not you. That it's his choice, so his responsibility.
Will it have a crate and x pen, so that it can be safe, when no ones watching or when your other dog is playing?
You sound like the adult and he sounds like the child.

I wish I could say that, but he would get SO mad at me. I cant try to prove him wrong in any way because to him I am just an ignorant child.

Yes, we plan on getting her a crate.
I know about good dog nutrition, but my parents insist on buying the crappy corn in a bag... maybe since she wont eat all that much, I can get them to buy wellness or blue.

We bathe my dog every other week. Do yorkies need a special bathing routine? Once a week or?
Also, how is it excersizing with a yorkie? How long & often is good? I take my pit bull on long runs once a day (I'd do twice but I cant due to school and other responsibilities) but I imagine with a dog that small, running isnt a good idea.

[teeneythebetta]

Originally Posted by Oddsock

You need to tell you dad, if he wants a puppy, he needs to take care of it, not you. That it's his choice, so his responsibility.
Will it have a crate and x pen, so that it can be safe, when no ones watching or when your other dog is playing?
You sound like the adult and he sounds like the child.

Unfortunately that is not plasuible, as he has his heart set on THIS dog, and he is not somebody that you want to try to prove wrong or go againt. It sucks, it does.

I know about proper nutrition in dogs, good foods like wellness and blue.
I also heard theyre prone to dental problems, is there a specific brand of dog toothbrush/toothpaste that is reccomended or does it not really matter?

Also, how is excersing? Im used to running on long walks with my current dog once a day (I cant do it more frequently due to school and other responsibilitites) But I imagine yorkies cant go far or run too hard. xD

[SophieKatesMom]

Hi, first I commend you for realizing a Yorkie may not be the best breed for your home at this time. I realize you may be fighting a losing battle since you Dad seems determined to get one.

Couple of suggestions, maybe taking your Dad to the shelter where you volunteer will open his eyes and heart to another breed, a more sturdy breed of a dog truly in need.

If you Dad is still determine to get a Yorkie unfortunately it maybe your job to care for the baby along with making sure it is safe at all times. Couple of things I would suggest are:

1. Get a good crate and make sure the baby Yorkie stays in the crate when it cannot be supervised by you or an adult.

2. Teach the little kids in the house that they cannot for any reason pick up the baby Yorkie. Also a good suggestion I was given is implement a one hand rule, where the little kids can only pet the baby with one hand.

My last suggestion is stay on Yorkie Talk, comeback and keep posting. There are so many Yorkie owners with experience on this forum I am sure we can all offer good suggestions.

Good Luck.

[Harrysmum]

Originally Posted by SophieKatesMom

Hi, first I commend you for realizing a Yorkie may not be the best breed for your home at this time. I realize you may be fighting a losing battle since you Dad seems determined to get one.

Couple of suggestions, maybe taking your Dad to the shelter where you volunteer will open his eyes and heart to another breed, a more sturdy breed of a dog truly in need.

If you Dad is still determine to get a Yorkie unfortunately it maybe your job to care for the baby along with making sure it is safe at all times. Couple of things I would suggest are:

1. Get a good crate and make sure the baby Yorkie stays in the crate when it cannot be supervised by you or an adult.

2. Teach the little kids in the house that they cannot for any reason pick up the baby Yorkie. Also a good suggestion I was given is implement a one hand rule, where the little kids can only pet the baby with one hand.

My last suggestion is stay on Yorkie Talk, comeback and keep posting. There are so many Yorkie owners with experience on this forum I am sure we can all offer good suggestions.

Good Luck.

I agree with every word you say.....

Plus the smaller children should always be sitting on the floor when playing with the new puppy....and watch out for any signs of jealousy from the existing dog.

Good luck! Sally + Harry x

[teeneythebetta]

Thank you guys so much! I have been trying to reply but my replies arent posting.. so hopefully this one does.

My dad is someone who I can not convince. He sees me as a kid talking nonsense, and doesnt care what I think or have to say.
He emailed the breeder last night and they said they still have her. So it looks like we will defenitely be getting her, unless something changes it.

My dad went in and found a dog at the shelter before. But he didnt get along with cats. (We have 2 cats) But my dad wanted the dog anyways, and was mad at them for not letting us have him. So now he hates the shelter with a passion despite the fact that they were doing the right thing.

How about excercising with yorkies? How far/long can they go per day- as a pup and as an adult?
My current dog goes on long walks once a day, and he runs most of the time. I only have time for once daily walks between school and other responsibilitites.

EDIT: lol im sorry about posting so much, they werent posting but now they are :S

[SophieKatesMom]

Once your Yorkie has all its shots you will want to exercise her. My advice is do some one on one exercise training with her (strongly encourage you leave the big dog at home at first).

Note I bolded "has all it shots", I am not sure if you know this but until your puppy is fully vaccinated you should not take her outside in public. There are others on Yorkie Talk who can give you more advice in detail on that (they offered it to me).

The only other advice I can offer (strongly encourage) is use the expert advice on Yorkie Talk, the members here are always willing to help. I think we all would agree with you that a Yorkie is not the best choice for your family but if that is something we cannot change then let us help you be the best Yorkie owner in your family.

[FoxxysMom]

Gosh you are smart! I know you will do great and I can promise that the love you get in return for caring for her will be worth it.
What will you guys name her? Praying all things workout great.
Welcome to YT

[teeneythebetta]

Aww thanks :3
I'm not sure of the name. Her current name is Gretchen but they will probably change it. I don't think I have a say in the name.

Although I do feel nervous, I am excited! xD

[gemy]

You are wise beyond your years. We here will help you in any and every way we can. But first, I want to say something, and you need to really hear this.

The situation that is being created is beyond your control, and will be as a young person living in their parent's home. There is a "limit" to what you can do, as you well know. So just do your best, and I'm sure you will; afterall you are here, and not your Dad or your Mom. This is your parent's decision, and not yours. Please don't assume any responsibility for their decisions.

I truly am at a loss to understand how and "why" your parents, seem to feel it is your's and only your responsiblity to walk and care for the dogs; given they are the ones' adding to the pack.

Excercise needs. I know that it would be convenient for you to walk your two dogs together; how-ever puppies for obvious reasons have less stamina than any adult dog. So if I may suggest, a short walk with your puppy alone, say a brisk 10-15 minute walk. And if you can, at the end of the day; have at least a mini play session with the pup. Walk your other dog separately for now.

In time as your pup matures; let me remember I have very large dogs, and I think my Yorkie was ~ 9mths old, and we hiked with our pack for about 4 hrs, including a lunch stop and some swimming mid hike. Razzle did very well, and even though I was prepared to carry him on the journey back he did not need a carry. Now understand that we walked with him daily, and did gradually build up his time.

In time you will be able to walk the two together; but in this too I caution you. They will be a pack. And the larger dog, and especially considering the breed that it is; will defend his pack mate! And that can leave you in a regrettable situation. As an example let me share with you a recent and true story. Magic our BRT male stands 30" at the withers and weighs a whole lot. We were on vacation with a friend of ours. We had together 7 dogs, walking along a quiet country road. 2 Yorkies were off lead, Magic was off lead, and four Yorkies including my own were on lead. Out of no-where crashing through the bush comes a Rottie mix; hackles raised and going for the 2 Yorkies off lead that were ahead of the pack. I'm sure that Rottie mix never saw Magic. Magic ran something like three steps forward and roared, he knew this was no "mock" attack. By this time I had scooped up my Yorkie, as he was aggressively barking too, my trainer had called her two Yorkies back to her, so they were safe from the Rottie! In a frozen moment of time, there was the Rottie sideways to Magic, so surprised and frozen; and Magic obeying my STOP command..... What would happen next? In that 2-3 seconds of time; I realized I could not help Magic, if the Rottie attacked or came forward aggressively; for I had Razzle in my arms. In that brief moment of time; I foresaw so many unpleasant things. Magic hurt, the Rottie dead. Either one or both was so unacceptable to me. Magic is a guard breed, just like your pitbull. So please be very carefull when walking. The country environment and holiday spirit swayed me into thinking we were in a safe area. I know better than to walk these two together, and I never do this in the city I live in.

Now in terms of pitbulls. Obviously I don't know your particular dog, but often times pitbulls do have a rather large prey drive; and quite simply put Yorkies are viewed as prey. Again another true story; my female BRT who died this year had a HUGE prey drive; as opposed to my male who doesn;t. She was never allowed out alone in our backyard with Razzle. It took 2 or more years before I was comfy allowing our Yorkie and our female to be free in the house together.

Now understand this; you CANNOT control totally the environment your Yorkie puppy will be in. You will be away at school, and adults being adults will do what they will. All you can do is your best.

I do hope I was clear around the exercise question you asked; and didn't overwhelm you with more information then you were ready to hear.

[teeneythebetta]

Originally Posted by gemy

You are wise beyond your years. We here will help you in any and every way we can. But first, I want to say something, and you need to really hear this.

The situation that is being created is beyond your control, and will be as a young person living in their parent's home. There is a "limit" to what you can do, as you well know. So just do your best, and I'm sure you will; afterall you are here, and not your Dad or your Mom. This is your parent's decision, and not yours. Please don't assume any responsibility for their decisions.

I truly am at a loss to understand how and "why" your parents, seem to feel it is your's and only your responsiblity to walk and care for the dogs; given they are the ones' adding to the pack.

Excercise needs. I know that it would be convenient for you to walk your two dogs together; how-ever puppies for obvious reasons have less stamina than any adult dog. So if I may suggest, a short walk with your puppy alone, say a brisk 10-15 minute walk. And if you can, at the end of the day; have at least a mini play session with the pup. Walk your other dog separately for now.

In time as your pup matures; let me remember I have very large dogs, and I think my Yorkie was ~ 9mths old, and we hiked with our pack for about 4 hrs, including a lunch stop and some swimming mid hike. Razzle did very well, and even though I was prepared to carry him on the journey back he did not need a carry. Now understand that we walked with him daily, and did gradually build up his time.

In time you will be able to walk the two together; but in this too I caution you. They will be a pack. And the larger dog, and especially considering the breed that it is; will defend his pack mate! And that can leave you in a regrettable situation. As an example let me share with you a recent and true story. Magic our BRT male stands 30" at the withers and weighs a whole lot. We were on vacation with a friend of ours. We had together 7 dogs, walking along a quiet country road. 2 Yorkies were off lead, Magic was off lead, and four Yorkies including my own were on lead. Out of no-where crashing through the bush comes a Rottie mix; hackles raised and going for the 2 Yorkies off lead that were ahead of the pack. I'm sure that Rottie mix never saw Magic. Magic ran something like three steps forward and roared, he knew this was no "mock" attack. By this time I had scooped up my Yorkie, as he was aggressively barking too, my trainer had called her two Yorkies back to her, so they were safe from the Rottie! In a frozen moment of time, there was the Rottie sideways to Magic, so surprised and frozen; and Magic obeying my STOP command..... What would happen next? In that 2-3 seconds of time; I realized I could not help Magic, if the Rottie attacked or came forward aggressively; for I had Razzle in my arms. In that brief moment of time; I foresaw so many unpleasant things. Magic hurt, the Rottie dead. Either one or both was so unacceptable to me. Magic is a guard breed, just like your pitbull. So please be very carefull when walking. The country environment and holiday spirit swayed me into thinking we were in a safe area. I know better than to walk these two together, and I never do this in the city I live in.

Now in terms of pitbulls. Obviously I don't know your particular dog, but often times pitbulls do have a rather large prey drive; and quite simply put Yorkies are viewed as prey. Again another true story; my female BRT who died this year had a HUGE prey drive; as opposed to my male who doesn;t. She was never allowed out alone in our backyard with Razzle. It took 2 or more years before I was comfy allowing our Yorkie and our female to be free in the house together.

Now understand this; you CANNOT control totally the environment your Yorkie puppy will be in. You will be away at school, and adults being adults will do what they will. All you can do is your best.

I do hope I was clear around the exercise question you asked; and didn't overwhelm you with more information then you were ready to hear.

Thank you so much! I do plan on walking seperately.
I do see your point; however he is a very gentle dog. He has been around children and small dogs his entire life, and was introduced to our cats a few years back. He has played with many puppies, and we had a mini JRT and a rat terrier a few years ago. Although I do fully understand that the size difference is something to watch for, and I most defenitely will be attentive to that every second I am home.
My mom is a stay at home mom, so the puppy will be taken out while I am gone, and my dog is always put away while we aren't home (otherwise he decides that since nobody is around he can sleep on the couch! lol )

[gracielove]

Oh, my goodness. What an awful situation. My opinion is that a small Yorkie is about the world's worse choice for your family. This is only a guess but it sounds like you dad is buying from someone who "specializes" in tiny Yorkies. If you get a tiny it is going to have to be watched constantly due to it's size. These dogs should not be around toddlers and although some seem quite rugged they can get hurt easily.

Maybe you could get your dad to come to this forum and read up on Yorkies. There is a library area and each forum section has it's "sticky" area at the top with information.

Tiny Yorkies don't need as much exercise as a Pit does but they do need to be walked. Teach it to play fetch and that will be great exercise. Don't do it around the bigger dog though.

I'm sure your bigger dog is a wonderful dog but sometimes big dogs see these little furry dogs as something to play with and many times they are just way to rough and can hurt a little dog badly, even kill it, just by playing. You are going to have to watch their interaction constantly for quite a while. It does not seem fair to put the responsibility of all this on a 12 year old.

[teeneythebetta]

Yeah...
Well theyre going to go get him tonight.
I hope this doesnt make me sound like a bad person due to the situation, but I cant help but be excited!

Unfortunately this dog is from a back yard breeder. Defenitely not a reputable breeder, but at least theyre not as bad as the typical BYBer. I tried to explain to my dad the difference between a reputable and back yard breeder, and he told me to get off my high horse.

[Samuelsmommie]

Hello and welcome to YT! I am very impressed with the wisdom that you have at such a young age. I think you have been getting some wonderful advice and am so glad that you found this site. As far as your parents, I have nothing negative to say about them, because I am also a parent and I know that even as parents we may not always make the right choices and decisions, but we are still the parents. I congratulate you on the level of respect that you obviously have and show your parents even though you don't agree with the decisions that they may make. Continue to honor your parents and do what you can to make the best of the situation. But to echo/quote another member, always remember that no matter how it works out..... You CANNOT control totally the environment your Yorkie puppy will be in. You will be away at school, and adults being adults will do what they will. All you can do is your best.
Again welcome to YT and I will be sure to keep a eye out for your posts