YorkieTalk.com Forums - Yorkshire Terrier Community - View Single Post - Looking to get a Yorkie and looking for some advice!

jenn1381 · 11-12-2008, 08:23 AM

Hi all,
I am 2 weeks away from graduating from college, and my grad gift to myself is going to be a puppy. I've only ever had one dog, he was a mutt, mostly cocker spaniel, poodle, and terrier - while he was a great dog and I loved him dearly (and still miss him dearly!) he was not trained properly as I was too young to have much of a say in his training. He was protective, hyper, yappy, and not good around new people (thought everyone was there just to see him and wouldn't stop barking) and didn't like other dogs much.

I've always loved Yorkies so I think that's the breed I am going to get, but during my research I have come across some questions and concerns about the breed, and was hoping to get some input from some Yorkie owners.

My biggest concern is potty training. I have read they are difficult to train, mostly because they cannot control their bodily functions until they are around 3-4 months old. I plan to crate train to a point, but I'm not sure how comfortable I am having my puppy in a crate for more than a few hours a day. I expect some accidents, I know that is normal for a new puppy, but I'd like to know how some of you got your Yorkies fully trained and how hard it was? Are males easier than females, or vice versa? I haven't decided if I want a male or female, I will probably not make that decision and let the dog choose me, so to speak. Is one sex typically calmer than the other, or is that just up to the dog?

Also, how much can I expect to pay to get the dog fixed? I know it needs to be done at around 5 months, and being a college graduate has definitely left me in some debt, so that is something I need to think about before actually getting the puppy. I want to make sure I am in a position to give it everything it needs, no matter how badly I want to have the puppy, right now!

Also, what kinds of questions should I ask the breeder? I haven't started calling them yet as I am still researching, and I also need a few months to save for the initial buying cost (Yorkie's definitely aren't cheap!)

Any information and/or personal experiences anyone has would be greatly appreciated!

11-12-2008, 08:23 AM	#1
jenn1381 YT Addict Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Barrie, Ontario, Canada Posts: 427	Looking to get a Yorkie and looking for some advice! Hi all, I am 2 weeks away from graduating from college, and my grad gift to myself is going to be a puppy. I've only ever had one dog, he was a mutt, mostly cocker spaniel, poodle, and terrier - while he was a great dog and I loved him dearly (and still miss him dearly!) he was not trained properly as I was too young to have much of a say in his training. He was protective, hyper, yappy, and not good around new people (thought everyone was there just to see him and wouldn't stop barking) and didn't like other dogs much. I've always loved Yorkies so I think that's the breed I am going to get, but during my research I have come across some questions and concerns about the breed, and was hoping to get some input from some Yorkie owners. My biggest concern is potty training. I have read they are difficult to train, mostly because they cannot control their bodily functions until they are around 3-4 months old. I plan to crate train to a point, but I'm not sure how comfortable I am having my puppy in a crate for more than a few hours a day. I expect some accidents, I know that is normal for a new puppy, but I'd like to know how some of you got your Yorkies fully trained and how hard it was? Are males easier than females, or vice versa? I haven't decided if I want a male or female, I will probably not make that decision and let the dog choose me, so to speak. Is one sex typically calmer than the other, or is that just up to the dog? Also, how much can I expect to pay to get the dog fixed? I know it needs to be done at around 5 months, and being a college graduate has definitely left me in some debt, so that is something I need to think about before actually getting the puppy. I want to make sure I am in a position to give it everything it needs, no matter how badly I want to have the puppy, right now! Also, what kinds of questions should I ask the breeder? I haven't started calling them yet as I am still researching, and I also need a few months to save for the initial buying cost (Yorkie's definitely aren't cheap!) Any information and/or personal experiences anyone has would be greatly appreciated!