My Shih Tzu friend of 15 years had to be put down in December of 2009. I was never going to have another dog. My guy had been such a good boy and I didn't want to start over. Well, that lasted for a few months. When I decided I needed another fur baby in my life I started searching the local shelters and ads to find an older dog that needed me but I wanted a small dog and small dogs just don't turn up in our area shelters. We are a "big dog" area.
I was taking one of my cats for it's yearly shots and check up and there was a lady there with a Yorkie and some puppies. My heart just did flip flops. I have to say I didn't like the lady that owned the dogs but the mother dog and pups were of course adorable. I spoke to the vet about them and she told me they appeared to be healthy. She said she knew nothing about the line they came from but so far they had not seen any problems with her pups. She was a little concerned about the little female in the litter because it was so much smaller than the other pup. There were only two in the litter.
I went to see the lady and fell for the littlest puppy, a frequent mistake that people make. Now I know that the smallest pups are often small because of health issues. The two were so identical except for the size. I had no idea about the issues Yorkies have. I knew nothing except that that little face had to be mine. That was the beginning of my adventure. According to the lady I bought her from Gracie would mature at 8 or 9 pounds which seemed fine to me. She actually grew to a whopping 5 pounds! Having such a little one was frightening to me. Gracie has never been aware of her size and sometimes thinks she is a cat, climbing up on the back of the recliner other places only a cat would go. She refused all dog food for the major part of her first year of life. Thank God I found YT and learned how to cook for her until I found the right food for her.
I come from a family that knows dogs. Some of my family have raised and shown dogs for years. I have purchased dogs from breeders before I know what to look for in a ethical and quality breeder but it all went out the window when I saw that baby's face. I haven't had any health issues with Gracie. I got off easy in that area but it has been an experience learning how to deal with the terrier personality and her eating issues.
I have always regretted not buying Gracie's sister when I got her. I really would like to get another one but would like to get a pup from a better breeder next time. It will mean traveling quite a distance so I haven't really been able to do it up to now. I think she would love to have a playmate and I really want to have another little furry face to love. |