[FinnTheHuman]

Originally Posted by canana

Okay, that's good to hear I didn't want to sound discouraging, but think that you should keep an open mind and try not to be disappointed. It's possible you'll be frustrated and maybe disappointed at first, but if you're committed to being to patient, persistent, and consistent in the beginning (for the first year or so) it will pay off for your pup's entire lifetime. For example, if your pup seems 'stubborn', you just have to be calm and patient and be more stubborn than them!

I do believe that training = bonding, yes. Obviously everyone has different standards and expectations. Some train more, some spoil more. But generally this is what happens (and I hope this doesn't sound too trivial)...

-Your puppy arrives and it's super excited/nervous to be in a new place.
-Pup doesn't know what's good or bad according to your standards (it might do stuff you don't like, like potty accidents, chew up stuff, bite you etc).
-First thing to start bonding: teach basic commands (come, sit, down, stay) to develop an understanding of how you can communicate with each other. Without basic commands, then the pup is basically running the show and doing whatever the heck she/he wants, most likely leaving you frustrated.
-As pup learns how to learn from you, as Yorkies are really smart if you have enough patience, they'll want to learn more. They really enjoy the mental stimulation and challenges. And the joys of what you'll experience when they 'get it', is not describable in words
-Reinforce good behaviours to prevent bad ones.
-By knowing that you give the commands and he/she is to follow, you develop roles where you are the leader, pup is the follower.

Commands, tricks, grooming, and daily walks all create bonding. Your time and effort spent with the dog will mean the dog will want to spend it with you.

If you're interested, consider reading the following, which I found to be very helpful in building confidence before I became a new dog-mommy:
https://drsophiayin.com/blog/entry/t...g-the-program/
Dogs: Positive Reinforcement Training : The Humane Society of the United States
Nothing in Life is Free
Puppy Training Schedule: What to Teach Puppies, and When

Nice thanks! Now if I can only find an appropriate breeder around here. The one I contacted the other day didn't speak english well and while that is not really a bad thing I really just couldn't understand what she was saying.. The only problem I had with her was that she was basically trying to push her dogs onto me, by saying that "you might want to act fast because I have other clients who are looking for a puppy too" which was really off putting.. It shouldn't really be first come, first serve... This is not burger king. And then she said she only breeds once a year.. but then also mentioned she will have another litter in fall? Which means if her pups are 2 months old that means They were either born late january, or early feb.. Which means that basically she's going to have two litters this year.. while that's not necessarily a bad thing(to have two litters a year)... It is however discouraging to basically lie to your customers face when you JUST said 5 minutes ago that you only breed once a year! ;( So that's basically two strikes imho. I am trying to be strict because I don't want to buy from a bad breeder.

Which pretty much makes it nearly impossible to find a <good> breeder. ;(