Help - Questions
 

A while ago there was a great thread about what to look for when purchasing a puppy. I've been looking for that thread for hours and I cannot find it. Well, I'm in the market for a new puppy and would really appreciate some help. When I bought Desi I had no idea what to look for, but I was extremely lucky to find a wonderful breeder. Unfortunately, she is not breeding Yorkies for a while so I will be looking at several puppies from different breeders. What should I be looking for??

Is there a way to tell if a puppy will have a cottony coat?
Is a "Roach back" apparent in a puppy?
Desi is a (somewhat) darked faced Yorkie (which I love, she is so cute) but now I would like a lighter faced Yorkie. Is there a way to tell in a puppy?
Is a thick coat obvious in a puppy?

Thank you

Can anyone help please..

The only help I can offer is seeing the parents is a great help in determining the 'look' of the babies but no guarantee from what I've read - also - I don't think Roach backs really show until the puppy has matured a bit -

I am by far NOT an expert so I'll stop here - but you can go thru this site and type in search words about choosing a puppy and you'll find great information here....Many people are not able to see both parents.... and if you can do that -you have a great start.

Desi is adorable !

A puppy with a thick cottony coat will show this at a early age. The problem is that unless you have been around for a while (long in the tooth like some of us) I am not sure that you would be able to tell the difference. That is where the practice comes in from feeling and looking at these coats for years. Once you learn the look and feel of silky it stays with you.

Ask to see mom and dad- feel the coats. If not available ask for a picture.
Often you can tell from a picture if a dog has that woolly cotton coat. A true silk coat will look thinner then the other coat. A good silk coat has a shimmer to it. If a dog is dirty- the coat will loose that bright luster but you can still see the differance.


Roachy back- may be hard also. For some reason some puppies may roach their back when they need to go potty. Will drop the stool and body postion changes. Watch the kids move around while playing- does their back look nice and staright when moving and standing. Ask the breeder to stack the puppy- if the puppy has a nice topline it is a easy stack. If you have to do a lot of adjustment in the stacking breeeder is working to make puppy look good. Problem with the stacking is that puppy may not have been stacked before or breeder may not know what they are doing if they do not show.
Feel along the babies spine to see if you feel anything odd- shoulf feel straight.

Take someone with you who knows what to look for. Have you vet check the babies topline.

Just some things to get you started

GREAT information Kathy - thank you - that will help alot of people !

I just found this link - this site has lots of good information on it also -
http://www.dog-play.com/ethics.html

Thank you so much, as you can imagine, its not everyday you add a new member to your family and I so want to make the right choice.

I would like to add to Kathy's great points that you need to see and feel the puppy. I can totally tell when I have a pup in a litter that has a TRUE silk coat at a week old. The coat looks glossy and wet and lays down flat. feels very smooth. You need to feel all the coats and the one that feels most like a satin sheet will be closest to what you are looking for.

Good luck!

Make sure you ask about a health guarantee, especially for Liver shunt, and other genetic problems. If they won't give a health guarantee, I would be very leary of why. Check the mouth for over/under bite, small ones in a pet won't hurt, but a large overbite can cause problems with eating. Watch the puppy to see if it is skittish, or if it is inquisitive. If it has been socialized, it should be nosey and not scared.