Help me know how to choose a puppy!

[KatieC]

Hello All-

I'm new, this is my first post. I came here hoping to find some owner/experts that might give me some insight into what i can expect when I bring home my Yorkie. I have been around Yorkies, but have never owned one myself.

I am in contact with a breeder who is expecting pups in the spring and I will probably be a proud Yorkie mom around April. In the meantime, I'd like to know if you can give me a realistic look into life with a Yorkie. I want to be prepared and responsible with this little life I'm choosing to take responsibility for.

My main questions are:

What characteristics should I look for when choosing my puppy? The breeder is allowing me to choose,and I'm not sure where to start. My Yorkie will be a pet only, no breeding and no showing,so I'm more concerned about health than looks alone.

What health problems should I research, besides hypoglycemia?

What is your greatest joy as a Yorkie lover, and what is the most difficult part in your opinion? I realize every animal is different, but I'd love some perspective.

Thanks!!!!

Katie

[JennS]

Ask the breeder how many adults she owns and how often they are bred.... Did she ask YOU any questions about what type of home you would provide...? Good breeders are picky about who they let their pups go to...

I didn't know this before I got Pippa, thank goodness she is healthy and well-adjusted!

[yougetthesmiles]

Hello Katie and welcome to YT!

My love for my babies goes far deeper then words, I don't love them, I'm IN love with them! They have the sweetest personality's, they are so funny, and then they are SO loyal. No matter what kind of day you are having, no matter how sad you are, they love you no matter what!

Now the downside to yorkies is, they tend to be stubborn! If your consistent with the potty training, then you may get them trained, but alot of yorkies never get 100% potty trained.

I would buy a couple books about yorkies and just read and enjoy what you learn. In the mean time, have fun at YT and enjoy the site! We have LOTS of info here!

Best of luck to you!

[Archie's Mom]

Congratulations on your impending Yorkie-mommyhood! You are going to LOVE this breed. Mine captured my heart the very first time I saw him and I just love him more each day!

As for picking a pup -- yes, health and looks are important, but also temperment. When you go to look at a litter of pups, observe how they interact with you and their energy level. Ideally, you don't want a pup who is too shy and/or seems afraid. Doesn't mean he/she won't be a sweet dog, but they may grow to be timid and nervous. It's best to look for the outgoing, alert pup who is curious about you and active. But you probably won't have to worry -- I'm a believer that the puppy that is supposed to be yours will pick YOU! Mine certainly did (it didn't hurt his chances that he put on quite a little floor show at the breeder's house, either!)

Hypoglycemia is a big issue for some very young Yorkies -- but there are also several other things they are prone too -- I'd say pick up a book on Yorkies at your bookstore or pet store -- they always have a chapter on all the health issues. (I think I read three or four books before I got Archie!)

The most difficult part for me as a Yorkie owner has been potty training and the fact that Archie is very stubborn and will not come when he is called! We finally got the potty training thing under control (he's piddle pad trained), but he STILL will not come when called (he's almost two!) Oh well! But these annoyances are nothing when I look into those beautiful brown eyes; he's the snuggliest, yummiest, silliest, sweetest little thing in the world and he has really filled a hole in my heart. He's the best!

[aarnold808]

^ couldn't have said it better myself!

[yogisdad]

Welcome to the club, the greatest dogs ever club.

Ill tell ya im a guy and i love yorkies more than any breed our there because

1. they are awesome looking, my wife uses words like cute, and precious. but im a guy so i of course have to use words like awesome and studly.

2. they are extremely playful without the whole accidentally biting your arm off thing that bigger dogs have. my brothers boxer loves to...box.

3. they have great personalities all around. when they are sad they show it, happy they show it, and trust me if you get tied up in the football game like me and dont take their chew toy out of the box they will remind you.

some things ive learned that work and dont work or work but arent right.

1. a good food is a must, avoid main ingredients that have corn or other grains. try to get chicken or any meat really. although some yorkies will have food allergies and im sure someone else can help you with that, im not too educated in that area.

2. a playpen can help you out a lot. we were gonna do crate training with a little crate but we used a play pen with a pee pad instead and it worked for us, although all yorkies wired a little differently.

3. dont hit or even slightly thump your yorkie for punishment. i admit to doing this growing up with larger more aggressive dogs it became a habit to give ol ace a swat on the nose when he was bad but ive learned from that and my pup no longer tremors in my presence. if you listen to one thing in this, then this one is it.

4. lots of love and attention...his hair needs brushed alot, bath once a week with a good shampoo,vellus.com is awesome. feed him hard kibbles exclusively after he is done losing all his baby teeth, its good for yur pup i hear..but soft treats are always nice. i used teething keys from petco for him. we bought him numerous beds that are placed throughout the house, thank my wife for that one...spoil him basicly but still when you are training your yorkie you still need to be the "alpha male" in the relationship.

5. my yorkie never cried at 12-16 weeks once we started playing the spanish radio station when he slept...i dunno its nuts but the radio may help with the seperation crying fits.

well this post is way to long for someone like me who only has owned a yorkie for 10 months, but i tell ya what. i learned alot in that time span thanks to this forum. hopefully you will too. and i hope i answered a least one question you had or offered a view that might help you out.

[Yorkiekids]

Congratulations on your new baby. I just think they have the best personalities always loving and cuddly. The downside is they can be stubborn, but when you look at their little faces they just melt your heart, and you can't even be upset with them.

[Amy81]

Welcome to YT!

[Ladymom]

Definitely ask your breeder what genetic/health screening she does. Ask if she has had both parents knees checked for luxating patellas and if they are OFA (Orthopedic Foundation of America) certified. Also ask if both parents have been screened for liver disease and make sure your puppy has a bile acids test before she comes home. Both luxating patellas and liver disease run in Yorkies and treatment is very expensive, thousands of dollars.

A good breeder will be knowledgable about genetic defects/diseases that run in her breed and will be able to tell you what she has done to insure her puppies are free from them.

It's very important to remember that just because a puppy is healthy when you first get him home, if he's poorly bred he may not stay that way. It can be years before "genetic time bombs" start going off. My Maltese Lady is a rescue and was perfectly healthy until she was nearly five. Her "bombs" started to go off then and she now has diabetes, epilepsy, hypothyroidism and allergies, all most likely inherited. She costs me over $3,000 a year in vet bills and medications.

[dani23d]

Also, don't fall for the "teacup yorkie" hype. There is no such thing as a teacup yorkie. A yorkie should ideally weigh 7 lbs or less. You should aim to get a yorkie between 4-7 lbs in weight since smaller yorkies - and I know this isn't true for all - are prone to more problems (health, safety, etc.). I know lots of people here have babies who weigh 2-4 lbs and they are fine. But don't aim to get the smallest one for the sake of getting a "teacup" baby. Hehe. Good luck!!!

[AmyChristine]

I like to ask a potential breeder what qualities they feel are most important? And what they were trying to achieve, correct, or enhance when they chose to breed that particular pair? This may seem like a wired question but it gives you a great idea of where your breeder is coming from, and some of the answers have helped me to weed out the good, from the not so good, rather quickly.

[Ladymom]

Originally Posted by AmyChristine

I like to ask a potential breeder what qualities they feel are most important? And what they were trying to achieve, correct, or enhance when they chose to breed that particular pair? This may seem like a wired question but it gives you a great idea of where your breeder is coming from, and some of the answers have helped me to weed out the good, from the not so good, rather quickly.

That's a great question. It helps a potential puppy buyer find out how much the particular breeder knows about genetics.

I have always heard that "parents on premises" could actually be a red flag as what are the odds that the perfect match is right under your roof? I've been told the UPS man often plays Cupid behind the scenes! (Artificial insemination)