1st time Puppy owner-to-be Hi everyone! I'm new to the forum, so hello to everyone here. I'm really excited about finding this resource. If everything goes according to plan, my husband and I will be welcoming our first yorkie into our home within next 4-5 months. I've been all over the internet gathering up information on training techniques, which foods are best, etc. I was wondering what advice you guys could give me; maybe something you wished someone had told you in the beginning? My family always had pets when I was young, but this will be my first puppy as a "grown-up." My husband is a first year med student, so it will definitely be mainly my responsibility to train and take care of the animal. I just want to be prepared because I know that if I let it form bad habits early they are hard to break! Thanks in advance! |
Hi there and :welcome4: Hopefully everything goes well with you getting a Yorkie. Just wanted to say that a Yorkie is a lot of responsibility. I'd never had a dog before and even after years of research and thinking I knew all I needed to about this breed, its still a daily learning experience. As you will see on this site, training a Yorkie is probably the most common problem. People (including myself) didnt think it would be such a task, but indeed it is and it takes major commitment and persistance. There's other things as well, but thought this would help give you an idea... Good luck :) |
I was super lucky, both of my boys came potty trained which is an issue I think many yorkies owners have. Be consistent with training, if you have been training your puppy all day don't let your husband come home and let the puppy do whatever it wants. Yorkies are very intelligent, but can be stubborn at times so you may have to get creative when training. When you do get your puppy and have fully completed puppy vaccinations, see if there is a yorkie play group in your area. It's a great opportunity to socialize your pup, and find out local resources from other members. Be very cautious with your puppy, since there has been alot of yorkie snatching going on. |
Just some advice for a first time puppy owner. First off, Yorkies are amazing!!! I have had many breeds and I am a Yorkie owner for life. Second off, please make sure you can take care of, train, and accommodate a Yorkie. They are special little dogs. Third, definitely read threads here and ask questions. This is a great side. Buying a Yorkie research on the breeder is very important. A well bred Yorkie can live long happy lives, whereas a mis bred Yorkie can suffer from issues such a Collapsing Trachea, Luxating Patella, Liver Shunts, and some other issues. Most Yorkies to a certain extent do have LP, so its also good to know how to care for Yorkies in general. Yorkies are Big Dogs trapped in little Dog bodies. Make sure you Yorkie proof your house. I have heard of too many Yorkies falling off balconies, drowning in buckets/bath rubs, and falling down stairs. You have to make sure that your house is ready for them. Also Yorkies are totally like little humans so make sure you lock up anything you don't want them getting into, because they will get into everything :) Yorkies are very protective of there owners and a extremely stubborn so make sure you have good patience with them. They are extremely loving and only want to please you but you also have to be the Alpha in the pack and not let the new little one run your house too much. A lot of first time puppy owners who own Yorkies end up letting the Yorkie have to much control which can develop bad habits like nipping, barking, and over protectiveness. Yorkies are amazing. Keep doing research here, find a good breeder, and get ready for the best years of your life with your new furbaby! |
One more thing. Wee Wee pad training is crucial!!!! Yorkies have tiny bladders and can't always hold it. Potty training Yorkies is not an easy task but Yorkies are very smart. With my Chloe whenever I see her pee on her pad she gets a small treat or lots of loving. Now whenever she pees she lets me know because she wants me to give her lovin! Pick a nice spot on your house, lay a few pads down, and you should be set. My baby hasn't had an accident in months, and training her to go on the Wee Wee pad only took about a month. |
Welcome to YT! Congrats on doing your research first!! Plan, plan, plan. Decide how you will housebreak. I believe crate training is great, or use an x-pen. Will you want the dog to go outside and on pads, or just one or the other. Plan for how you will set your house up for the dog. Where will he or she sleep. |
Thanks for the input so far, everyone. I definitely am trying to get all my ducks in a row long before the puppy's arrival, as you can see. Right now we are planning on crate training for sure, and more than likely the crate will end up on the floor next to our bed. We live an in apartment, so while I plan on taking walks and such we are primarily going to focus on "pad" training instead of housebreaking in terms of going outside. My in-laws have 2 yorkies, Mandy and Claire. Mandy they got first and she is a perfect little angel, just under four pounds (the vet said too small to try for puppies). She also latched onto my father-in-law immediately (rather than my mother-in-law who was the one actually wanting the dog!), so they got Claire. Claire is gorgeous (she stayed black and tan into adulthood, which I understand isn't common) but a little brat! She barks all the time! Apparently though my in-laws know someone who has a purebred male. Since that family, my husband's grandmother, my in-laws, and myself would all love a new puppy, they are going to try for a litter. I just don't want my little baby to end up a yappy brat like Claire is right now! :) |
Mines a yappy brat shes yapping right now and its making me mad :D |
Welcome to YT! I'm glad you found us!!! Congratulations on your first baby to be!!! Can't wait to see pictures !!! |
IMO, I like the xpen better than a crate..I have never liked the crate training, but, that's just me..Also I have used piddle pads for a long time..the ones I have found that work the best are the xtra piddle pads from www.drsfostersmith.com they're a little more expensive, but, they absorb so much better..I have 2 places down in the house with them, I changed them in the morning and before bed and that's it..and that' s with 4 of them using them..When I was using any of the other brands, I was changing them both out about 4-5 times a day, so the ones I use now, even though more expensive, cost me less in the long run. There's only one word of advise, once you get one, you'll want more...good luck..Do you have a breeder yet?? |
I bought a Playschool fencing system. I used that. Made it smaller at night and more of a playpen during the day. |
Sorry, what exactly is an xpen? :) |
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this is a really good price on them..the ones we have are the 540-24 you can make them all different sizes, you can put their bed at one end, pee pad at the other, food and water in the middle, you can even move the middle in and make it in 2 like 2 separate areas..you can make it round, oblong, small or big..you could also put a crate instead of a bed at one end and leave the door open on it.. |
I wish someone would have told me how hard potty training a yorkie can be!! I wish someone would have told me how much money I'd be spending on food, clothes, toys, etc. (of course, she's worth it though ;) ) |
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