New to Yorkie Talk
 

I'm so glad I found this site. Two weeks ago today we adopted our lovely Yorkie boy, Barley from a DC area rescue group. He was turned in at a high kill shelter somewhere in the south. Though Barley was very skinny and ill when he came to me...with a visit to our vet, some quality food and a whole lot of hugs and kisses, he is now doing wonderfully!:)

The rescue group didn't know anything about him expect that he was dropped off like yesterday's trash. I really can't imagine why, as he's a little love bug. :love: My vet tells me that he's around two years old.

It breaks my heart to think of the life he must have had. I've noticed a few things here and there, that lead me to believe he must have been with some horrible people. Things like...I've seen him cower at fast movements as though he's going to be struck. He will curl up in a ball and roll onto his back. When he does this I pick him up, talk lovingly to him and tell him that no one will ever do that to him again.

More of his sad story is that he came to me with one of his canine teeth broken off. I just can't imagine what happened to cause such a thing. To think of someone hurting this little baby like that just makes me so sad :(

We also couldn't get him to come onto our laps or on the furniture at first. Now he will happily jump up on my lap or on to the furniture. Then there was playing. Barley had no idea what toys were. We have an eight year old toy poodle and a two year old great pyrenees (everyone's been fixed) So we've got toys everywhere. I simply sit on the floor with them and he learned very quickly with us all playing, what fun toys are.

Barley has surprised me several times when we are on walks. People walk their dogs in my neighborhood a lot, so we pass other dogs and owners often. Barley goes nuts when he sees a German Shepard (male/female doesn't matter) just the sight of one and he goes crazy, trying to attack them. I was shocked the first time he did it, because he is so good with my two dogs. I can only assume that maybe he was hurt by one before. Any thoughts on that?

I have never shared my life with a Yorkie before and am still learning about them. My sister tells me she doesn't think Barley is a Yorkie, but I think that's just cause he's taller and longer then most and his hair on his ears is grown out. If his picture posts you all will have to let me know if you agree or think he's a silky terrier or something else. I just know that no matter whatever he is, I love him to pieces and would do anything for him!

I hope that anyone reading this and considering adopting an older Yorkie will read Barley's story and know that after just two weeks of love and patience, he's become a wonderful member of our family that I'd to anything to protect. I didn't have to have him from a puppy up to feel that way about him and you wouldn't have to either if you chose an older dog. You just need to understand that they need to learn from you and feel loved by you.

I hope I haven't chatted too much. I'm very excited to learn more from you all on how to be that best Yorkie parent I can for him.

Take care and thank you for letting me tell our story.

Welcome to YT,and thank you for sharing your story! I hope you enjoy as much as I have, and I am so happy that you have your new baby and he is now with a loving family. He sounds really lucky to have you in his life.

You are so awesome rescueing this little guy. W*E*L*C*O*M*E to YT!

Welcome to YT! :welcome4: God Bless you for opening your heart and home to your new little guy! I'm sure he will pay you back in a way you will never forget!:D

Now your little man can have a healthy happy life! He will love you forever for that! welcome to YT!!!

Welcome to YT...You have a heart of gold for saving this guys life...He will be a great companion.

Welcome to YT .

Hi He looks like a yorkie to me I am attaching a picture of my daughter and grandkids with their furbaby who is a silky and he looks alot different than your little one.;) As you can see the silky has less hair and alot straighter hair than most of our yorkies. and longer bodies and snouts

Hi and welcome to YT! Your babies are precious. I don't know if he is a silky or yorkie but he sure is a cutie. It is so sad how people can be so cruel to animals. We took a cat in once and he was definitely abused. I think he was beat with a broom or something like that as he would cower at objects like that. turns out he had feline aids and I can only think that his previous owners booted him out. He was and still is a very special part of me. Congratulations on your new addition.

Welcome to YT!!
Bless you for rescuing him. He will surely love you forever!
He is a cutie.


:welcome4: :yorkiesar

Bless you for your rescue and Welcome to YorkieTalk! :)

Thank you all for the warm welcome
 

I truely appreciate all the warm welcomes and comments. I must say I'm the one who feels blessed to have Barley in my life to love and nurture. Taking care of him has helped me with my son's leaving for boot camp. Luckily my son was home for a few days with Barley before leaving so he got to know him and connect with him too.

Nanahas3 thank you for sharing the photo of your family and their silky. What a lovely group. You must be so proud!!! I agree that my Barley looks more like a yorkshire terrier then a silky. Thanks for sharing. I just had to know ;)

Thanks again for all the friendly greetings. Hope to get to know everyone more. Take care:animal36

Welcome to YT!! Sure looks like a yorkie to me too. It may be the long hair on the ears. I bet if you trimmed the ears and shaped up the face your daughter might agree he looks like a yorkie :aimeeyork

Welcome to YT! Thank you for sharing your powerful story. And thank you for giving Barley the loving home he so deserves.

I think he looks like a yorkie. And the barking at big dogs may just be a way to establish he's there. Mine will bark at some dogs & not others - I try to teach them no-bark & tell them that if I know we are approaching other dogs. Recently we were out walking & ran into some people twice - first time Roxy barked and went towards this other dog & that big dog, yet a puppy, kind of coward down, the 2nd time - it was just the opposite, the big dog came towards Roxy & she shied away - it's hard to read all their behavior