KDSinVirginia | 10-24-2009 03:25 PM | Hi...I'm new and wanted to introduce myself My name is Karen and right now I have 1 yorkie, my 3 lb Oliver. I'm an at home mom, I have 2 daughters 13 & 10. My husband is a family medicine doctor here in Charlottesville Va.
I've owned several Yorkies over the yrs. My 1st guy was Simon. As a 21 yr old just out of college gal I wanted a yorkie. I bought him through an add in the paper and the lady met me in a mall parking lot in a Winnebago! Geez! She probably had 20 pups in playpens inside. Thankfully, I lucked out and my Simon passed away 2.5 yrs ago at the age of 17.
I aquired my next yorkie, Bruty, when I was 24ish, he was a nSPCA adoption that was very abused & ill. My vet told me he may live 6 months. I said fine, at least he'll be warm, loved, safe and fed. (He lived for 8 more years)
Next was a Masie, she belonged to a nun that was going into a nursing home. Masie was senile and very sad to be without her owner. She was only with me for 3 mnths before she stopped eating and I found her dead in her bed one morning - she was 16 yrs old.
Then there was Colby. He too, was an abuse case. He bonded with me and only me (he liked Simon and Bruty though) When I was pregnant with my first child we knew Colby would need re-homing. He went to live with my Godparents (who spoiled him rotten, ROTTEN) until he passed away in his sleep at 13.
I never thought of myself as a dog rescue but I guess in a sense I was huh?
When my Simon passed away in Feb of 2006 it was like losing a child. He was my 1st baby...he came before the husband and kids and was my buddy as I ventured into adulthood. He went everywhere with me! He traveled all over the US and to Paris and London ... Simon was quite old, blind and deaf at the end and I knew when it was time. I had hoped every morning at the end that he would have passed in his sleep. He did not and my entire vet clinic sobbed as he went quietly.
I thought I would wait for a while before having another small dog. I wasn't even sure I wanted a Yorkie. I knew I'd never love another dog like I loved Simon. We have 2 bigger dogs (both labs and cats) but my house was so quiet without my little guy around. In March of 2006 I found a breeder close by that was quite experienced and picky about her puppies and reasonably expensive.:)
I went to visit and knew immediately who was going home with me. He was 8 weeks old at the time and she allowed him to go with me 2 weeks later. Oliver won me over more completely that I thought I ever would be again. He is spunky and funny. He LOVES my cat Birdie, he loves our old yellow lab and thinks he's 10 ft tall and bulletproof! He's been dressed up by the kids, snuck into a movie and just about every store in town and can almost catch the geese in the backyard!
I have not had him neutered as of yet. I'm toying with maybe breeding him for a pick of the litter although I'd likely take a stud fee as well. I've had a few people ask about him but he has no experience (other than stuffed animals :eek:) I'm hoping to learn more about breeding experiences. I know little to nothing about advertising for breeding him. He is registered and has champion bloodlines (I'd have to look back at papers to see which???)
I am hoping to learn as I read from all the experiences on this forum and hear about everyone's dogs! I get really odd looks when people realize he is not neutered and several times have gotten lectures from people about spaying/neutering. My uncle is a veterinarian and I worked for him growing up and while I was in college - I'm not blind to the wealth of animal over population. Hopefully, through this group I'll learn how to respond to others!
I look forward to getting to know everyone!:aimeeyork |