What are the challenges of raising a Tiny?
 

I would love some advice on raising and living with a tiny Yorkie. The challenges and special needs? I may be getting a sweet little girl that will be very small and I'm very nervous about it. I want to make sure I give her the best care possible and would love to hear from those of you that are owned by one. :)
Thank you
Genea

Welcome! I really don't consider my Toto a "tiny" but by some standards, I suppose she would be. She weighs slightly over 5 lbs. and is 8" tall and 8" long and came from an excellent show breeder. She will be 7 yrs. old on 7/18 and has been in perfect health her entire life. The only problem she has ever had, my husband and I caused. Her vet has always told us that due to her small bone structure, she should never, ever be allowed to weigh more than 3 to 3 1/2 lbs. She is so spoiled, it's very hard to refuse her anything, therefore, at one point she gained to around 6 lbs.!! Hubby is a "junk food junkie" and loves to share. He reached down to pick her up one night and she began screaming to the top of her lungs ... long story short, she had five of her little ribs seperate because of all the weight. Her tiny little frame just can't tolerate it but we can't get her below 5 lbs. We are very, very careful with her, she eats excellent food and I have reduced the quantity and she gets one "special" treat every day. [Kona's Chips and only one small strip of that.] Sorry this is long but just wanted you to know that there are indeed small Yorkies who are healthy and never have a problem! :thumbup::thumbup: Good luck with your baby!

I have a girl that is 3 1/2 - ish pounds and I will tell you the bones on a smaller dog are incredibly fragile (I got her from a show breeder too, she was supposed to be quite a bit bigger). They are unbelievably thin. And unfortunately, she is a runner and a jumper. Have not been able to break her of that. She will take a flying leap off the couch, my bed etc.
I also have a boy who had an open fontanel when I got him. I think that is more common in smaller yorkies and you have to be very careful. One bang to the head can be fatal.
There are a lot of things and I am sure you will get a lot more responses.
Curious when you say very small, what will her appx adult weight be?
Good luck with your baby!

Congratulations and Welcome to YT!

My 2 aren't tinies by any means but after owning a blk Lab for over 12 yrs - they're tiny to us.

Check your floors frequently
Being so low to the ground they find things that we don't see. We had to be very careful and watch that nothing was on the floor that could hurt them. I still shut the bathroom doors so they don't lick by the toilets or accidentally find some kind of cleaner residue.

Noise
Noises are louder down there as well. We have tile floors and neither one of my kids like to have a plate set on the ground for them to eat off of. I have a set that sits up off the ground.

Walking/sitting on them
I think the biggest problem with tinies would be that you have to be soooo very careful about walking around the house. These guys love to be around you all the time and I really had to watch out for them. Like when I'm doing dishes - instead of just turning around I have to turn my head and look to see if either of them are standing behind me before I pick my foot up and actually move.

Jumping
Jumping is a biggie too. I bought about 6 - $10 sets of steps from Walgreen's so that Mia & Max learned right off the bat that they had to use them. (especially since we have tile) I think I even threw pillows around my floor for Mia until she understood.

Dropping
If your baby is extremely tiny don't feel obligated to let other people hold him/her. These little ones are wiggle butts and so fragile that it could only take one time of jumping out of someone's hands for your puppy to get seriously injured, paralyzed, or die.

Hypoglycemia
I'm sure your breeder will go over this with you but make sure you have some Nutrical on hand. The little ones burn up so much energy that they don't have much reserve. You'll need to make sure that they only play for a little while at a time. They're just like babies in that they need to eat and sleep and occasionally play. :)

I'm sure you're so excited. Post pictures when you can. Don't hesitate to ask questions. This really is the best place to get help with your new baby.

Great post! Well thought out and detailed.

:goodpost:

My daughter has a little girl that is 2 years old and a little under 3 pounds. It is truely like having a baby. She cries when my daughter leaves. She wants to be held all the time.

I have a boy that is 3.2 and nothing like that. He thinks he is the big dog in the house. Very independent.

I really have not seen that they are that much more fragile. They play with the others just fine. Actually they think the little girl is a puppy. My females will clean her face and watch out for her. It is really strange..lol I have never had a problem with low sugar levels with either.

Sugar is 2.5lbs, guess she's tiny?
I didn't join YT until Sugar reached 7th-8th month, have no clue about raising dogs, Sugar is my first one.
However, I give Sugar supplements as treat, every time I play with her, I'll give her some supplements (I understand it might not be necessary to give supplements to our furbabies). I have no idea about sugar level, I gave supplements because I thought it's better than treats.
The only thing worrying me is...I have to make sure my family members and I OPEN our eyes bigger when she's roaming free in the living room, none of us want to step on her :(

tiny
 

I got a new baby girl a month ago.Someone broke into my home and stole my little girl Miley.I since had a security system installed.Miley was 2 yrs old and she was 5lb.and very healthy.But I don't know how big my new puppy Roxy will be.Her last Vet visit she was 17 weeks and she was 2lb.some people has told me she will be small but how small I don't know.any one out there know how big she might get?I just hope she will be healthy.:animal36

:thumbup::thumbup: Great advice.

Okay, I guess I am going to be the doom and gloom on this one. (And please excuse the novel.)

Some Tinies have special needs. Hypoglycemia can and does happen. Seizures happen. Tinies can be more prone to anxiety issues, digestion issues, and yes broken or dislocated bones. Sometime they even have higher vet bills just because of anesthia risks.

My experience has not been nearly as good as others. When I purchased Diva, she arrived sick from the get go. At barely three pounds she had diaharia and vomitting the night I got her. Even with nutrical, she would have seizures. She would refuse to eat so someone had to make sure to check on her through out the day. It turned out she had congenital birth defects.

It was an expensive investment, emotionally and monitarily. But I loved the little lady soooo much! I was devastated when she didn't make it.

Next I got Crickett. She too has a few issues. Mostly, she has anxiety issues. When stressed it effects her digestion and can sometimes go into a seizure. Luckly, thanks to Diva, I am now well versed in how to handle these.

She loves to run and jump. Just last night she was playing with Bailey and took a flying leap off of the arm of the chair, did a flip in the air and came down hard on her side hitting the hardwood floor. I froze, terrified that she had broken something. But before I could blink she was attacking Bailey's ear and trying to get him to play with her. It could have very easily have been a rush to the vet, as her bones are so frail.

I love Crickett like she is my child. In fact my 14 yro daughter calls her "Little Sister". I'm a push over for her and will pay whatever it takes to keep her happy and healthy.

My point is this, you might have a very healthy and wonderful tiny. But you might also have a high maintenance, special needs tiny. Are you prepared and in a position for the financial obligations that "may" come with her? If you are, then I say go for it!

I hope this perspective might help you. Good luck!

I have a tiny and my suggestion is be protective and aware but not over protective. I found that when I first got her all I did was freak out over everything. This made her a little skittish, after I calmed down she got better. We try to avoid her jumping off things especially on the hard wood floor. We taught her "stay" so that she would learn to stay on the bed or couch and let us pick her up. My baby also gets really cold. We keep little knit dresses on her so that she stays warm. We also found that harnesses and leashes are really hard to find. Our harness was an xxs and it was way to big when we first got her. She also didn't like how heavy the leash clip was and it was the smallest I could find. Now that she is right at 2.5lbs we have found the leash easier on her.

My new baby, Minnie, is now 16 weeks and 1.4 pounds. She is my first experience with a tiny one. I have had her now for 4 weeks and she has done super great...no issues at all. I am fortunate that her breeder educated me very well on her needs and possible problems, she sent me home with everything I would need, plus gave me more nutri-drops last week. She is available for me to call 24/7 if needed. Plus, since she is my third yorkie puppy and I have learned so much on YT, I felt like I could take care of her...if she had been my first, I would have been a nervous wreck.:eek: My vet checked Minnie and said she seemed to be healthy, just tiny.:)
My only problem with Minnie is that she thinks she is as big as the other dogs...:rolleyes: She wants to run and play with them. Rily and Saydee have been great with her too. Minnie doesn't have the "run of the house" and will not for some time. I bought a used Pack & Play pen and we keep her in there when we can't keep an eye on her. She likes it and will roll and play for a long time by herself. I'm really nervous about when my children visit with their dogs, so Minnie will be in the playpen during their visits.
I do worry about her bones being so fragile. I will probably always "baby" her more than the other two. :D

Good luck with your little one!:)

I agree with your advice...I've also had the same problem with finding a harness for Minnie, but she is still too small to walk on a leash, so maybe I'll find a harness by the time she is. I think I'll order one from Cindy on here. I understand they are great and custom made to fit. :)

My tiny girl is 5-1/2 yrs old she weighs 3.5 and has never been sick or injured
but it can easily happen. i have always put her in a playpen when there was going to be a few people in the house and not being use to little ones being under foot for her safety & my sanity :) good luck with your baby

My little Sugar thinks she's a Rottie! And I know you well enough (virtually....:rolleyes::D) to know you WILL always baby her!!

My Sugar is 3# as well.....even my son who is 6'6 KNOWS that he dam* well better do the Yorkie Shuffle or face the vengeance of MOM :eek:

Wow, lots of replies. Thank you everyone. :)
I really appreciate all the advice. It's been very helpful. My Ginger was small to me at 5 1/2 lbs but the new puppy I may be getting will only weigh about 2lbs full grown, so that is much smaller then I'm use to.
I realize there are risks and I'll have to be extra careful.
The breeder I've been talking to has been very helpful and has patiently answered my gazillion questions :)

efblair: I'm very sorry to hear about your dog being stolen. How awful for you :(

PartPixie: I'm sorry about your little Diva. That had to be very hard for you.
Thanks again and if anyone has more suggestions or first hand experiences, I would love to hear from you
Genea

Just make sure that your breeder will be there for you even after the check has cleared. They will be your best reference, aside from YT of course ;), and they should be the person there for you when you need help. Good luck with your new little one.

Everyone remarks how much smaller boo is than their yorkie, but he has no clue how small he is. He is 2 years old and the only health problem we've had was an ear infection (the vet said it was probably from the lake water that got into his ear when he jumped in, but it was easily cleared up). He's not the least bit fragile, he sometimes gets to running so fast that he has tumbled head over paws and jumps right back up and starts running. Each dog is different, but just because a dog is small doesn't mean you are in for a lifetime of health problems. Yes, you have to be careful that he doesn't get underfoot, and try not to sit on him, but he's a dog...enjoy him and let him enjoy being a dog! I know it's easy to worry about something so tiny, but try not to worry too much. Dogs pick up on your emotions, and if you are always nervous that something will happen to him, then he will start to think there is something to be nervous about. Good luck with your puppy! I hope you are both in for a lifetime of good health and lots of fun!

I am new to YT and posted something elsewhere... Don't have a clue where??? Anyway, this is exactly the type of discussion I was looking for. I have a six and a half month old Yorkie that currently weighs 1 pound 12 ounces. She is TINY! I brought her home when she was 12 weeks old because the breeder would not release her until she was sure she would be okay. Her siblings were so much bigger than her and were able to go to their homes at 8-9 weeks. People were actually bidding to try to buy her before I got her! My vet says she is exceptionally healthy for her tiny size. She is unbelievably smart, active and loving.
She is supposed to be spayed next week and I am dying!!! I cannot imagine that tiny body having anesthesia and surgery. But worse, I cannot imagine keeping her calm and still for any length of time for her to heal. My heart will break if anything happens to her. I am actually considering and thinking of just not doing it yet... Any suggestions?

In that case you need to keep her crated unless you are taking her out for potty breaks or eating or if you are holding her.

Pre-op blood test is also a good idea. That way you know her little liver is in tip top shape and can handle the anesthesia.

In case you didn't know, all yorkie puppies should be released when they are 12 weeks old, not sooner. For tinnies, reputable breeders may keep them longer.

Great thread, many thoughtful answers!

Be careful, many breeders will lie about how big the adult weight will be and some who advertise teacups will often sell dogs over standard size. How does she know it will only weight 2 pounds, how old is it now? Remember, while some healthy tinies are small, some dogs are small because the have liver shunt, so an abnormally small dog, may have other health concerns. Best of luck!

I also have a tiny She is 3 and weighs 3 lbs. My vet refused to spay her until she was well over 2 lbs. It is pretty risky spaying under 2 lbs as they have NO fat reserves. Make sure your vet uses isoflourene or a comparable gas. I would create another post about spaying such a tiny and get others opinions. Best of luck

My husband and I are considering rescheduling the spaying. So many people seem apprehensive when I ask. Her breeder does not breed "teacups" and told me to try to hold off until she is at least over two pounds.

mojo - Thanks! If we go through with it soon, that is the plan...

DvlshAngel985 - Yes, vet planned on doing all the blood tests before operation. Still costly, however, if we decide to wait.
And, yes, I know most reputable breeders wait until 12 weeks, but unfortunately I don't have the money that those breeders were asking for in the Miami area. I refuse to buy from puppy store (mills), street corner vendors (backyard breeding), nor through word of mouth. Shipping a puppy was not an option for us. So I found a breeder 6 hours away whose price was right and eventually went to interview and spend time with her in her house. I met mom and saw newborns from a distance since they were days old. Believe me I did my research, only by the time we learned my baby was so tiny, I was in love with her and could not wait for a new litter down the line. Thanks though for your input... You are right on!! :thumbup:

Imperez - My little one has very little fat reserves!!! She is too wild to store any fat on that little energetic body of hers!

I think there are some special concerns with the tiny ones. I worry that Lucy is too fragile; she is not quite 4 lbs. She jumps like crazy and has knee problems. She has liver issues too. I constantly have to monitor what she is eating - too much protein; not enough, etc.

I work at home - so make sure she has a snack midday so she is not going too long without eating or drinking.

Just different from my Westie - who is so independent.

Congrats on your new baby :) Mine range from 3pds to 8pds, I deff see the diffrence in my small guy, I worry mainly about his bones, he is skinny but the vet assures me he is healthy ~ His bones seem so fragil compared to my others who are over 5 pds, I also lost a baby to ls who weighed 1.7 pds and that is tiny !! so i can see your concerns, This is a very interesting thread :thumbup: Wishing the best with your new addition :)

Thanks everyone!!! I am not sure I am going to go through with it next week after all :confused: She is just too little. Like Imperez said, she has NO fat reserves! I just don't have a peace about it at this time. Will keep looking for more on this thread. ;)

How much does she weigh now and whats her age?

She is six and a half months and weighs 1 lb and 12 - 13 ounces.